In an interesting turn of events, the first device boasting the highest-end version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipset isn't even a laptop. It's a Mini PC in the form of an official Dev Kit, which undercuts (or at least matches) the price of even the lower-end Snapdragon X Plus laptops, and it's set for a full launch on August 23rd, though it's also already available for pre-order on Arrow.com for just $899 USD.
We just reviewed a Snapdragon X Elite laptop— the Dell XPS 13 9345— and that unit retails for $1299, which is about $400 pricier for the laptop form factor.
Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows Specifications
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X-1E-00-1DE, specs divided between CPU, GPU, and NPU below
- CPU: Qualcomm Oryon CPU with 12 cores rated at up to 3.8 GHz, or 4.3 with Dual Core Boost; 42 MB cache
- GPU: Qualcomm Adreno GPU rated for 4.6 Teraflops
- NPU: Qualcomm Hexagon NPU rated for 45 TOPS
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X RAM
- Storage: 512 GB "Fast" NVMe SSD
- OS: Windows 11
- Size: 199 mm x 175 mm x 35 mm, or 8 x 7 x 1.3 inches
- Weight: 970 grams, or ~2.1 lbs
- I/O: 3 USB4 Type-C ports (1 Front), 2 USB 3.2 Type-A ports; 1 Ethernet port; 1 HDMI port; 1 3.5mm audio port
So, who is this Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Mini PC really for? As advertised, it's targeted at developers, which makes sense— if you're hoping to target ARM-native software for the X Elite chips hitting the laptop or want to properly test and tweak your x86-native software for use with those devices, this seems like the way to go. But if the enhanced AI features (Copilot+) of the Snapdragon X Elite happen to hold particularly high appeal to you and your workflows, that's another reason this piece of kit could be compelling.
For gaming purposes, we definitely wouldn't recommend the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite platform at this time. While it's true that some games work and even the new image scaling options added just for Windows ARM and these devices are compelling, the overall gaming performance and compatibility of Snapdragon X Elite just isn't competitive with x86 gaming laptops at this time. Other iGPUs— even Intel iGPUs— provide a much better experience.
But it's not all doom and gloom in the world of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite laptops — or Mini PCs in this case — as long as you have the requisite monitor and peripherals to get it up and running. You generally have a pretty usable version of Windows 11 here, and a number of productivity and creative applications that will work perfectly fine. If your needs are more professional or are particularly focused on development efforts— perhaps even efforts to improve the state of games listed on Works on Windows on Arm— this may just be the Mini PC for you.
