Qualcomm ramps up challenge to Intel and AMD with latest AI PC chip
Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor as it looks to ramp up its push into the AI PC space, taking on Intel and AMD.
Qualcomm launched a new PC processor on Wednesday as it looks to capitalize on electronics makers' desire to put artificial intelligence on their devices.
The move ramps up Qualcomm's efforts to challenge the dominance of Intel in the PC processor market at a time when the latter is facing mounting challenges.
Qualcomm took the wraps off the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core at the IFA conference in Berlin, Germany. The processor, designed for PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system, promises to power AI processes with a long battery life.
The latest chips expand Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series for PCs, which it launched last year.
The U.S. chip giant said the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core is designed for PCs costing as low as $700 as it looks to expand its semiconductors to more devices.
Qualcomm has traditionally designed chips that are used in the smartphones of many of the world's biggest players, including Samsung. But the company stepped up its PC efforts this year when Microsoft announced a Surface Laptop and a Surface Pro tablet with Qualcomm's X Series chips that can run some AI tasks without an internet connection. Microsoft calls these Copilot+ PCs.
Analysts said Qualcomm's timing to jump into PCs is key. Neil Shah, a partner at Counterpoint Research, highlighted a few converging themes that are helping the company. He highlighted the push toward "on-device AI," where artificial intelligence applications are processed on a piece of hardware rather than via the internet. Qualcomm has designed processors for smartphones that do this.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series is built on architecture from British chip designer Arm, allowing the processors to run complex applications with good energy-efficiency. This is key to extending battery life on devices.
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