Snapdragon X2 Elite Beats Apple M5 Benchmarks
New benchmark leaks indicate that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite is emerging as a strong competitor against Apple’s M5 chip in several tests. According to results from Cinebench 2024, the X2 Elite achieved a multi-core score of 1,432, which surpasses the Apple M5’s 1,153 in the same test. At the same time, the Snapdragon outpaced both Intel’s Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI processors in multi-threaded compute workloads.
Meanwhile, single-core performance still favored Apple’s M5 on certain tests, reflecting how the chips differ based on workload focus. These results suggest that Qualcomm’s ARM architecture is narrowing the performance gap with Apple silicon in computationally demanding tasks.
Real-World Rendering and Encoding Tests
Beyond synthetic benchmarks, leaked results also reveal that Snapdragon X2 Elite completed real-world rendering and encoding workloads faster than the Apple M5 in several key tests. For example, in Blender 5.01 performance, the X2 Elite completed rendering in 3 minutes 31 seconds, compared to the M5’s 5 minutes 33 seconds. Similarly, in Handbrake video encoding tests, the X2 Elite wrapped up work in 3 minutes 29 seconds, while the M5 required over 5 minutes.
At the same time, Apple’s chip retained advantages in workflows that emphasize single-threaded performance, which can benefit day-to-day responsiveness. Collectively, these metrics place the Snapdragon X2 Elite ahead in multiple benchmark categories, indicating strong multi-core and workload-specific strength.
Implications for Future ARM Laptops
As leaked performance numbers continue to spread, interest is growing in how Snapdragon X2 Elite may influence the future of ARM-based laptops and Windows on ARM devices. With an 18-core CPU and a new Adreno X2-90 GPU, the chip targets premium mobile performance while maintaining energy efficiency. Although Apple’s M5 still leads in single-core metrics, the X2 Elite’s multi-core dominance and rendering speed point to strong potential in productivity and content creation workloads.
In addition, as Qualcomm refines its architecture and partner hardware reaches the market, users may see more competitive ARM laptops emerging alongside traditional x86 systems. Ultimately, these early benchmark results highlight a shifting landscape where ARM competitors push performance beyond predictions.
