Qualcomm's AI-Powered Chips Take Aim at Budget-Friendly PCs at CES 2025
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Qualcomm is making a major push into the personal computer market with its new Snapdragon X Platform, designed to power AI-capable PCs at an affordable price point, Bloomberg reports. This move, announced at CES 2025, aims to challenge incumbent chipmakers Intel and AMD.
The Snapdragon X Platform, which includes an 8-core Oryon CPU, a graphics component, and a dedicated AI chip, will support Microsoft's Copilot+ software. PCs based on this platform are expected to be available from manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo in early 2025.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has been spearheading the company's foray into the PC market as part of a broader strategy to diversify beyond smartphones, where the company has long held a dominant position. The company has already garnered significant support from PC makers and Microsoft, receiving positive reviews for devices released last year. However, Qualcomm has yet to make a substantial dent in the market share held by Intel and AMD.
The Snapdragon X Platform will power both laptops and small desktop machines, complementing Qualcomm's existing higher-end Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus components. A key selling point for Qualcomm's chips is their efficiency, enabling extended battery life in devices. The company claims that its chips can maintain full performance even when laptops are unplugged, unlike competing processors that require throttling to conserve power.
"Qualcomm's chips have always been designed for small, battery-powered devices, making them more efficient than the scaled-down desktop parts offered by its more established rivals," a Qualcomm spokesperson told Bloomberg.
Qualcomm's move comes as Intel announced new chips that it claims improve battery life. However, Qualcomm disputes this, stating that its chips can operate at full power while unplugged, a key differentiator in the market.