Snapdragon X2 Elite vs Apple M5: Qualcomm’s Next-Gen Chip Crushes Intel and Nearly Matches Apple in Latest Leak

The battle for laptop supremacy is heating up, and Qualcomm just threw down the gauntlet with its Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. In a bombshell leak from Hardware Canucks, the upcoming ARM-based processor not only outperforms Intel’s latest offerings but also goes toe-to-toe with Apple’s rumored M5 chip in several critical benchmarks.

February/March Launch Confirmed

According to the leak, the first wave of laptops powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite will hit shelves in February and March 2026. This timeline aligns with industry whispers about a spring launch for next-gen Windows on ARM devices.

Gaming Performance: Not Quite There Yet

While the X2 Elite dominates productivity workloads, gaming remains its Achilles’ heel. Hardware Canucks tested Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3 at 1200p resolution, and the results were underwhelming:

• Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium): Struggled to maintain 60 FPS
• Baldur’s Gate 3 (Low): Barely cleared 60 FPS

Both Intel’s upcoming “Panther Lake” chips and Apple’s M5 outperformed the X2 Elite in these gaming scenarios, suggesting Qualcomm still has work to do in the gaming arena.

Productivity Powerhouse: Blender and Handbrake Domination

Where the Snapdragon X2 Elite truly shines is in content creation and productivity tasks. In Blender rendering tests, it absolutely demolished the competition:

• Blender BMW Render: Completed in 3 minutes 31 seconds
• Apple M5: Took 5 minutes 33 seconds (a staggering 2+ minute difference)

Handbrake video encoding showed similar dominance, with the X2 Elite consistently outperforming every competitor in the test suite.

Cinebench Scores: Close, But Not Quite M5

The leaked benchmarks revealed a Snapdragon X2E-88-100 (a mid-tier variant, not the top-end X2E-96-100 Extreme) scoring 146 in single-threaded Cinebench 2024. This falls short of the 200 scored by the Apple M5 but represents a massive leap from the first-gen Snapdragon X Elite’s 108 score.

Real-World Testing with Pre-Production Hardware

Hardware Canucks tested pre-production Asus Vivobook and Zenbook models running beta firmware. Asus explicitly prohibited battery testing, citing upcoming firmware optimizations that would further improve power efficiency.

Context: September’s Controlled Demo vs. Now

This leak provides much-needed transparency compared to Qualcomm’s September event in Maui, where journalists tested hand-picked devices with preloaded benchmarks. While those initial tests showed impressive numbers, the lack of independent verification left many skeptical.

The Battery Life Wildcard

Battery performance remains the most critical unknown. Qualcomm’s ARM architecture theoretically offers superior efficiency, but without independent testing, it’s impossible to confirm if the X2 Elite can deliver all-day battery life in real-world usage.

What This Means for the Laptop Market

If these benchmarks hold true in production models, Qualcomm is positioning the Snapdragon X2 Elite as a legitimate alternative to both Intel and Apple silicon. The chip appears optimized for professionals who prioritize rendering speeds and multitasking over gaming performance.

The Verdict

The Snapdragon X2 Elite isn’t perfect—gaming performance lags behind competitors, and we still need real-world battery testing. However, its productivity prowess, especially in creative applications, makes it a compelling option for content creators and power users.

With February and March launches approaching, the laptop industry is bracing for what could be a seismic shift in the Windows on ARM landscape.

Tags: Snapdragon X2 Elite, Apple M5, Qualcomm, laptop benchmarks, Windows on ARM, gaming performance, Blender render test, Handbrake, Intel Panther Lake, Asus Vivobook, Zenbook, February laptop launch, March laptop release, ARM processor, laptop CPU comparison

Viral Sentences:

• “Snapdragon X2 Elite just embarrassed Intel and nearly matched Apple’s M5”
• “This chip renders Blender scenes 2 minutes faster than the M5”
• “Gaming performance? More like gaming disappointment for Snapdragon X2 Elite”
• “February launch confirmed: ARM is coming for your laptop”
• “Battery life remains the million-dollar question for Snapdragon X2 Elite”
• “Content creators rejoice: this chip was built for you”
• “Intel should be worried, Apple should be watching”
• “Pre-production leaks reveal Qualcomm’s secret weapon”
• “The Windows on ARM revolution is about to get real”
• “Gaming laptops might need to look elsewhere this generation”

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