One of the most confusing moments of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit was when I accidentally flipped over the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in the testing room. Was that actually embedded memory? Yes, it is. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Arm processor does support on-package memory as an option, though the standard X2 Elite chips do not. Kedar Kondap, Qualcomm’s senior vice president of compute and gaming, told PCWorld that the 48GB of embedded memory that the X2 Elite Extreme was simply a choice Qualcomm made for performance testing, not a number PC makers are locked into. That’s probably why Qualcomm barely mentioned the technology at all — it’s confusing, and probably not a feature consumers will ever see, let alone be aware of. Still, it’s worth knowing about. “There’s a 12-core version, actually, that does have the off-chip memory,” Kondap said, referring to the Snapdragon X2 Elite. “There’s an 18-core version that has an off-chip memory. There’s an 18-core version that can have the integrated memory [the Elite Extreme]. You have the option.” But why 48 gigabytes of memory, exactly? Regarding the memory size of the Elite Extreme, Kondap said that the 48GB inside the Elite Extreme was an arbitrary amount. “It’s not limited,” he said. “48 gigabytes is what was available in this particular device, but it’s not restricted to be 40. Somebody could say I just want to put 24 inside, and I’m good with it and that’s 100-percent perfectly okay.” That memory will be configurable, as it normally is, between ordinary system RAM and VRAM, Kondap added. Aside from the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, it looks like PC makers will have a more ordinary array of memory options than I first thought. And they’ll be able to run them on battery without losing performance, too. Disclosure: Qualcomm held its press briefings in Hawaii, and would not pre-brief reporters in other locations or over video meetings. They paid for my room, boarding, and travel expenses, but did not ask for or exert any editorial control over this story or other PCWorld content. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Eye-catching exterior design Enjoyable keyboard, large touchpad Tons of leading-edge connectivity Strong GPU performance in games Cons Modest display quality with questionable 1200p/440Hz mode CPU performance doesn’t measure up Short battery life Our Verdict The Lenovo Legion 9i packs great game performance in a stylish design, but it comes with a few caveats. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Lenovo Legion 9i Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Gamers who want a stylish laptop are likely to love Lenovo’s new Legion 9i. It has an eye-catching “forged carbon” look that’s unique yet not overdone. The laptop also packs great game performance and a wide range of physical connectivity. However, the laptop’s display and CPU performance don’t match up to peers, which narrows its appeal. Lenovo Legion 9i: Specs and features as-tested The Lenovo Legion 9i that I received for review was equipped with impressive hardware. It has not only an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and Nvidia RTX 5080, but also 64GB of RAM and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 solid-state drive, not to mention Thunderbolt 5 and USB-C 4. The only specification that isn’t impressive is the display, which, though it provides a sharp 3840×2400 resolution, relies on a mediocre IPS-LCD panel. Model number: 18IAX10 CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Memory: 64GB SO-DIMM DDR5-5200 Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5080 16GB (175W TGP) NPU: Intel AI Boost up to 13 TOPS Display: 18-inch 3840×2400 glossy IPS with 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync Storage: 2TB PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD Webcam: 5MP with electronic privacy shutter Connectivity: 1x HDMI 2.1 (8K/60Hz), 2x USB-C with Thunderbolt 5 and USB-4 80Gbps, DisplayPort, 100-watt Power Delivery, 1x USB-C 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2, 3x USB-A 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x 2.5GbE Ethernet, 1x SD card reader, 1x power connector Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Facial recognition Battery capacity: 99 watt-hours Dimensions: 15.87 x 11.69 x 1.1 inches Weight: 7.72 pounds Operating System: Windows 11 Home Price: $3,695.49 MSRP The Lenovo Legion 9i starts at $3,476.99 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of solid state storage. Lenovo’s upgrade pricing is incredibly affordable. Moving up to 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD adds only $220 to the MSRP. Lenovo provides a “Naked-Eye 3D” display option in some Legion 9i laptops. This is a glasses-free 3D technology similar to Acer’s SpatialLabs. My review unit didn’t have this display, however, and instead came with a dual-mode display that supports 240Hz at 3840×2400 resolution or 440Hz at 1920×1200 resolution. Lenovo Legion 9i: Design and build quality Foundry / Matthew Smith Look, I’m about to tell you what I think about the Lenovo Legion 9i’s design. But before I do, take a moment to look at the photos. I’ll wait. It looks glorious, right? There’s nothing unusual about how the Legion 9i’s design functions, as I’ll discuss shortly. But Lenovo’s unique lid design, which the company calls “forged carbon,” is a winner. It’s attractive and fashionable, but not in-your-face or garish. It’s a design statement, and I like what it says. Overall, the laptop both looks and feels premium, and most of Lenovo’s competitors are a full step behind. That aside, the Legion 9i delivers what I expect from a high-end performance gaming laptop. It’s a beefy machine that measures over 15 inches wide, over an inch thick, and tips the scales at nearly eight pounds. The recycled aluminum chassis is extremely rigid. Flex can be found in the display lid and keyboard deck, but you’ll have to pay attention to spot it. Overall, the laptop both looks and feels premium, and most of Lenovo’s competitors are a full step behind. Even attractive competitors like the Alienware Area-51 strike me as old-fashioned compared to the Legion 9i. Lenovo Legion 9i: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse Foundry / Matthew Smith Typing on the Lenovo Legion 9i is a great experience. The keyboard provides good key travel and each key activates with a light yet satisfying tactile snap. Lenovo provides a good layout, too. Most keys are large, with only the backspace key and the numpad key feeling a bit narrow—though they’re still large enough. The keyboard is RGB-LED backlit and provides per-key