Snapdragon X2 Performance On Linux Exceeding Expectations In Initial Benchmarks

Initial benchmarks of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme on Linux have exceeded expectations, showcasing strong performance in a recent test. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, powered by the 18-core Qualcomm X2 Elite Extreme X2E96100, demonstrated a single-core boost frequency of 5.0GHz and a multi-core max frequency of up to 4.4GHz.

This flagship SoC was tested within the ASUS Zenbook A16 UX3607OA laptop, equipped with 48GB of LPDDR5-9523 MT/s memory. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme has a 20W to 40W TDP for standard designs and up to 65W for the CPU under sustained workloads, although power and performance per watt testing was not possible in this initial round of remote testing.

The Ubuntu 26.10 X1E Concept ISO was used for standard functionality, and while WiFi, audio, and the web camera were not yet supported out-of-the-box, the Adreno graphics were working on the Ubuntu 26.10 state with the open-source Qualcomm driver stack. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme was benchmarked against laptops including the Core Ultra 9 285H, Core Ultra X9 388H, Ryzen AI 9 365, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and the Snapdragon X1 Elite for comparison, providing a snapshot of its performance on Linux against current AMD Zen 5 Strix Point and Intel Arrow Lake and Panther Lake processors.