Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme vs Apple M4 Chip

Sameer Verma
Oct 7
7 min read

The battle between Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X‑series and Apple’s M‑series is heating up again. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2 Extreme) is pitched as a Windows‑on‑ARM flagship for 2026, while Apple’s M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips power the 2024/25 MacBook lineup. Below is an in‑depth, promotional‑style comparison for U.S. tech enthusiasts looking for the next performance leap.

The contenders

Feature	Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme	Apple M4 family
Architecture	18‑core Oryon CPU (12 high‑speed + 6 performance cores)	M4: 10‑core CPU (4 performance + 6 efficiency), M4 Pro: up to 14‑core CPU, M4 Max: up to 16‑core CPU apple.comapple.com
Process node	TSMC 3 nm (third‑gen Oryon)	Second‑generation 3 nm process apple.com
GPU	Adreno X2‑90 GPU (1.85 GHz)	M4: 10‑core GPU; M4 Pro: up to 20‑core; M4 Max: up to 40‑coreapple.com apple.com
AI accelerator	Hexagon NPU delivering 80 TOPSwindowscentral.com	Neural Engine delivering 38 TOPSapple.com
Memory support	LPDDR5X‑9523, up to 128 GB macobserver.com	M4: up to 32 GB; M4 Pro: up to 64 GB (273 GB/s); M4 Max: up to 128 GB with 546 GB/s bandwidth apple.comapple.com
Battery & power	Qualcomm claims 43 % less power than its predecessor and multi‑day battery lifemacobserver.com	Apple’s M4 systems offer field‑proven efficiency; MacBook Pro’s battery life increases by 2 – 4 hours (up to 24 hours total) on base and Pro models gregbenzphotography.com
Availability	Laptops from early 2026	MacBook Air, iMac and MacBook Pro available now macobserver.com

CPU and multi‑core performance

Snapdragon’s new 18‑core Oryon CPU aims for desktop‑class performance. Independent benchmarks show the X2 Extreme scoring around 4,080 in Geekbench 6.5 single‑core tests and 23,491 in multi‑core tests windowscentral.com. This beats Apple’s 10‑core M4 (single‑core ≈3,872, multi‑core ≈15,146) and even edges past the M4 Pro in multi‑core workloads (around 22,500)windowscentral.com. The M4 Max, however, still leads the pack with multi‑core scores over 25,000 windowscentral.com. Cinebench 2024 results tell a similar story: the X2 Extreme trails slightly in single‑core but surpasses the 10‑core M4 and 14‑core M4 Pro in multi‑core tasks, while the 16‑core M4 Max remains ahead windowscentral.com.

Takeaways: Qualcomm’s 18‑core design gives it a multi‑core advantage over the base and Pro M4 chips, making it appealing for content creators and developers who rely on highly parallel workloads. Apple’s M4 Max still holds the crown for sustained multi‑threaded performance thanks to more performance cores and better thermals.

Graphics and gaming

On the graphics side, Qualcomm’s Adreno X2‑90 GPU leaps ahead of the previous Snapdragon X Elite but still struggles to match Apple’s top GPUs. In early tests, the X2 Extreme scored 90.06 in 3DMark Solar Bay, beating the standard M4’s 62.7 points windowscentral.com. However, Apple’s 20‑core M4 Pro and 40‑core M4 Max GPUs deliver roughly 31 % and 39 % higher scores than the X2 Extreme in Solar Bay and Steel Nomad benchmarks notebookcheck.net. Real‑world gaming on macOS benefits from Apple’s Metal API and developers optimizing titles like Resident Evil Village and No Man’s Sky; Windows on ARM still relies on emulation for some games, which can dampen the X2’s raw GPU horsepower.

Takeaways: The X2 Extreme’s GPU is a big upgrade and beats entry‑level M4 devices, but Apple’s Pro/Max GPUs still dominate gaming and 3D workflows. Gamers and visual artists who need high‑end ray‑tracing should look to M4 Pro/Max or wait for further optimization on Windows ARM.

AI and machine learning

AI acceleration is where Qualcomm makes its boldest claim. The X2 Extreme integrates a Hexagon NPU delivering 80 TOPS, over twice the M4 family’s 38 TOPS Neural Enginewindowscentral.com. Benchmarks like Procyon AI vision and Geekbench AI show the X2 Extreme roughly 2× faster than the M4 in on‑device inference windowscentral.com. Qualcomm emphasizes support for large language model (LLM) inference and generative AI, positioning Copilot+ PCs as portable AI workstations.