lighting customization, although you might not know that at first. The per-key customization is only visible when the “custom” mode is selected from a list of presets in Lenovo’s Legion Space software. The LED backlight is bright, uniform, and offers a wide range of brightness suitable for both dim and bright rooms. Lenovo also packs an RGB-LED light bar on the front underside of the chassis, and RGB-LED lights across the Legion logo for the lid, which can coordinate with the keyboard. I like the lightbar, which provides a subtle gradient between LED light zones that creates the illusion of a single uniform light rather than multiple, individual LEDs. The Legion 9i supports Windows Adaptive Lighting as well, though support must be turned on in the laptop’s BIOS. The included numpad means the keyboard is shifted towards the left, and the touchpad follows. The touchpad itself is sizable at about six inches wide and four inches deep. You can find larger touchpads on some competitive laptops, like the Razer Blade 18, but the Legion 9i has no shortage of room for executing Windows’ multi-touch gestures. I also found the touchpad responsive and didn’t have problems with unintended inputs. A physical mouse button action is available by pressing on the lower half of the touchpad. It does the job, but it’s rather subtle and activates with a dull thud instead of a snappy click. While the Legion 9i’s keyboard and touchpad aren’t perfect, they’re a strong point when compared to alternatives. The Razer Blade 18 has a good keyboard and bigger touchpad, but its RGB-LED lighting options are not as impressive. Alienware’s Area-51 also has a good keyboard, and some decent RGB-LED lighting, but the touchpad is modest. The Legion 9i delivers more than competitors overall and avoids downsides. Lenovo Legion 9i: Display, audio Foundry / Matthew Smith The display is the Lenovo Legion 9i’s only obvious weakness, but it’s a big one. It falls short in display quality and makes a half-hearted attempt to deliver ultra-high refresh rates. Let’s talk refresh rate first. The Legion 9i’s 18-inch display supports a refresh rate up to 240Hz at a resolution of 3840×2400. Alternatively, it can reach 440Hz at a resolution of 1920×1200. However, the details of Lenovo’s implementation aren’t great. Users must access BIOS to flip to 1200p/440Hz or back to 2400p/240Hz. That’s an annoying problem, and Lenovo doesn’t do anything to help users mitigate it. The boot screen doesn’t even state the button a user needs to press to access the BIOS. I suspect most people who buy this laptop will use it for years without realizing the 1200p/440Hz mode exists. Personally, I would never use the feature, anyway. I’d rather stick to 2400p/240Hz, which is already plenty quick, instead of rebooting my laptop to access 440Hz at a lower resolution. The real problem is not just that the 1200p/440Hz is of questionable use, but also that it means the Legion 9i can’t offer an OLED or Mini-LED display. The Legion 9i’s IPS-LCD display is a great example of the breed with superb color accuracy, a color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB and 99 percent of DCI-P3, and a maximum brightness of 520 nits (I measured up to 519, but what’s a nit between friends?) However, like most IPS-LCD displays, it has a limited contrast ratio (I measured a maximum of 1340:1). An OLED will deliver far better contrast which leads to a richer and more immersive look. I also noticed the Legion 9i’s display is cool in color tone, with a measured white point of 7,600K at 50 percent brightness. And while the display is bright, it’s also glossy, which means glare is an issue in bright rooms. Ultimately, the Legion 9i’s display is a miss, but the audio system provides some redemption. Lenovo packs the laptop with two speakers, two tweeters, and two woofers, which together deliver a clear, crisp sound stage and reasonable bass. Quality speakers or a good headset will of course be superior, but the Legion 9i’s sound is enjoyable for a wide range of content, from podcasts to music and games. Lenovo Legion 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The Lenovo Legion 9i has a 5MP webcam with an electronic privacy shutter. It’s good, though not exceptional. It provides a sharp and colorful image and handles mixed lighting well, though it’s still obvious that the camera is a webcam. Its quality is comparable to most modern gaming laptops. The microphone is similarly competent, providing good voice capture without the need to raise your voice. An IR camera is included and provides support for Windows Hello facial recognition. This is a fast, easy way to log in to a Windows machine. But, once again, this is a common feature for a modern gaming laptop. A fingerprint reader is not included. Lenovo Legion 9i: Connectivity Foundry / Matthew Smith Lenovo swings for the fences with the Legion 9i’s connectivity, and there’s a lot to dig into. The star of the show is the laptop’s pair of USB-C ports. They deliver Thunderbolt 5, USB 4 with up to 80Gbps of data, up to 100 watts of Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 2.1. It’s the whole enchilada, or very close to it. Most modern gaming laptops support Thunderbolt and USB-C, but the Legion 9i offers great support for the latest versions of these standards. That translates to better data rates. If you need high-speed connectivity, or want to connect to a dock or a Thunderbolt / USB-C monitor with numerous downstream ports, these ports are up for the task. However, the Legion 9i isn’t focused exclusively on Thunderbolt and USB-C. It also provides HDMI 2.1, three USB-A ports, Ethernet, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. I have no notes: this is an excellent array of connectivity options. Wireless connectivity is strong, too, as the laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. These are the latest versions of each standard. It’s standard equipment for a modern gaming laptop, but still good to see. Lenovo Legion 9i: Performance The Lenovo Legion 9i has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU paired with an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU. The GPU has a maximum thermal graphics power of 175 watts, which is the most available to the RTX 5080 mobile—though, most other gaming laptops also hit that mark. The Legion 9i has healthy specifications in RAM and storage with 64GB and 2TB, the SSD connects over PCIe 5.0. Foundry / Matthew Smith Our first test is PCMark, a holistic system benchmark. It turned in a respectable score of 8,417. Though this is technically a bit behind some alternative laptops, the margins are thin. I’d say this is more or less a tie between the four top-scoring machines, which includes the Legion 9i. Foundry / Matthew Smith Next up is Cinebench 2024, a heavily multi-threaded rendering benchmark. Here the Lenovo Legion 9i came up short with a score of 1,511. That’s quick but, as the graph shows, it’s behind a range of laptops that are similar in size and have similar hardware. Foundry / Matthew Smith Handbrake, a heavily multi-threaded video transcoding and encoding tool, also puts the Legion 9i in an unfavorable light. Lenovo’s laptop completed the transcode of a 1080p feature-length film from a .mp4 to .mkv format in eight minutes and 12 seconds. That’s a speedy result, and closer to the competition than in Cinebench 2024. Still, the Legion 9i lags the field. Foundry / Matthew Smith While the Lenovo Legion 9i struggles a bit in heavily multi-threaded CPU tests, it delivers better results in GPU tests. 