Snapdragon X2 Elite for AI PCs tipped to feature up to 18 cores and 64GB of RAM

In context: Qualcomm did not unveil its next-generation Snapdragon X chips at Computex last month, choosing instead to highlight the AI capabilities of its existing hardware. However, the company is reportedly developing new processors for AI-powered PCs and has already begun testing the Snapdragon X2 Elite, which features a higher core count and improved memory support.

According to reliable tipster Roland Quandt, Qualcomm is testing the Snapdragon X2 Elite – codenamed SC8480XP – in a high-end configuration featuring 64GB of RAM. Quandt also claims the new chip will include 18 cores, marking a 50 percecnt increase over the 12-core setup in the first-generation Snapdragon X Elite.

An earlier leak from the same source suggested that the X2 Elite will incorporate the Oryon V3 CPU architecture, promising a significant performance boost over its predecessor. While there's no official confirmation yet on whether the chip will debut at the Snapdragon Summit in September, more details are likely to emerge in the coming weeks.

SC8480XP aka SD X2 Elite in testing with 64GB RAM... looking like 18 core thing more and more.

After receiving a lukewarm response to its Snapdragon X laptops last year, Qualcomm is aiming to make a bigger impact on the AI PC market with its second-generation chips. However, the company's ambitions are no longer limited to laptops. Recent reports suggest that Qualcomm is eyeing the desktop and server markets with its upcoming processors.

To support these expansion plans, Qualcomm is reportedly testing the SC8480XP with advanced cooling solutions, including an AiO cooler with a 120mm radiator. The new system-in-package (SiP) was initially rumored to include 48GB of SK hynix RAM and 1TB of onboard SSD storage, but the latest leaks suggest that even more integrated memory could be on the table.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has been betting heavily on its Copilot+ PCs, which are equipped with specialized processors featuring dedicated NPUs for on-device AI processing. According to the company, these NPUs can handle a large volume of AI operations per second, enabling features such as real-time translation, image generation, and more.

Despite Microsoft's optimism, AI PC sales have been underwhelming so far. A report from last year revealed that only 720,000 Snapdragon X laptops were sold in Q3 2024 – accounting for less than one percent of the global PC market. The situation hasn't improved much since, with Intel recently admitting that its AI PC chip sales also remain significantly below expectations.