Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, its latest chip designed for the Windows platform, which promises a meaningful performance boost while offering better connectivity.
Built on the ARM architecture, the 8cx Gen 3 is the first 5nm chip to come to a Windows PC, promising an 85% CPU performance boost compared to the preceding 7nm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, as well as a 60% increase in GPU performance.
According to the company, the chip is more efficient per watt, since the CPU contains high-performance cores for the most demanding tasks and low-power cores for the least effortful processes.
The combination of the two is intended to improve battery performance for slim and lightweight notebook users by making the chip’s power consumption more efficient. Qualcomm claims that users can get 25 hours of use from a device on a single charge, pointing out that it also depends on the device, mannequin and workloads.
Qualcomm stresses that connectivity options “are more generous on the 8cx Gen 3, with support for Qualcomm’s latest 5G modem to reach maximum 5G speeds of 10 Gbits/sec for when users are on the go.”
The 8cx Gen 3 also features Wi-Fi 6E for the first time to access the latest 6Ghz spectrum and achieve faster speeds with lower latencies, as long as users have a router that supports the latest standard. Users will also be able to put through to other older Wi-Fi standards without issue.
Innovation in artificial intelligence
Innovations in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) have also improved, with Qualcomm claiming that the chip offers three times more AI processing power than previous generations.
It supports AI-accelerated processes, such as Microsoft’s Eye Contact for virtual meetings, a feature that makes meeting participants appear to be looking at the camera when they’re actually looking at the screen.
Manufacturers will be able to choose from a range of Qualcomm 5G modems depending on the measure of mobile connectivity they want in their laptops. They will be able to select between the Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF system to receive the maximum 5G speeds of up to 10 Gbits/sec or go down to 7.5 Gbits/sec with the Snapdragon X55 Modem-RF system.
The 8xc Gen 3 also features a new base version, the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, which promises up to 40% better CPU performance and 35% more graphics performance on a 6nm architecture.