Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core Ultra 9

The competition between Qualcomm and Intel remains intense. The latest in this rivalry is the showdown between Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, which is the chip featured in most Copilot+ laptops, and Intel’s Core Ultra series, particularly the Core Ultra 9.

This blog post delves into the specifics of these processors, comparing their architectures, performance metrics, and power efficiencies.

Processor Basics

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-84-100)

Number of Cores: 12

Architecture: 64-bit

Speed: Up to 3.8 GHz for all cores, with a boost up to 4.3 GHz for one or two cores

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Number of Cores: 16 (6 performance cores for heavy tasks and 8 efficiency cores for lighter tasks)

Architecture: 64-bit

Speed: Up to 4.8 GHz, with a Turbo Boost up to 5.1 GHz

Advantages of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

More Modern Manufacturing Process:

The Snapdragon X Elite uses a 4-nanometer manufacturing process, which is more advanced than Intel’s 7-nanometer process. This allows for better efficiency and performance, as smaller transistors can switch faster and consume less power.

Superior Integrated Graphics:

With the Qualcomm Adreno X1 integrated graphics delivering 4.6 TFLOPS (trillion floating-point operations per second), the Snapdragon outperforms Intel’s integrated graphics, which deliver 2.88 TFLOPS. This means better performance in graphics-intensive applications and games.

Single-Core Performance:

In single-core Geekbench v6 tests, the Snapdragon scores 2880 points, making it 18% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9, which scores 2446 points. This translates to better performance in tasks that rely on single-thread processing.

Power Efficiency:

The Snapdragon X Elite is known for its power efficiency, consuming less power compared to the Intel Core Ultra 9. This makes it an excellent choice for mobile and portable devices where battery life is crucial.

Advantages of Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Greater RAM Support:

The Intel Core Ultra 9 supports up to 96 GB of LPDDR5-7467 RAM, offering more memory capacity for demanding applications and multitasking compared to the Snapdragon X Elite.

More Physical Cores:

With 16 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency cores), the Intel Core Ultra 9 has 4 more physical cores than the Snapdragon X Elite. This can enhance performance in multi-threaded tasks and applications that can leverage multiple cores.

Newer PCI Express Version:

The Core Ultra 9 supports PCI Express 5.0, which offers faster data transfer rates compared to the PCI Express version used by Snapdragon. This can improve performance for tasks that involve significant data transfer, such as gaming and video editing.

Higher Turbo Boost Frequency:

The Intel Core Ultra 9 can achieve a Turbo Boost frequency of 5.1 GHz, which is 21% higher than the Snapdragon X Elite’s 4.2 GHz. This provides a performance boost in tasks that can take advantage of higher clock speeds.

Performance Comparison

Single-Threaded Performance:

The Snapdragon X Elite excels in single-threaded performance, being 18% faster in Geekbench v6 tests compared to the Intel Core Ultra 9. This makes it a strong contender for applications that rely heavily on single-core performance.

Multi-Threaded Performance:

While the Snapdragon X Elite performs well in multi-threaded tasks, the Intel Core Ultra 9’s additional cores provide a significant advantage. The Intel processor’s 16 cores allow it to handle multi-threaded applications more efficiently, making it ideal for tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and complex computational tasks.

Graphics Performance:

The Snapdragon X Elite’s integrated graphics outperform those of the Intel Core Ultra 9, with 4.6 TFLOPS compared to 2.88 TFLOPS. This means better performance in graphics-intensive tasks and games.

Video Editing Performance:

In a Handbrake video editing test, which involves converting a 4K video clip to 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 9 laptop completed the task one minute faster than the Snapdragon X Elite. This suggests that for video editing, the Intel processor has a slight edge.

Power Efficiency

Power efficiency is a crucial factor for mobile devices, as it directly impacts battery life. The Snapdragon X Elite is particularly noted for its power efficiency, consuming less power than the Intel Core Ultra 9. This makes it an excellent choice for laptops and other portable devices where battery life is essential.

Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core Ultra 9 in Conclusion

Both the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H offer impressive features and performance.

The Snapdragon X Elite stands out for its advanced manufacturing process, superior integrated graphics, excellent single-core performance, and power efficiency. On the other hand, the Intel Core Ultra 9 excels with its greater RAM support, more physical cores, newer PCI Express version, and higher Turbo Boost frequency.

The choice between these processors ultimately depends on your specific needs. If you prioritise power efficiency and superior graphics performance, the Snapdragon chip is an excellent choice. However, if you need more cores, higher RAM capacity, and better performance in multi-threaded applications and video editing, Intel Core Ultra 9 might be the better option.

As technology continues to evolve, the competition between Qualcomm and Intel will undoubtedly drive further innovations, providing consumers with even more powerful and efficient computing options in the future.