A recent Signal65 benchmark reveals Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite laptop surpasses a rival Intel-based model in core performance and battery life, challenging traditional CPU dominance and delivering better value for money.
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X2 Elite laptop has emerged from a Signal65 benchmark study with a clear advantage over a rival Intel-based Dell machine in several core tasks, particularly CPU performance, web browsing endurance and overall value. The test, commissioned by Qualcomm and reported by the Norwegian site ITavisen, compared a Lenovo Slim 7x powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite with a Dell XPS 14 running Intel’s Core Ultra X7 358H, alongside a Lenovo Yoga 7a 14 using AMD’s Ryzen AI 7 445.
According to the Signal65 results, the Snapdragon system posted a 31% lead in Geekbench 7 multi-core performance and a 24% edge in single-core testing when both laptops were connected to mains power and set to their highest performance mode. The same report said the Snapdragon laptop also held a sizeable advantage over the AMD model, although that comparison was less even because the AMD chip had fewer cores and the machine shipped with less memory. Qualcomm’s platform used an 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite, while the Intel system had 16 cores.
The more striking result came when the machines were unplugged. Signal65 said the Snapdragon laptop retained 97% of its plugged-in performance on average across six tests in balanced mode, compared with 95% for the Intel system and 74% for the AMD machine. Battery results were more mixed. In Chrome browsing, the Lenovo with Snapdragon lasted 11.2 hours, versus 8.6 hours for the Dell. In local video playback, it reached 16.1 hours, compared with 14.4 hours for Intel. But the Dell won the office workload test, lasting 17.4 hours against 14.3 hours for the Snapdragon machine, although Signal65 still said the Qualcomm platform delivered higher performance in that same test.
Graphics performance remained an Intel strength. Signal65 said the Dell’s Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics outperformed the Snapdragon machine in 3DMark, even though the Snapdragon laptop won the broader comparison. Price, however, tilted the analysis sharply in Lenovo’s favour. The report placed the Snapdragon laptop at $1,999.99, against $2,749.99 for the Dell, and said that difference translated into 2.15 times better performance per dollar across three selected tests. The battery capacities were close, at 70Wh for both Lenovo machines and 68.6Wh for the Dell, suggesting the Snapdragon gains were driven more by platform efficiency than by a larger battery.
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