Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Performance Review: Standalone Chip Speed Compared to M5 Pro & M5 Max

Qualcomm has unveiled its third-generation Oryon cores, integrated into the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, elevating the specifications with a robust 18-core CPU. This advancement promises a notable enhancement in both single-core and multi-core performance. However, when directly compared to the M5 Pro and M5 Max, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme’s achievements begin to pale in comparison. Recent benchmarks reveal that it continues to underperform against these noteworthy competitors.

Performance Comparison: M5 Pro and M5 Max Outshine the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme

Testing conducted on Geekbench 6 using the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in the forthcoming ASUS Zenbook 16 yielded single-threaded and multi-threaded scores of 4, 033 and 23, 198, respectively. Although these metrics demonstrate an improvement over the Snapdragon X Elite, they still fall short when evaluated against Apple’s latest Silicon offerings.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme benchmark results — Testing of the 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in the ASUS Zenbook 16.

The performance gap is stark, with both the M5 Pro and M5 Max demonstrating superiority with up to a 26% increase in performance across both single-core and multi-core tests. Even more surprising is that the previous M4 Max chipset outperforms the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, highlighting the significant advancements made by Apple’s chip development teams.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme: Specifications

Single-core: 4, 033
Multi-core: 23, 198

M5 Pro: Specifications

Single-core: 4, 242 (5.2% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)
Multi-core: 28, 111 (21.2% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)

M5 Max: Specifications

Single-core: 4, 268 (5.8% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)
Multi-core: 29, 233 (26% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)

M4 Max: Specifications

Single-core: 4, 049 (0.40% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)
Multi-core: 26, 509 (14.27% faster than Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme)

M5 Pro performance comparison with Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme — M5 Pro compared to the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in Geekbench 6.

M5 Max performance comparison with Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme — M5 Max compared to the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in Geekbench 6.

While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme presents a solid upgrade, it is crucial to note that this represents only the company’s second-generation chipset release, utilizing fully custom CPU cores for laptop platforms. In contrast, Apple has been consistently advancing its chip technology for years. With a few more iterations, Qualcomm could position itself more competitively; however, currently, the M5 Pro and M5 Max lead convincingly.

For further insights, explore Geekbench 6.

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