3 Minutes
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is a major step forward for ARM-based laptop processors, but benchmark results show it still trails Apple’s M4 Max in single‑ and multi‑core workloads. Here’s a concise look at the numbers and what they mean for ARM versus x86 laptops.
Real-world Cinebench comparison
In a reference laptop demoed by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme recorded a Cinebench 2024 single‑thread score of 162 and a multi‑thread score of 1,968. By contrast, Apple’s M4 Max in a retail machine posted 179 single‑thread and 2,025 multi‑thread. That translates to roughly a 9.5% lead for the M4 Max in single‑core performance and about a 2.8% advantage in multi‑core runs—enough to keep Apple on top of the ARM laptop segment for now.
While those margins aren’t huge, they do matter for performance-sensitive tasks like heavy photo editing, certain engineering workloads, and some professional audio workflows where single‑core responsiveness matters most. At the same time, Qualcomm’s gains are impressive given that the X2 line is only in its second laptop generation.
How the X2 stacks up against x86 rivals
Qualcomm has considerably closed the gap with x86 laptop CPUs. Public comparisons suggest the X2 Elite Extreme leads recent AMD and Intel mobile chips by large averages in synthetic tests: roughly a 30–35% single‑thread lead and an even larger multi‑thread advantage in some published comparisons. These figures underline how ARM silicon has shifted performance expectations for thin, fanless, and highly efficient laptops.
That said, Intel and AMD aren’t standing still. Upcoming mobile platforms (codenamed Panther Lake, Medusa Point, and others) are expected to raise the bar on efficiency and raw compute, so the competitive landscape will remain dynamic over the next year.
What to take away
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme demonstrates rapid architectural progress and meaningful gains over x86 alternatives in many scenarios. Still, Apple’s M4 Max holds a measurable edge in Cinebench single‑ and multi‑thread tests, preserving its lead among ARM laptop SoCs. For buyers, the right choice will depend on software compatibility, battery life goals, and specific workloads rather than raw cinebench numbers alone.
Conclusion
The X2 Elite Extreme is a milestone for Qualcomm and for ARM laptops generally, narrowing gaps and challenging x86 incumbents. Apple’s M4 Max, however, remains the performance leader in the ARM laptop space—at least until the next generation of silicon from all vendors arrives.
Source: wccftech
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