In October of last year, Qualcomm made waves by unveiling the Snapdragon X Elite, a processor that promised to rival Apple’s Silicon and power a new generation of Windows notebooks. Fast forward to September 2024, and Intel and AMD have thrown their hat in the ring, introducing formidable contenders of their own. Nearly a year has passed since Qualcomm’s groundbreaking announcement, but until now, we hadn’t seen a detailed analysis of the chip’s architecture. The comparisons are in, and the Snapdragon X Elite finds itself up against Apple’s M4, showing distinct differences that are quite intriguing.
One of the standout features is the size difference between the two processors. The Snapdragon X Elite’s Adreno X1 GPU cluster is surprisingly 25 percent smaller than the GPU cluster on Apple’s M4. This size discrepancy can be partially attributed to the M4 being manufactured using TSMC’s advanced second-generation 3nm process. This allows the M4 to achieve high performance in a smaller die, explaining why the Snapdragon X Elite measures 169.6mm² compared to the M4’s slightly smaller 165.9mm².
Under the hood, Qualcomm’s flagship SoC boasts 12 custom Oryon cores, split into eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. This core configuration contributes to its larger die size. Each of the Snapdragon X Elite’s performance cores takes up 2.55mm², slightly smaller than the M4’s performance cores, which are 3.00mm² each. The total CPU cluster in the Snapdragon X Elite measures a substantial 48.2mm², making it 78 percent larger than the M4’s CPU cluster. Despite this, the Adreno X1 GPU occupies a modest 24.3mm², 25 percent less space than that taken up by the M4’s GPU cores.
These architectural differences are evident in benchmarking tests. For instance, in Geekbench 6, Apple’s M4, leveraging the advantages of the 3nm process and ARMv9 architecture, significantly outpaces the Snapdragon X Elite. The ARMv9 architecture, coupled with Scalable Matrix Extension (SME) support, enables the M4 to handle complex workloads with increased efficiency.
In summary, Qualcomm aimed to enhance the Snapdragon X Elite’s capabilities by increasing its die size. This strategy enabled the Snapdragon X Elite to outperform the M3. However, Apple made a striking comeback with the M4, continuing to push the envelope in the highly competitive silicon market.
This story highlights the ever-evolving landscape of silicon technology, where innovation and competition drive continuous improvements year after year. Keep an eye on this space for more updates and breakthroughs in the world of processors.
