Apple’s M4 processors just chalked up another win over Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. After the M4 Max edged out Qualcomm’s flagship in CPU tests, the mid-tier M4 Pro has now pulled ahead in GPU benchmarks—by a surprisingly large margin. In two demanding 3DMark workloads, Apple’s 20‑core integrated graphics delivered up to 45.7 percent higher performance than Qualcomm’s best.
The comparison used a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme on a reference platform with 48 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Reference designs typically run at elevated clocks and higher power limits to showcase peak potential, yet the M4 Pro still led decisively in graphics tests. That gap could widen if consumer laptops ship with more conservative power targets.
Key synthetic GPU results:
– 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Unlimited: M4 Pro 33,434 vs Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme 22,946 (M4 Pro is 45.7% faster)
– 3DMark Solar Bar Unlimited: M4 Pro 7,817 vs Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme 5,687 (M4 Pro is 37.45% faster)
To Qualcomm’s credit, the X2 Elite Extreme iGPU still outpaces the integrated graphics found in many Intel and AMD processors. The problem, for Qualcomm, is Apple’s sustained lead at the top. That’s especially striking given that the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and X2 Elite are reportedly built on TSMC’s advanced 3 nm N3P process, while Apple’s M4 family arrived earlier and is already setting the pace.
CPU performance tells a more nuanced story. In Geekbench 6.3, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme holds the advantage:
– Geekbench 6.3 single-core: Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme 4,072 vs M4 Pro 3,822 (Snapdragon is 6.53% faster)
– Geekbench 6.3 multi-core: Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme 23,693 vs M4 Pro 22,550 (Snapdragon is 5.07% faster)
Cinebench 2024 flips one of those results: multi-core favors the Snapdragon by a clear margin, while single-core slightly favors the M4 Pro. In other words, Qualcomm’s 18-core setup pays off in multi-threaded workloads, but Apple still finds ways to squeeze out competitive single-threaded gains.
What does this mean for upcoming ARM laptops? If a tuned reference board can’t catch Apple’s mid-tier chip in GPU tests, retail systems slated for the first half of 2026 may struggle to close the gap—unless Qualcomm delivers further architectural or driver improvements. Meanwhile, Apple hasn’t even announced its M5 generation and is already ahead in graphics performance.
Bottom line: Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme looks strong in CPU benchmarks and improved integrated graphics, but Apple’s M4 Pro remains the integrated GPU performance leader by a comfortable margin. If Qualcomm can translate its multi-core CPU lead into better real-world wins and tighten up graphics drivers before launch, the competition could get interesting. Otherwise, expectations for the X2 Elite Extreme may need a reality check.
