SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 10, 2026, 00:50 (PST)
- Initial third-party benchmarks show Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite outperforming Apple’s M5 in multiple multi-core and real-world workload tests.
- Apple’s M5 maintained a solid single-core advantage, while early gaming tests revealed stutters and frame drops compared to Intel’s latest processors.
- Reviewers noted the results came from pre-production hardware running early software, leaving battery life uncertain.
Initial testing of a prototype Asus Zenbook A14 indicates Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite outperforms Apple’s M5 in multiple benchmarks—a result that would have seemed unlikely just a year ago.
Timing is crucial. PC manufacturers and Microsoft are gearing up to launch a fresh batch of Arm-based Windows laptops — Arm being the chip architecture behind most smartphones — designed to rival MacBook-level performance while keeping battery drain low.
This comes amid a broader battle for premium laptops, with Apple’s M-series chips raising the standard while Intel and AMD roll out new mobile processors to hold onto Windows territory.
Hardware Canucks tested pre-production Asus Vivobook and Zenbook models after Asus gave the green light, PCWorld reported. The reviewer noted the laptops ran early firmware and drivers, so battery benchmarks weren’t shared. The chip inside was the X2E-88-100, just below Qualcomm’s top-tier “Elite Extreme” model. According to the report, the first X2 Elite laptops should start rolling out in February and March. (PCWorld)
In Cinebench 2024, which tests CPU rendering speed, the X2 Elite pulled ahead with a multi-core score of 1,432, beating the M5’s 1,153, according to Windows Central. Apple still led the single-core race, 200 to Qualcomm’s 146. But the X2 Elite completed a Blender render in 3 minutes 31 seconds, far quicker than the M5’s 5:33, and encoded a Handbrake video in 3:29 compared to 5:14 for the M5. Intel’s Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 lagged behind in those tests. The chips ran at 31 watts, except the M5, which ran at 26 watts. (Windowscentral)
9to5Google reported the new chip’s single-core Cinebench score jumped by 46 points compared to the previous generation, though it still trails Apple by roughly 50 points. They also noted improvements in DaVinci Resolve: a 10-minute 4K export that took over 33 minutes on the last-gen Snapdragon X Elite was cut by just over 10 minutes on the X2 Elite. Even so, the process still ran about twice as long as on the MacBook in the same test. (9To5Google)
Gaming performance improved over the first Snapdragon X Elite, but issues remain. Notebookcheck found the X2 Elite hit an average of 40 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p medium settings using FSR 3—an upscaling tech that sacrifices some detail for smoother frame rates—compared to just 22 fps on the original chip. Intel’s Arc B390 graphics in a Core Ultra X9 388H system managed 46 fps. However, the X2 Elite’s “1% lows,” which track the worst frame drops, dropped to 18 fps, well below the Intel system’s 34 fps. (Notebookcheck)
The picture is messy but familiar. Multi-core speed boosts long tasks like video conversion and 3D rendering, while single-core performance still dictates how “snappy” your machine feels when opening apps or switching between tabs.
Still, these results are just a glimpse, not a final judgment. Power consumption, long-term performance, app compatibility, and battery life might shift once firmware, drivers, and Windows updates roll out. Early game stutters suggest software issues that won’t be masked by pure benchmark scores.
Qualcomm has been pitching the Snapdragon X2 Elite as more than just a performance upgrade, Reuters reported last year. The chip includes features tailored for corporate laptop fleets, like remote security controls. “Nobody else can offer something like that,” said Ben Bajarin, CEO of consultancy Creative Strategies, referring to Qualcomm’s intent to pair these tools with its 5G modem chips. (Reuters)
Right now, the chip battle is mostly visible in charts and early preview devices. The true challenge will arrive once retail Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops hit the market with finalized software—and independent reviewers can put them through battery tests and app compatibility trials that matter far more to buyers than any single chart.