3DMark’s Fire Strike and Port Royale tests show the Legion 9i can deliver results that are towards the high end for an RTX 5080 mobile. It’s also not too far off the RTX 5090 mobile. Foundry / Matthew Smith The performance spread widens a bit in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an older game that’s not too demanding on newer hardware. The Legion 9i achieved an average of 191 frames per second at 1080p resolution and the Highest detail setting, without use of DLSS or other frame reconstruction. Ray-tracing wasn’t used, either. As the graph shows, this hits the mark for an RTX 5080 laptop, and can leave some RTX 4090 laptops in the dust. However, the RTX 5090 laptops take a sizeable lead here, as the game’s average FPS is roughly 35 to 40 FPS higher on those machines. Foundry / Matthew Smith Metro: Exodus narrows the field again. While this is an older game, and we do not run this benchmark with ray-tracing enabled, it remains a formidable title when the Extreme preset is used. The Legion 9i does well here, scoring between the Maingear Ultima 18 with RTX 5080 and the pair of RTX 5090 laptops. Foundry / Matthew Smith Cyberpunk 2077 also speaks favorably of the Legion 9i. Here, Lenovo’s laptop can average 148 frames per second at 1080p and the Ultra preset, or 43 at the insanely demanding Overdrive ray-traced preset. Both figures, remember, are without any form of DLSS or frame reconstruction, so in practice better performance is possible. Still, these numbers stack up favorably. They’re good for an RTX 5080 mobile and not all that far off the RTX 5090 laptops. On the whole, the Lenovo Legion 9i’s performance seems to favor GPU performance over CPU performance. That leads to solid results in games and somewhat disappointing numbers in heavily multi-threaded CPU tests. On balance the Legion 9i is a fine performer, but it’s definitely tilted towards gaming rather than productivity. Lenovo Legion 9i: Battery life and portability The Lenovo Legion 9i has a 99 watt-hour battery. This is the maximum available in a consumer laptop due to limitations on the size of lithium-ion batteries allowed on a passenger airliner. It’s a very large battery. And the Legion 9i goes to the trouble of supporting Nvidia Optimus, a switchable graphics solution that can turn off the Nvidia GPU (and switch to the Intel IGP) when the GPU isn’t needed. Still, it’s not enough to deliver great battery life. You can expect anywhere between two and six hours of real-world battery life, depending on how much effort you put into avoiding demanding tasks. Foundry / Matthew Smith However, as the graph shows, this is not unusual for a high-end gaming laptop. The fastest laptops tend to land around two to three hours of battery life. Those that do manage to surge ahead, like the Razer Blade, do so with the use of less powerful CPUs and more miserly GPU power configurations. There’s a clear trade-off here. A modern gaming laptop can deliver maximum performance, or decent battery life, but it can’t provide both. The Legion 9i leans more towards performance. Lenovo Legion 9i: Conclusion The Lenovo Legion 9i is a design statement that looks great and proves enjoyable to use day-to-day. It also delivers strong game performance and an incredible array of leading-edge ports. These benefits are countered by a mediocre display with a 1200p/440Hz (or, alternatively, glasses-free 3D) mode that’s of questionable use. CPU performance also fell short of expectations. Still, the Legion 9i is a reasonable choice if you care mostly about GPU performance and will often connect the laptop to an external display. Read...

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The major TV manufacturers use their devices to collect data on viewers’ viewing behavior. The technology behind this is called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR). The televisions generate hash values at regular intervals from the visible and audible content that is currently running on the sets. These values are also known as fingerprints. A study by universities in England, Spain, and California has analyzed these data collections on Samsung and LG devices in particular. However, this does not mean that other manufacturers do not do the same. Samsung even uses its data collection to attract advertising customers and refers to it as Samsung Ads on its website. According to the information there, Samsung televisions take a screenshot of the current image every 500 milliseconds. LG models even save a new hash value every 10 milliseconds. Samsung televisions forward this data to the company’s servers in a bundle once a minute, while LG televisions do this every 15 seconds. Samsung advertises its data collection on its website under the title Samsung Ads. The company wants to attract companies to place adverts via the TV software. Sam Singleton On the company’s servers, this data is then compared with a database containing films, series, and games. If the server registers a match, the manufacturer knows what the viewer is currently watching. This allows companies to display suitable adverts themselves, but they can also sell the data on to advertising companies. As the aforementioned study showed, these televisions not only create fingerprints of the current television program, but also of all content that is fed in via HDMI, including console games or DVDs, even if they contain private recordings. However, you can refuse to consent to Automatic Content Recognition. On Samsung televisions, this is done in the settings via “Terms & Conditions & Privacy -> I agree to the display information services on this device”. Delete the tick in front of “I agree”. The display information services may also be called “Viewing Information Services” at this point. LG calls its data collection “Live Plus”. For other manufacturers, it is best to take a look at the manual. Read...

