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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Cale Hunt

Snapdragon X2 Elite beats Apple's M5 in major benchmarks — New tests unveil Qualcomm's second-gen power, and it's now Microsoft's turn to deliver a strong Windows update

Qualcomm's new X2 Elite processor marketing prop being held by a window.

Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC) kicked off a renaissance for Windows PCs when they launched in 2024, and the company announced the Snapdragon X2 as a successor in 2025.

We've had to wait patiently since the second-gen announcement for the PCs powered by X2 chips, and they're still expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Windows Central's Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino got an early look at the new chips late last year, running some benchmarks to discover just how much faster the new X2 Plus was compared to Intel's Core Ultra 7 265U and Ultra 7 256V.

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