STACK #243 January 2025

TECH FEATURE

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Top Snapdragon X Series laptop picks

The processor might be the single most important component of a laptop – but it’s something many people overlook when buying new devices. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X series is its most powerful offering yet, running AI tasks for Windows CoPilot+ PCs. Words Michael Irving HOUSING THE ‘DRAGON

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14” Laptop [1TB]

The brains of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 are the Snapdragon X Plus processor, running eight cores at up to 3.4GHz. The big, bold display can be folded back into a tablet mode. Display: 14” FHD+ OLED Processor: Snapdragon X Plus 8-core RAM: 16GB Storage: 1TB

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14” Laptop [512GB] The IdeaPad Slim 5 packs the same powerful processor and AI abilities into a thinner, lighter laptop, so you can work or play from anywhere. Display: 14” FHD+ IPS Processor: Snapdragon X Plus 8-core RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB

What is a Snapdragon processor? A Snapdragon processor is an entire

system-on-a-chip, made up of several types of processing units with their own dedicated roles. Oryon is the CPU (central processing unit), which handles all the day-to-day tasks like running apps, and the more power it has, the more jobs it can run simultaneously. They feature multiple cores, which are like mini-processors within the main chip. Higher models gain power and speed with more cores running faster, and they can be given a temporary boost to tackle more intensive tasks. These speeds are measured in gigahertz (GHz). Adreno is the GPU (graphics processing unit), which specialises in crunching numbers for better visual effects. This is particularly useful for gaming, or creative tasks like video and image editing that can be quite demanding. GPU speeds are measured in floating point operations per seconds (FLOPS), usually in the trillions (teraFLOPS). And finally, Hexagon is the NPU (neural processing unit), which focuses on running AI tasks, like generating images and text. Their speeds are measured in trillions of operations per second (TOPS).

The X Factor Qualcomm recently unveiled the latest generation of its Snapdragon processors: the X series, which is designed with AI as the primary focus. It’s not surprising then that they’re running under the hood of Windows CoPilot+ PCs. The series is made up of four Snapdragon X Plus and four X Elite models. These boast industry-leading NPU speeds of 45 TOPS, accelerating the AI to handle tasks you’ve never even dreamt of before. It can streamline your productivity by helping you write emails and reports, edit photos, and generate stunning images of anything you can imagine. Better yet, by intelligently managing power usage these chips make a laptop more efficient than ever, extending battery life up to multiple days of use.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14” OLED 2-in1 Laptop [1TB] This premium version of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 doubles the storage and RAM, to 1TB and 32GB respectively, and gives the display a crisp OLED overhaul. Plus, it’s a 2-in1 with touchscreen tablet versatility. Display: 14” FHD+ OLED Processor: Snapdragon X Plus 8-core RAM: 32GB Storage: 1TB Year of the Snapdragon The X series aren’t the only Snapdragons around. You might also find Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chips inside other laptops from the last few years, and while they’re still powerful options, the X series leaves them – and others – in the dust. You’ll also find Snapdragon chips inside many Android phones, tablets, and smartwatches.

A bit of Qualcomm history A shortening of “Quality Communications,” Qualcomm was founded in 1985 to develop wireless technology. The company was key to creating mobile phone communications, and its patents are still used in 5G systems today. In the 1990s, Qualcomm pivoted to semiconductors, and now provides processors for laptops and other devices.

36 JANUARY 2025

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