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Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 compute platforms

by on02 December 2021


New SoCs for Windows-on-ARM laptops

In addition to the flagship smartphone SoC, Qualcomm has unveiled its next-generation SoCs for Windows-on-ARM laptops, including the flagship 5nm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and the 6nm Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3.

Both SoCs bring improvements in their own market segments and are built for next-generation Windows-on-ARM laptops. While Windows-on-ARM did not get impressive traction so far, pushing more chip options across different market segments will certainly have a big impact.

Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 to offer performance with multi-day battery life

Built on 5nm manufacturing process, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is somewhat a mystery as Qualcomm did not share specific details about the chip, other than it will have up to 85 percent faster CPU performance and up to 60 percent faster GPU performance, compared to the predecessor.

The NPU part of the SoC has 3x higher AI acceleration with over 29 TOPS of performance.

As it is a 5nm chip, it is expected to have a higher power efficiency, enough for Qualcomm to cite a "multi-day battery life" and promise fanless designs.

The SoC can be equipped with the Snapdragon X65 modem, offering up to 10Gbps downlink. There will be options with the Snapdragon X55 (7.5Gbps) or the X62 (4.4Gbps) modem, and it includes Wi-Fi 6E support thanks to FastConnect 6900.

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Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 is 6nm SoC for entry-level Windows PCs and Chromebooks

Unlike the flagship Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, the Snapdragon 7c+ is targeting an entry-tier of Windows PCs and Chromebooks, promising fast, advanced, efficient always-connected laptops.

There are still no specific details about the chip, other than it is built on a 6nm manufacturing process and brings up 60 percent higher CPU and up to 70 percent higher GPU performance, at least compared to the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 predecessor. It also brings 6.5+ TOPS of AI performance.

The Snapdragon 7c+ also gets 5G support with Snapdragon X53 modem, peaking at 3.7Gbps, as well as Wi-Fi 6E support.

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First laptops coming in the first half of 2022

We are certainly looking forward to hearing more about these two chips but it appears that Qualcomm is keeping all the juicy details for some other day, as devices based on the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 and the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 will launch in the first half of the next year.

 

Last modified on 02 December 2021
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