Qualcomm claims to have the most "extreme" Snapdragon processor yet-- the 8cx (the x stands for, well, you guessed it) is an 8-core chip designed to power laptops, specifically always-connected Windows 10 notebooks and convertibles.
Presented at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2018, the 8cx is a larger and more power-hungry chip compared to the previous Qualcomm PC platform, the 850. Purpose-built using a 7nm processor, it features an octa-core design with 4 high-performance Cortex A76 cores and 4 low-power A55 cores. Dubbed the Kryo 495, the CPU promises to be the fastest yet with a larger L2 cache, L3 cache and system cache. On the graphics side the chip carries the Adreno 680 GPU able to handle the latest DX12 APIs.
The result, Qualcomm claims, is a chip offering performance comparable to a 15W machine from a fanless 7W TDP design allowing for full-day battery life. It also supports both 2nd gen USB 3.0 and 3rd gen PCIe, dual 4K HDR displays and hifi audio through built-in Aqstic audio and aptX Hd codecs, as well as Quick Charge 4+ technology. Meanwhile the integrated Snapdragon X24 LTE modem handles smartphone-style connectivity with Category 20 LTE and "industry-leading" wifi and Bluetooth.
Will Qualcomm manage to break into the notebook market with the 8cx? We will know once vendors start shipping devices powered with the chip on Q3 2019.
