I’ve reviewed many of the best Windows laptops for Jugo Mobile over the years. Although the best MacBooks can offer better performance and efficiency, Intel-powered Windows 11 laptops usually end up being my favorite laptops of a given year. Decades of familiarity with Microsoft’s operating system is a big reason, as are the various forms Windows laptops can take. And of course, when it comes to gaming, no MacBook can match the best gaming laptops.
While they don’t offer the same level of interoperability as devices in the Apple ecosystem, I will still prefer Windows laptops like the Dell XPS 15 OLED, Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, and HP Omen Transcend 14 due to their usefulness as work and gaming laptops. However, as much as I like Windows laptops, the devices I’ve tested tend to have the same glaring flaw: poor battery life.
There was a time when an 8-hour battery life was considered good (or even great). But since Apple’s M series laptops were released, we’ve seen the battery life limit increase.
Eight hours isn’t impressive anymore, not when some Apple laptops can last 14 hours or more. Although I prefer Windows, I usually travel with a MacBook Pro because I don’t have to worry about my battery suddenly dying. I can’t say the same for Intel-powered Windows laptops, which I know will run out of power long before the workday is over. It’s the biggest problem I have with these machines, a problem that seems to have gotten worse over the years.
Is there any hope for improving battery life on Windows laptops? There could be if Qualcomm’s claims about its upcoming Snapdragon X Elite chip are true. While we’ve heard a lot about the processor’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and how adeptly it can handle AI-powered tasks on the device, I’m more interested in the chip’s promised efficiency compared to Intel’s Core Ultra chips. Basically, I want to see if it can finally give Windows laptops decent battery life.
What Snapdragon X Elite promises
When I attended the Snapdragon Summit last fall, Qualcomm compared the Snapdragon X Elite chip to 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs. During a recent event I also attended, Qualcomm compared its laptop chip to Intel’s Meteor Lake processors. If what Qualcomm claims is true, its next processor will crush Meteor Lake.
In the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark test, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon In multithreaded performance, the Qualcomm chip is reportedly 52% faster and consumes 60% less power than the Ultra 7 155H. This test was performed on an Asus Zenbook 14 OLED laptop (UX3405).
The results were similar when Qualcomm pitted the Snapdragon X Elite against the Intel Core Ultra 9 155H. In the Geekbench 6 single-core test, Qualcomm says the X Elite is 51% faster than the Core Ultra 9 155H and consumes 65% less power. In the multi-core test, the X Elite is 41% faster than the Core Ultra 9 155H and consumes 65% less power. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark, the X Elite is 65% faster and consumes 50% less power than the Intel chip. These benchmark tests were performed on an Asus ROG Zephyrus G16.
The claimed performance gains are impressive, but what caught my attention the most was the alleged power consumption. If Qualcomm’s benchmarks are accurate, laptops with an X Elite chip could have longer battery life than those with Intel Core Ultra chips.
Other factors can affect battery life, such as whether a laptop has an OLED display or if you’re playing a graphics-intensive game. But if Qualcomm’s processor consumes less power than an Intel CPU, that could make Windows laptops with an X Elite chip last longer.
This last part isn’t related to power consumption, but since I know you’re wondering, I wanted to briefly discuss how the Snapdragon X Elite compares to the Apple M3 chip.
According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon If true, the X Elite outperforms the M3 by 22%. Qualcomm did not detail the differences in power consumption between its chip and Apple’s.
Snapdragon X Elite Outlook
Everything Qualcomm showed me sounds impressive. That said, it’s important to remember that we won’t know if these claims are true until we’ve tested the laptops with the Snapdragon X Elite chip once they arrive sometime this summer.
If the X Elite chip is as powerful and efficient as Qualcomm says, it could be a game-changer for Windows laptops. I can’t say for sure if we’ll suddenly see Windows laptops with the endurance of M-series MacBooks. But if Qualcomm’s next laptop chip can make Windows laptops last longer than Intel machines, I’ll certainly be happy. .
- Snapdragon X Elite laptops to launch in mid-2024
- I’m excited about the Snapdragon
- Snapdragon X Elite laptops could have an advantage over MacBooks