Apple counters with a mature machine‑learning stack (Core ML, Metal Performance Shaders) and new Apple Intelligence features. These features use the Neural Engine for privacy‑preserving tasks such as rewriting text, creating “Genmoji,” or summarizing notifications, all without sending data to cloud servers apple.com. While the raw TOPS are lower, Apple’s tight hardware‑software integration ensures fast AI performance in everyday apps.

Takeaways: If your workflow involves on‑device AI inferencing or experimenting with LLMs, Snapdragon’s 80 TOPS NPU offers substantial headroom. For creative tasks like photo editing, transcription or Apple Intelligence features, the M4’s optimized software may deliver smoother experiences despite lower peak TOPS.

Power efficiency and battery life

Qualcomm markets the X2 Extreme as a “multi‑day battery life” platform. According to the Mac Observer, Qualcomm claims a 43 % reduction in power use over its previous chip while delivering 31 % more performance, with a target of multi‑day battery life macobserver.com. This is possible thanks to a roughly 25 W TDP and improved 3 nm process, though the article notes that actual battery life will depend on OEM laptop designs and cooling macobserver.com. Qualcomm’s product brief echoes this message, stating that the X2 platform delivers multi‑day battery life without compromising performancequalcomm.com.

Apple’s M4 family, meanwhile, enjoys field‑proven efficiency. The M4 chips operate at a 22 W system TDP and match M2 performance at roughly half the power, often beating many x86 laptops while consuming far less energy macobserver.com. Real‑world devices back this up: a photographer’s review of the M4 MacBook Pro reports that battery life on the base and Pro models has increased by 2–4 hours, reaching up to 24 hoursgregbenzphotography.com. The reviewer notes that Apple laptops “run for a long time, with almost no fan noise” and still deliver outstanding performance gregbenzphotography.com.

Takeaways: Qualcomm’s multi‑day promise is exciting, but until OEM laptops arrive it remains theoretical. Apple’s M4 laptops already demonstrate all‑day battery life and silent operation in real use. For users who prioritize consistent endurance and a refined power management experience today, Apple’s M4 lineup remains the safer choice.

Integration, ecosystem and connectivity

Software support: Windows on ARM has improved, with Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office and major browsers shipping native ARM versions. However, some legacy apps and games still rely on emulation, which can sap performance macobserver.com. Apple’s ecosystem is mature; most apps run natively on Apple Silicon and take full advantage of unified memory and low‑latency resource sharing macobserver.com.

Memory and expansion: Qualcomm supports up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory at 9,523 MT/s and 228 GB/s bandwidth macobserver.com. Apple’s unified memory architecture caps the base M4 at 32 GB, while M4 Pro and M4 Max offer up to 64 GB and 128 GB with 546 GB/s bandwidth apple.comapple.com.

Connectivity: Snapdragon laptops will include Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and optional 5G via the Snapdragon X75 modem macobserver.com, plus enterprise‑focused security features like Snapdragon Guardian. Apple devices ship with Thunderbolt 4 on the base M4 and Thunderbolt 5 on Pro/Max models apple.com, enabling up to 120 Gb/s data transfer and support for multiple high‑resolution displays. Apple does not integrate cellular radios but offers tandem OLED and advanced HDR displays, with the M4 MacBook Pro’s display brightness raised to 1,000 nits SDR and optional nano‑texture coating for glare reduction gregbenzphotography.com.

Takeaways: Snapdragon laptops will appeal to users who need always‑on 5G connectivity and large memory pools for AI workloads. Apple’s ecosystem delivers a polished experience with universal app support, exceptional displays and high‑bandwidth I/O—important factors for creative professionals and productivity users.