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite platform is expected to continue delivering the same performance on battery as it does on wall power, preserving a key advantage of the Windows on Arm platform versus its x86 competitors. Qualcomm announced both the X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme at its Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui this week. The platform boasts 31 percent more performance than the X1 Elite at the same power. Alternatively, it can deliver the same performance while consuming 43 percent less power. That’s possibly due to new third-generation Oryon cores or a shift to a 3nm manufacturing process. We still don’t know key details of how the chips perform–both against the older Snapdragon X Elite platform and rival offerings. What we do know is that the X2 Elite is expected to deliver the same performance on battery as it does when plugged into wall power. “I think you should expect a similar level of performance on battery as well as connected,” Mandar Deshpande, the senior director of product management at Qualcomm said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Today, our focus was, we need to showcase the performance aspects of the silicon, and as we go through… milestones, we’ll share more.” It’s a key differentiator, and a real advantage for the Snapdragon platform. When I tested Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) processors a year ago, I tested the Core Ultra, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, and AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 laptop chips both on wall power and on battery. The difference was stark: when run on battery power, the performance of both the AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Intel’s Core Ultra dropped noticeably. (You can review the actual numbers in our Core Ultra Series 2 review, here.) The performance of the Snapdragon X Elite remained virtually unchanged. It’s a hidden plus for the Snapdragon platform. While battery life was roughly as good as the competition, Qualcomm generally outperformed Intel in CPU benchmarks. (Qualcomm’s GPU performance paled in comparison to Intel, however.) Still, if you’re used to working on the road, especially on CPU-loaded applications like spreadsheets or office work, this is a good sign that Snapdragon might be worth a look. The X2 might just power a new generation of long-lasting notebooks with solid battery life. Disclosure: Qualcomm paid for my room, board, and travel expenses, but did not ask for or exert any editorial control over this story or other PCWorld content. Read...

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On Wednesday, Qualcomm announced three new Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme processors for PCs, pushing into what it calls ‘ultra-premium PCs’ with a 5GHz CPU and an NPU delivering an industry-leading 80 TOPS. Qualcomm made a name for itself with all-day battery life, but its new “multi-day” battery life received little mention in the context of the X2 Elite chips for Windows on Arm PCs. Now, it’s all about speed: the X2 Elite platform delivers 31 percent more performance than the X1 Elite at the same power, or the same performance at 43 percent less power. That’s helped by a move to 3nm versus the 4nm platform of the first Snapdragon X Elite. There are also some notable differences in Qualcomm’s updated CPU architecture. The Snapdragon X2 Elite incorporates third-generation Oryon CPU cores, and more of them: up to 18 in total, subdivided between a new “prime core” and a new “performance core,” which the first-gen X Elite ignored. Qualcomm even took a page from Intel and integrated memory on package, up to a whopping 48GB inside the X2 Elite Extreme. Finally, Qualcomm integrated its X75 5G modem, an unexpectedly significant addition. Qualcomm launched the two chip families at its Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit in Maui, where company executives said that the first PCs designed around the Snapdragon X2 Elite will ship in the first half of 2026. This aligns with the typical launch schedules of rivals AMD and Intel, who work with their own notebook customers to release products based on their chips. Demo laptops used to show off Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite. Mark Hachman / Foundry What are the features of the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme? Qualcomm is shipping three new members of its Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite platforms: the X2E-96-100, the X2E-88-100, and the X2E-80-100. Instead of using these impenetrable product names, think of them this way: Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme: 18 total cores, 12 prime cores (4.4GHz all cores sustained/5.0GHz boost), and six performance cores (3.6GHz sustained, no boost) Snapdragon X2 Elite: 18 total cores, 12 prime cores (4.0GHz sustained/4.7GHz boost), and six performance cores (3.4GHz sustained) Snapdragon X2 Elite: 12 total cores, six prime cores (4.0GHz sustained/4.4-4.7GHz boost), and six performance cores (3.4GHz sustained) The Qualcomm Oryon cores inside the first-generation Snapdragon X Elite were all based on the Arm architecture, though the company’s license allows it to design a “clean sheet” microprocessor as long as it remains compatible with Arm instructions. Unlike Arm, which now uses four different CPU cores in its Lumex processor, the first-generation X Elite chose one type: all 12 cores were performance cores running at full speed, even on battery. The base clock speed of the was 3.8GHz, with a turbo speed of 4.3 GHz. A summary of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips.Qualcomm Now, things have changed. The Snapdragon X2 Elite and the Elite Extreme include both what Qualcomm calls Oryon Prime cores as well as Oryon Performance cores. The company isn’t emphasizing this, but the X2 Elite chips also include integrated memory — a whopping 48GB inside the