Can 8-core Snapdragon X Plus really hold up Copilot+ PCs? Leaked benchmark tells an unimpressive story

An 8-core Snapdragon X Plus is reportedly on the way, and recent reports also suggest that we may be seeing a cheaper Copilot+ PC powered by this chip this month with a price drop as low as $800.

But how good is the octa-core chip?

While Qualcomm will possibly be launching the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus during the IFA 2024 Berlin between September 6-10, 2024, online publications have managed to get their hands on the leaked first benchmark scores of the entry-level chip. And, to be fair, it’s not looking so good.

Wccftech leaked the first benchmarks of the chip, billed as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus “X1P-42-100” 8-core CPU, revealing subpar performance in both CPU and GPU tests. Targeted at entry-level and mainstream markets, this chip features eight Oryon CPU cores, and an Adreno X1-45 GPU, and is designed to prioritize AI capabilities over graphics performance.

As the report reads, the opta-core chip scored up to 20% slower in CPU benchmarks (via Cinebench 2024) and 40% slower in GPU tests (via 3DMark Time Spy) compared to its competitors—and that can be quite worrying for AI tasks on Copilot+ PCs that the company is advertising this chip for.

A Copilot+ PC is usually powered by the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip or its less powerful variant, the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus. The price tag goes over $1,000, with the cheapest variant (so far) being the Surface Laptop 7 at a minimum of $999.

But, as Microsoft wants to scoop more users to adopt its AI, the Redmond company seems ready to lower the minimum requirement with the 8-core version of the Snapdragon X Plus.

You can keep an eye on the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus launch on Snapdragon’s YouTube stream, starting on September 4 at 1 PM CET/4 AM PT.