Real‑world devices and use cases

Creative work

Photo and video editing: Apple’s M4 Pro and Max chips include ProRes accelerators and hardware‑accelerated AV1 encoding, enabling seamless editing and playback of high‑resolution video apple.com. MacBook Pros also offer color‑accurate mini‑LED displays and new nano‑texture options for photographers gregbenzphotography.com. Windows laptops with the X2 Extreme will benefit from the chip’s 18 cores and 80 TOPS NPU, but software like Adobe Premiere or Photoshop still runs best on macOS today macobserver.com.
3D rendering and AR/VR: The M4 Max’s 40‑core GPU and 128 GB of unified memory support real‑time 3D rendering and AR/VR workflows apple.com. Snapdragon’s GPU improvement and large memory support should make it competitive for 3D modelling when Windows software catches up, but early benchmarks show it trailing M4 Pro/Max GPUs notebookcheck.net.

Productivity and general computing

Battery‑life‑focused road warriors: Apple’s MacBook Air and entry‑level MacBook Pro offer silent operation and up to 24 hours of battery life gregbenzphotography.com. Qualcomm promises multi‑day use, which could be ideal for users who travel frequently and want always‑on 5G; real‑world performance will be known once devices ship macobserver.com.
Office suites and browsing: Both platforms run Microsoft Office and browsers natively. Windows on ARM’s compatibility has improved but still lags behind macOS, making the M4 a more reliable choice for frictionless productivity macobserver.com.

Gaming

Light gaming: Snapdragon’s GPU surpasses the standard M4’s GPU in synthetic tests windowscentral.com, so casual games and cloud gaming should work well. But Apple’s Pro/Max GPUs and mature Metal API give MacBooks an edge for AAA titles.
Heavy gaming: If high‑end gaming is a priority today, dedicated GPUs or consoles remain superior. However, the X2 Extreme signals that Windows ARM gaming could become viable in future releases.

Industry reactions and future outlook

The tech press has been cautiously optimistic. NotebookCheck warns that first‑party benchmarks should be taken with caution and notes that the X2 Extreme’s GPU still trails the M4 Pro by 31 % in Solar Bay and 39 % in Steel Nomad testsnotebookcheck.net. Windows Central highlights that the X2 Extreme leads the M4 and M4 Pro in CPU and NPU performance but cannot match the M4 Max’s multi‑core scores and GPU windowscentral.comwindowscentral.com. PC Gamer points out that the X2 Extreme outperforms AMD and Intel chips as well as Apple’s base M4 but cautions that price and battery life are still unknown; the device may cost more than US$1,000 and battery results could change the value equation pcgamer.com.

Analysts note that the M4 chips are already shipping in MacBook Air and Pro devices. Apple has refined its silicon with second‑generation 3 nm process, delivering what the Mac Observer calls “field‑proven efficiency” and real‑world battery gains macobserver.comgregbenzphotography.com. Qualcomm’s X2 Extreme, by contrast, will not appear in laptops until 2026, and by then Apple’s M5 chips may further raise the bar. Still, Qualcomm’s big leap in AI capabilities and multi‑core performance signals that the ARM laptop market is becoming more competitive, promising better options for users who prefer Windows or cross‑platform workflows.

Conclusion: is Snapdragon ready to challenge Apple?

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is Qualcomm’s most serious challenge to Apple’s M‑series yet. Its 18‑core CPU and 80 TOPS NPU deliver spectacular synthetic scores and promise desktop‑grade AI workloads in a portable device. Early benchmarks show it beating the base M4 and M4 Pro in multi‑core and AI tests windowscentral.comwindowscentral.com. Qualcomm also touts multi‑day battery life and integrated 5G connectivity macobserver.com—features Apple currently does not offer on laptops.

However, Apple’s M4 family still holds several advantages. It is available now, offers class‑leading GPU performance and exceptional battery life up to 24 hours gregbenzphotography.com, and benefits from a mature macOS software ecosystem. The M4 Max remains the benchmark for multi‑core performance and graphics power. Apple’s tight integration of hardware, software and services (including new Apple Intelligence features) provides consistent real‑world efficiency that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture apple.com.

For U.S. tech enthusiasts, the choice will depend on priorities. Qualcomm’s X2 Extreme promises raw power, AI headroom and future‑proof connectivity, making it an exciting option for Windows fans willing to wait for 2026 hardware. Apple’s M4 lineup delivers proven efficiency, polished software and strong creative‑focused GPUs today. The rivalry between these two silicon giants benefits consumers, driving rapid innovation and ensuring that the next generation of laptops—whether Windows on ARM or Mac—will be more capable than ever.