X2 Elite Extreme. The Prime cores are key to the 5GHz clock speed, while the Performance cores are “tuned to provide premium responsiveness and user experiences in everyday workloads with extreme power efficiency.” Presumably, these function similarly to the “performance” and “efficiency” cores in Intel’s Core Ultra Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake chips. A combination of various factors — the GPU and CPU clock speeds and core count, as well as the memory speeds — are what differentiate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite from the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. What makes the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme different than the X2 Elite? According to a Qualcomm representative, it’s a combination of factors, including CPU and GPU clock speeds, memory, and core count. It appears the difference is memory speeds: 228GB/s for the X2 Elite Extreme via a 192-bit memory bus, and 152GB/s via a 128-bit bus for the Elite. All three chips connect to LPDDR5x memory. Integrating memory on the package is an interesting choice. Intel pursued that strategy with its Core Ultra Series 1 chip, Meteor Lake, then gave it up because embedding a fixed amount of memory didn’t allow its customers to differentiate their products. Intel’s chief executive at the time, Pat Gelsinger, called “Meteor Lake” a “one off” and a niche product, one that was forced into the spotlight because of AI. Right now, we don’t know why Qualcomm chose this course as well. But there’s a twist: only the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme has a fixed 48GB of integrated memory. The other two chips will embed ‘device-specific’ amounts of RAM, Qualcomm says, almost implying that the company will be designing custom processors. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, showing the embedded memory.Mark Hachman / Foundry Qualcomm hasn’t clarified if the RAM will be usable as GPU VRAM, which matters because more VRAM generally supports more complex AI models. Cristiano Amon delivered a “vision” speech Tuesday night discussing the ubiquity of AI across various devices. Eventually, Qualcomm will probably follow with derivatives for cheaper, less powerful PCs. In April and September 2024, Qualcomm added the eight core and 10-core Snapdragon X Plus variants, with only the smaller chip graced with turbo capability. Those chips topped out at 3.4GHz, with turbo speeds up to 4GHz. In January 2025, Qualcomm tacked on the Snapdragon X, its lowest-cost offering for laptops under $600, with eight cores and speeds up to 3.0 GHz. So far, however, Qualcomm hasn’t said anything about those, nor how they would be architected. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme specifications, in greater detail.Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is tops in TOPS Kedar Kondap, the senior vice president of compute and gaming, has said that he doesn’t particularly like the term “NPU,” since it focuses attention on a number rather than the AI experiences that accompany it. Within Qualcomm’s smartphone business, AI applications have been around for a decade, Kondap said; they include bokeh, various types of filters, and portrait mode. Within the PC space, selling the need for local AI has been a tougher battle. Qualcomm hasn’t made it easy on itself, either. Since the new Snapdragon X Elite chips have a whopping 80 TOPS — about twice the TOPS requirement of Copilot+ PCs — Qualcomm will have to, well, redouble its efforts to convince PC makers that such a powerful NPU is needed. First-generation Snapdragon X Elites would combine AI experiences, including Windows Studio Effects and others, and without even fully saturating the NPU. Basically, Qualcomm has yet to find the killer app for local AI — and Microsoft’s nominee, Microsoft Recall, has struggled to the point of near irrelevance. Behind the scenes, however, are local AI applications consumers don’t see, including updates to Phi Silica, Microsoft’s small language model for Copilot PCs. Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender can leverage the NPU for specific functions, in addition to the software’s work with the CPU and the GPU. But the applications still have to be specifically coded for NPUs, because of the absence of Microsoft’s Windows ML. One of the few experiences I saw at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit (at press time) included this demo where users could play an instrument, then mix it in the laptop.Mark Hachman / Foundry “It’s not like you’re going to get this one app that needs those 80 TOPS, right, but if you’ve got 10 things running and each take 5 [TOPS], all of a sudden you’re at 50,” said Bob O’Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Reseach. “That could be discrete apps, but it might be individual agents working on your behalf.” Windows ML does the hard work of assigning the AI workload to the proper piece of silicon, which should help. “Windows ML is the built-in AI inferencing runtime optimized for on-device model inference and streamlined model dependency management across CPUs, GPUs and NPUs,” Microsoft says. The good news? After first being announced in 2018, Windows ML is now available, Microsoft said Tuesday. The Elite X2’s integrated modem may be its hidden treasure Qualcomm isn’t saying much about the Adreno graphics core inside of the Snapdragon X2 Elite family. The company says it offers a “2.3X increase in performance per watt and power efficiency over the previous generation,” and that’s about it. The X2 Elite Extreme chip will feature the X2-90 core running at 1.85GHz; the top X2 Elite chip will also feature the X2-90, but at 1.70GHz. The slowest X2 Elite, the X2E-80-100, will include a slower X2-85 at 1.70GHz. The Adreno core supports AV1, HEVC, and AVC decoding at dual 8K at 60 fps for all three chips. But Qualcomm’s GPU still doesn’t allow for an external GPU connection, meaning that the gaming market is largely