Qualcomm’s Latest PC CPU Surpasses Apple’s M1 and Nears M2 Performance

Apple’s Apple Silicon “M” chips for computers have been impressive with their performance and power efficiency. On the flip side, Qualcomm and Microsoft have been striving to develop competitive alternatives to Apple’s Silicon Macs. Although their initial attempts were unsuccessful, it appears that Qualcomm’s latest PC CPU has managed to surpass Apple’s M1 and is closing in on the M2 in terms of performance.

According to reports from Windows Latest, benchmark results for Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 chip, known internally as “Hamoa,” have emerged on Geekbench. Interestingly, unlike earlier versions of Qualcomm’s ARM chips, this one has succeeded in outperforming Apple’s M1.

Qualcomm’s Latest PC CPU Surpasses Apple’s M1 and Nears M2 Performance

The benchmark results for Qualcomm’s new CPU indicate a single-core score of 1197 and a multi-core score of 9337. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 boasts eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. Both the M1 and M2 have four performance cores and four efficiency cores. However, how do these chips compare?

In terms of single-core performance, the M1 and M2 still outshine the Snapdragon. Nevertheless, due to the new Snapdragon chip’s additional cores, it managed to surpass the M1 in multi-core performance. It came very close to matching the M2’s performance.

The report mentions that Nuvia developed the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4. It is a startup founded in 2019 by former Apple Silicon team engineers. Qualcomm acquired Nuvia in 2021 for $1.4 billion. These engineers are responsible for recent advancements in ARM processors for Windows PCs.

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It’s important to note that raw performance numbers aren’t the only consideration. The Snapdragon chip, with its increased core count, may not be as power-efficient as Apple’s chips. While it may offer superior performance, it could also consume more energy, which may not be ideal for laptops and tablets.

The first Windows PCs powered by Qualcomm’s new chip are expected to hit the market by the end of the year or in early 2024

Additionally, the M2 has been available since 2022, whereas the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 is still in development. The first Windows PCs powered by Qualcomm’s new chip are expected to hit the market by the end of the year or in early 2024.

In the meantime, Apple is preparing to unveil the first Macs featuring the M3 chip, expected to be introduced in the coming months. With the M3 likely to bring another performance boost to Apple Silicon Macs, Qualcomm will continue its efforts to compete with Apple’s chips.

Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to see other companies investing in ARM-based PCs. The company most affected by this situation is Intel, which has already lost Apple and may potentially lose other PC vendors in the future.