Microsoft is making a big push to get Windows laptops running Arm hardware, the same transition that Apple made over four years ago. Qualcomm is partner in the effort, putting its flagship Snapdragon X Elite chips into tons of new laptops, including the latest Surface designs.
But is the Snapdragon X Elite better than the latest Intel and AMD chips? That’s the question Gordon Mah Ung sets out to answer in the latest PCWorld YouTube video.
Gordon spent weeks exhaustively testing the chips in the latest Qualcomm-powered laptops and pitting them head-to-head against their x64-based competition.
In this two-hour deep dive, he tests every possible metric you could want, from the usual benchmarks (like Blender and Handbrake) to everyday tools (like Google Chrome, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Photoshop), plus tons of tests covering power draw for single- and multi-core applications and a volley of real-world battery tests.
It’s a lot of data to digest, but Gordon guides you through all of it with his customary expertise. If you aren’t keen to watch the entire thing, check out the video description for handy timestamps for each test.
And if you want more general info on how Snapdragon-powered laptops perform, check out our various reviews:
- Surface Pro 2024 review
- Surface Laptop 7 2024 review
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x review
- Asus Vivobook S 15 review
- Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge review
For more deep dives into the latest laptop and desktop hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube. And watch us shoot the breeze every week on The Full Nerd podcast, now on its own channel.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.