out of reach (again). Is it a Snapdragon desktop PC? Probaby not, but this frisbee-shaped reference design is still pretty neat.Mark Hachman / Foundry It’s not clear how this will translate into the real world. In our extensive Snapdragon X Elite review, we didn’t really focus on gaming. However, when testing Intel’s Core Ultra Lunar Lake chip, I tested the original X Elite on a pair of games and they weren’t really playable. To Jim McGregor, the founder of Tirias Research, the integration of Qualcomm’s X75 modem into the X2 Elite platform might be the most unexpectedly significant addition Qualcomm made. Even though the company’s mobile platforms for handsets include CPU, graphics, and modem technology, the Snapdragon X Elite platform never included it. The X2 Elite does. “When they first came out with the embedded modem, I loved that device,” McGregor said, adding that he hoped Qualcomm would lean more into its connectivity advantage. “The fact that carriers wouldn’t support it was a pain in the butt.” “They make the best modems in the world, literally,” O’Donnell said. “So why not make that part of the platform?” Qualcomm calls the X75 “the world’s first Modem-RF System ready for 5G Advanced,” but the real news is simply that it’s there. Phones seamlessly roam from Wi-Fi to cellular; why shouldn’t PCs? Integrating a modem allows that to happen. Qualcomm also showed off an “all-in-one” reference design that slots into the base of a display.Mark Hachman / Foundry Internally, Qualcomm says that NVMe storage is supported via dual PCI Express 5.0. Notebooks incorporating the chip will be able to support a maximum display resolution of 4K at 144Hz, or three external 4K displays at 144Hz. Since the chip only supports 40Gbps USB4 for peripherals, that probably assumes software compression of some sort. PC makers will have 12 lanes of PCIe 5.0 to play with, except for the eight lanes usable by the slowest X2 Elite chip. Four PCIe Gen4 lanes will be available, presumably for storage. Qualcomm has added one component to help placate corporate IT managers: Guardian, a new X2 Elite out-of-band management feature to help track and manage X2 Elite systems. Market obstacles: More of the same for Windows on Arm Unfortunately for Qualcomm, it’s never just about the silicon. “It’s really hard to overcome a market that’s already got mass adoption, with industry leaders” McGregor said. “Those industry leaders, especially Intel, kind of stumbled. So there was an opportunity there, right? But it’s really hard when you go in with a different architecture, different product, and you’re taking it head on.” For all of its efforts, though, Qualcomm has yet to make a significant dent in the market. Mercury Research, which tracks CPU market share on a quarterly basis, still put AMD at about 20 percent of the notebook client PC market during the second quarter of 2025, with Intel receiving the other 80 percent. Dean McCarron, the principal analyst at Mercury, declined to specify Qualcomm’s actual market share because he was unsure of the exact sales numbers. Qualcomm’s fundamental problem, however, is that audiences haven’t responded as well as the company might have expected. For that, one can point to any number of factors: lingering concerns about app compatibility–a problem Qualcomm aggressively tried to address; issues with Microsoft’s rollout of its Copilot+ program, including apps like Microsoft Recall; and successful launches of rival mobile chips. McGregor ticked off more: a lack of support for STEM applications and a management solution for enterprise. In PCWorld tests, Qualcomm came out on top in terms of battery life, but AMD’s CPU performance exceeded the competition. Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) was arguably the overall winner, combining good CPU performance, very good GPU performance, and competitive battery life versus the other two chips. Consumers also tend to equate “AI” with ChatGPT rather than Copilot. In 2024, shipments of all Copilot+ PCs were abysmal: less than one percent of the market in 2024 and less than two percent during the first quarter of 2025. Though Microsoft launched the Copilot+ platform as a whole, it was largely oriented around Qualcomm and its first-generation Snapdragon X Elite.YouTube / Microsoft “I think what one of the biggest problems is that Qualcomm was strictly tied to and associated with Copilot, and it was honestly more of a Copilot issue than necessarily a Qualcomm issue,” O’Donnell said. “So I think that one of the challenges was that there was that very strong association that [Microsoft and Qualcomm] both thought was going to propel them to a higher place. Unfortunately, Recall is a real problem, and now we’re at the point where I don’t think anybody cares about Recall.” PC makers also welcomed the competition Qualcomm’s first X Elite chip introduced… then used it as leverage in negotiations with Intel and AMD (according to one source). In the United States, just nine shipping products currently include a first-generation Snapdragon X Elite chip, a source said. By contrast, 224 Intel systems and 106 mobile PCs use AMD’s chips, and Qualcomm’s market share is still quite small. Kedar Kondap, Qualcomm’s general manager of compute and gaming, doesn’t see it that way. In an interview before the launch, he pointed out that Qualcomm’s sales in its first year exceeded AMD and Intel in their own. At Qualcomm’s analyst day, Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon put forward a target: $4 billion in sales by 2029, Kondap said. That’s years away, evidence that Qualcomm is playing the long game with its Snapdragon processors. “You have to give them credit because I lose track of this myself — they’ve only been in the market for 15 months,” O’Donnell said. “For 15 months, it’s not too shabby.” Disclosure: Qualcomm paid for my room, board, and travel expenses, but did not ask for or exert any editorial control over this story or other PCWorld content. Read...

