Game-Changing: Qualcomm’s New CPU Outperforms Apple’s M1 and Rapidly Gains Ground on M2

Apple has been revolutionizing the computer industry with its highly efficient Apple Silicon “M” chips that provide exceptional performance while conserving power consumption. However, Qualcomm and Microsoft have been making efforts to develop a competitive counterpart to Apple Silicon Macs. After several unsuccessful attempts, Qualcomm’s latest CPU has now managed to surpass Apple’s M1 chip in terms of performance and is quickly catching up to the M2.

Qualcomm’s New CPU Rivals M2 Speed

According to a report by Windows Latest, benchmark results for Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 chip, codenamed “Hamoa,” have emerged on Geekbench. While previous iterations of Qualcomm’s ARM chips failed to outperform Apple’s M1, the new Snapdragon chip has finally achieved this feat.

The Geekbench test results for Qualcomm’s CPU reveal a single-core score of 1197 and a multi-core score of 9337. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 features eight high-performance cores and four efficiency cores. In comparison, both the M1 and M2 have four performance cores and four efficiency cores. But how do these chips stack up against each other?

M1 and M2 still excel in single-core performance. However, due to the Snapdragon’s greater number of cores, it manages to surpass the M1 in multi-core performance and comes close to the M2’s performance.

The report mentions that the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 is being developed by Nuvia, a startup founded in 2019 by former engineers from the Apple Silicon team. Qualcomm acquired Nuvia for $1.4 billion in 2021. These engineers are believed to be behind recent advancements in ARM processors for Windows PCs.

Benchmarks Aren’t the Sole Criteria

While raw performance numbers are essential, they are not the sole determining factor. Other aspects need to be considered as well. For instance, due to Qualcomm’s chip having more cores, it may not offer the same energy efficiency as Apple’s chips. In other words, while it may deliver higher performance, it might also consume more power, which is unfavorable for laptops and tablets.

Additionally, it’s important to note that while the M2 has been on the market since 2022, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 is still in the development phase. The first Windows PCs powered by Qualcomm’s new chip are expected to launch by the end of this year or early 2024.

In the meantime, Apple is preparing to unveil the first Macs featuring the M3 chip, which are anticipated to be introduced in the coming months. With the M3 expected to provide another performance leap for Apple Silicon Macs, Qualcomm will face a continuous challenge in surpassing Apple’s chips.

Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see other companies investing in ARM-based PCs. The real concern lies with Intel, who has already lost Apple as a customer and may potentially lose other PC manufacturers in the future.