Qualcomm has made a significant entrance into the realm of Windows-powered laptops with its newly launched Snapdragon X Elite chipset. Following the previous introductions of the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and Snapdragon X2 Elite, the company has managed to create a notable impact in the market. Notably, benchmarks indicate that the Snapdragon X2 Elite not only surpasses its predecessor but, in certain tests, outperforms Apple’s M5 chipset as well.
Snapdragon X2 Elite vs. M5: A Performance Showdown
What sets the Snapdragon X2 Elite apart from the competition is its remarkable efficiency. Even with just a 5W additional power draw compared to the M5, it secured victories in three out of five benchmark tests. This impressive performance could potentially redefine expectations within this segment of laptops.
The Hardware Canucks YouTube channel received approval from ASUS to perform extensive benchmarks on the Zenbook. However, it’s essential to note that the figures presented were acquired from a pre-production unit with early software and drivers. Therefore, prospective buyers should consider this caveat when reviewing these numbers, as the final consumer models may yield different outcomes.
In these benchmarks, the Snapdragon X2 Elite was tested at 31W, marginally above the M5’s peak power consumption of 26W. The results below illustrate how the Snapdragon X2 Elite decisively beat the M5 in multiple areas, solidifying its strength against the Snapdragon X Elite.
Battery life details remain elusive, as no specific tests were conducted at this stage. With commercial units still pending release, enthusiasts must wait to understand their potential runtimes fully. It’s also crucial to remember that Windows 11 routinely deploys updates, which can lead to fluctuations in battery performance over time.
Benchmark Results Overview
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)
- Snapdragon X2 Elite: 146 (35.2% faster than Snapdragon X Elite)
- Snapdragon X Elite: 108
- M5: 200 (37% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)
- Snapdragon X2 Elite: 1, 432 (24.2% faster than M5, 48.7% faster than Snapdragon X Elite)
- Snapdragon X Elite: 963
- M5: 1, 153

Blender 5.01 (Lower is Better)
- Snapdragon X2 Elite: 3:31
- Snapdragon X Elite: 5:24
- M5: 5:33

Handbrake (Lower is Better)
- Snapdragon X2 Elite: 3:29
- Snapdragon X Elite: 5:32
- M5: 5:14

DaVinci Resolve 20.3 (Lower is Better)
- Snapdragon X2 Elite: 22:06
- Snapdragon X Elite: 33:16
- M5: 09:43

Additionally, Hardware Canucks also shared results for Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H. You can find more detailed benchmarks and insights from our coverage of the ASUS Zenbook Duo, showcasing a noteworthy resurgence from the x86 processor landscape.
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