Two Qualcomm reference designs, showcasing the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, use an AirJet cooling system from Frore Systems, representatives confirmed. Qualcomm launched its second-generation Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme chips at the Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui. At press time, the company had not announced any partners for the two product families, though Qualcomm showed off two reference designs in a demonstration showcase. Inside the two reference designs were the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Extreme chips, the company’s fastest PC processors yet. The X2 Elite Extreme includes a total of 18 cores, which can sustain 4.4GHz and boost up to 5GHz under load. One of the reference systems housing a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip from Qualcomm and a Frore AirJet to cool it.Mark Hachman / Foundry The reference designs did not include a system fan, but did use the Frore AirJet, a Qualcomm representative confirmed. It wasn’t clear which AirJet cooling chip was used, including options such as the AirJet Mini Slim. Additionally, the Qualcomm reference designs just look cool, including a “frisbee” design and a thin mini PC that slots in under a desktop display. Though the AirJet galvanized the industry when it was first debuted in late 2022, the company hasn’t announced any major PC design wins. It’s unclear whether Qualcomm’s reference design mandates the use of an AirJet or simply suggests it, and whether any PC maker would adopt it. Nevertheless, it’s a juicy piece of positive news for AirJet, however it turns out. Disclosure: Qualcomm paid for my room, board, and travel expenses, but did not ask for or exert any editorial control over this story or other PCWorld content. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Rapid input (thanks to Rapid Trigger) Quiet, pleasant typing feel Non-slip and high-quality PBT keycaps Streamlined web software, profiles on the board Stylish, discreet design (optionally with wooden sides) Reliable multi-device handling thanks to Bluetooth Cons Hot-Swap only for Gateron Double-Rail HE No rotary control, no dedicated media buttons High design; palm rest recommended High price Our Verdict The Keychron K2 HE offers fast, precise gaming performance with a sleek, office-friendly design, though its limited switch options and lack of media keys may be drawbacks. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Keychron K2 HE Retailer Price $129.99 View Deal $139.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Friedrich Stiemer The Keychron K2 HE combines reverb effect technology with a compact 75 percent layout. Designed for gamers, it should also perform well in the office. We tested its design, build quality, features, switches, gaming performance, and everyday usability. The Keychron K2 HE combines reverb effect technology with a compact 75 percent layout. Designed for gamers, it should also perform well in the office. Keychron K2 HE: Design and workmanship The Keychron K2 HE is available either in black or as a special edition with wooden sides. We tested the latter version. The real wood side panels are neatly fitted, feel smooth and give the keyboard a warm, almost cozy look. Transitions and gaps are consistent, nothing creaks and the aluminum frame complements the high-quality look. Thanks to its weight of just under one kilogram (965 grams), the board is very stable on the table. The 75 percent layout saves space while retaining the arrow keys and the most important navigation row. Friedrich Stiemer The construction is robust: an aluminum frame at the top (“aluminum top frame”) keeps the keyboard rigid, a metal support plate under the keys (“plate”) stabilizes the switches, and several damping layers absorb vibrations. The so-called “tray-mount” design means that the circuit board and plate are screwed into the bottom tray, which ensures a direct, rather firm typing feel with little resonance. The acoustics are muted (“thockig”), mechanical background noise is kept to a minimum. However, we recommend a palm rest for prolonged use due to the height of the casing–this is not included and is therefore a minus point. Keychron K2 HE: Features and technology The Keychron K2 HE can be used via cable and wirelessly. Using USB-C and a 2.4 GHz dongle, you can achieve a polling rate of up to 1,000 Hz for fast, stable input. Bluetooth 5.2 connects up to three devices on request, but is noticeably slower, making it more suitable for office and multi-device use. Inside is a 4,000 mAh battery that lasts from a few days to several working weeks, depending on the lighting and usage profile. The non-slip PBT keycaps are available in ANSI or ISO layout, depending on the variant. However, the hot-swap system (buttons can be changed without soldering) is limited to Hall-effect switches of the Gateron Double-Rail type; classic MX switches do not fit. Practical for everyday use, you can switch between Windows and macOS key assignments using a slide switch, and Keychron includes suitable mod keys. Dedicated media keys or a volume knob are missing; control is via Fn combinations or remapping in the software. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Technical specifications The Keychron K2 HE uses Hall-effect switches, where a magnetic sensor detects the keystroke. This allows the trigger and reset point to be finely adjusted for each button. The “Rapid Trigger” technology refers to the fast automatic reset immediately after release–ideal for quick follow-up entries. “Multiple Actuation/Dual-Action” allows different actions depending on the depth to which a key is pressed, while “Last-Key-Priority” prioritizes the last key pressed during simultaneous inputs. The integrated RGB lighting offers numerous effects and infinitely variable brightness. Friedrich Stiemer Everything is controlled via the Keychron Launcher, a web-based app for key assignments, macros, lighting, and fine-tuning the reverb effect switches. The keyboard saves profiles internally, but the USB cable is briefly required to apply changes. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: High-end switches The factory-lubricated linear switches of the “Gateron Double-Rail Nebula” type run very smoothly. The POM plunger with double-rail guide ensures high stability and minimal lateral wobbling. The release is freely selectable via software, from 0.2 to 3.8 mm in 0.1 mm increments. The spring is in the light range with a starting force of around 40 grams, the bottom-out is around 60 grams. The total travel is around 4.0 mm. The switching characteristics are roughly comparable to the Cherry MX Red. The typing feel remains soft and quiet, supported by the housing damping. Large keys are well stabilized, and the space bar, for example, is also extra damped. The stabilizers themselves are also lubricated for better acoustics and actuation. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Gaming performance The Keychron K2 HE shows its strengths in 2.4 GHz and cable operation: low latency, 1,000 Hz polling (1-ms signal rate) and fast resetting thanks to Rapid Trigger. In practical terms, this means that the buttons trigger very early and are immediately ready for use again after minimal release. For shooters, we recommend a trigger travel of 1.2 to 1.5 mm on WASD and an RT hysteresis (the short reset travel that the button requires after release until it triggers again) of 0.1 to 0.2 mm. “Counter-punishments” and fine corrections are thus more stable. In our opinion, the space bar–for example, for jumping–can trigger even flatter (approx. 0.8 to 1.0 mm), while abilities or reloading are deliberately lower (approx. 1.8 to 2.2 mm) in order to avoid incorrect inputs. “Last-Key-Priority” prevents “stuck” inputs when changing direction simultaneously. The K2 HE processes N-key rollover (NKRO) without ghosting; fast double-taps and micro-corrections remain cleanly reproducible. With “Multiple Actuation/Dual-Action,” you can assign two actions to one key–for example, light press = walk, deep press = run or create, and then zoom on the same key. For rhythm/action games, the triggering per button can be very finely staggered; in our testing, short reaction chains were noticeably easier to time with Rapid Trigger. Friedrich Stiemer Bluetooth is noticeably slower (typical 125 Hz signal rate) and is not recommended for competitive gaming; there is occasionally a short “wake-up second” after standby. BT is sufficient for single-player games, streaming PCs, and office work. For gaming, you should use 2.4 GHz or USB-C. Practically, in the Keychron launcher, you can save profiles with different trigger depths and dual-action assignments for each game and load them quickly if needed. Keychron K2 HE: Everyday work Quiet operation, compact dimensions, and reliable multi-device handling make the Keychron K2 HE suitable for everyday use. The PBT keycaps are non-slip and resist shiny spots. The 75 percent layout takes some getting used to, but offers a good balance of space-saving and direct access. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Battery life Depending on the brightness and mode, the board can comfortably last one to two working weeks in mixed use. Heavy RGB use and pure Bluetooth operation noticeably shorten the runtime. On the positive side, the board also maintains 1,000 Hz performance wirelessly via 2.4 GHz. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Software As the Keychron launcher is a web app, you don’t need to install anything. Simply plug in the Keychron K2 HE via USB-C, allow the browser to access the device and customize key assignments, macros, lighting, and the reverb effect parameters. The keyboard saves these profiles internally, and they also apply in 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth modes. In practice, the trigger, reset point, and rapid trigger can only be changed via USB; there are no direct shortcuts for this on the keyboard itself. Light, brightness, and effect changes, on the other hand, work immediately via Fn combinations. Two profiles are recommended: a gaming profile with a flat trigger and an office profile with a deeper trigger travel and quiet lighting. Frequent remaps include Caps Lock to Ctrl or media functions on the arrow keys. Macros can trigger command sequences such as “mute mic and push-to-talk.” Friedrich Stiemer The launcher works on Windows and macOS, and usually also on Linux, provided the browser supports WebHID. Transferred changes take effect within a few seconds and then run autonomously on the keyboard. Input latency remains unchanged. Dedicated controls, such as a volume knob, are missing; media control is handled via Fn levels or remapping. 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Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon promised a “new phase of Snapdragon,” bringing, in his words, “AI everywhere.” One key technology: the next-gen “6G” technology, which will be ready in 2028. Google’s Rick Osterloh, senior director of devices and services, also indicated that his company was building a common technical foundation for PCs, apparently referencing an initiative to merge ChromeOS and Android. Qualcomm is celebrating ten years of the Snapdragon Summit here in Maui, the company’s promotional conference where it presents its roadmap to customers, developers, and fans. In 2024, Qualcomm set out to show how AI could be personalized through innovations like multimodal assistance and running large local models on the device. In 2025, Qualcomm will show you how it scales, Amon said. The approach isn’t new; many technology companies have talked about tapping computing where it lives, both in the cloud and on the edge. Amon said that same approach will be applied to AI, so that handhelds, computers, and servers will all work together. “AI is the new UI,” Amon said, putting AI where the user is. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon outlined several principles that he believes will guide AI.Mark Hachman / Foundry Qualcomm, which has predicted its success on its Snapdragon chips for smartphones, said that it’s expanding beyond smartphones with AI as well as silicon. Devices like a smartwatch are just extensions of the smartphone, Amon said. As AI takes over the phone, those devices will begin to interact with the phone’s AI, he said. It’s not a great exaggeration to say that those devices could be considered agents that will work with the smartphone on specific functions. Amon called that an “ecosystem of you.” Apps that run those devices, like glasses, will continue to evolve, Amon said. Simple applications like calendar or contacts, banking or bills, will be managed by AI. If there is a conflict, for example, the AI will resolve it. As AI technology evolves, Amon said that he sees the models evolving as well, into a collection of tiered models at the edge, designed to allocate tasks efficiently. The cloud will ingest the data and train the model, but it will be the edge that fine-tunes its training data and then applies the model to the user’s needs. “The amount of data will dwarf the amount of data that will train the models,” Amon said. “So that is going to be massive.” Those models and data will need to be communicated, and Qualcomm’s work in “6G” — the evolution of 5G — is going to assume that the network itself will intelligently communicate that data. Amon said that Qualcomm will have 6G “pre-commercial devices” as early as 2028. Qualcomm’s scenario assumes that you’ll be using a device like a smart ring or smart glasses that will recognize people, track steps, and be controllable using gestures, voice, or other means. If there’s a free moment, the AI will ask for your input on critical decisions. And that will carry over to your car, where the car’s computing platform will serve as a supplement for the computing horsepower already on your phones. Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, joined Amon on stage. In a talk that touched upon the first Android phones and other milestones in the two companies’ relationship, Osterloh referred to a “common technical foundation for PCs and desktop computing systems.” “In the past, we’ve always had very different systems between what we’re building in PCs and what we’re building in smartphones, and we’re working to combine that,” Osterloh said. “And I think that this is another way that we can leverage all of the great work we’ve been doing together on our AI stack…bring Gemini models, bringing our assistant, bringing all of our application and developer community into the PC domain.” Osterloh’s comments appear to refer back to and confirm earlier reports by Android Authority and others, which have reported that Google appears to be rewriting Chrome OS, the operating system for Chromebooks, and integrating it with Android. That effort is being referred to as “Project Aluminium,” a source said. “We’re really excited about this,” Osterloh added. “And I think that this is another way in which Android is going to be able to serve everyone in every computing category.” Amon appeared to imply that the two companies were working together on the project. Qualcomm paid for my travel, airfare, and meals to travel to its Snapdragon Technology Summit. The company did not ask for or exert control over PCWorld’s content. Read...