Apple M2 Killer: How The Snapdragon 8CX Gen 4 Is Designed To Compete

Qualcomm, a well-known chipmaker, is reportedly developing a new processor dubbed "Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4" to challenge the future Apple M-series processors. This is quite the shift from prior reports, which suggested the chip would be christened "Hamoa."

Snapdragon 8CX Gen 4 To Offer 12 MB L2 Cache and 8 MB L3 Cache

According to the story by Giz China, with the exciting news of a new SoC, the tech world is abuzz with what the processor might bring to the table. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 delivers notable performance compared to other processors Qualcomm is developing.

A recent report suggests the chip will contain four power-efficiency cores and eight performance cores while offering a 12 MB L2 cache and 8 MB L3 cache. However, it remains uncertain if the processor will feature Oryon cores, the custom solutions made possible due to the company's acquisition of Nuvia, according to leaker Kuba Wojciechowski.

Final Version of the SoC Could See The Chip Revised

While the chip is still in the testing phase, current reports indicate that the performance cores can be run at a clocking speed of 3.40 GHz, with the efficiency cores being pushed up to 2.50 GHz. However, these clock speeds could be revised depending on the final version of the SoC.

Additionally, the rumors suggest the processor will come with an Adreno 750 GPU, which will likely provide suitable performance for Windows notebooks but may not be the ideal choice for high-resolution monitors. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the 8cx Gen 4 is its commitment to power efficiency.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8CX Gen 4 Will Support LPDDR5x RAM

According to WCCFTech, the SoC supports LPDDR5x RAM. It can hold up to 64 GB of RAM, with the option to run memory at a significantly lower frequency of 4.20 GHz, allowing for longer battery life than competitive products.

Qualcomm is also expected to be offering support for PCIe 4.0, featuring eight lanes for discrete GPUs, four lanes for NVMe drivers, and 3.0 lanes reserved for the modem and WiFi card. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 will be a formidable challenger to the upcoming Apple M-series processors.

Possibility of Surpassing the 2023 MacBook Pro Models

Thanks to its effortless power efficiency and generous storage and connection capabilities, it is possible to expect viable performance from the chip, similar to or surpassing the latest 2023 MacBook Pro models.

Despite the lack of confirmed details, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 is already looking like a promising chip that could become a strong rival to Apple processors. Only time will tell how the battle between Qualcomm and Apple will pan out, but the signs so far suggest that Qualcomm is making the right moves to compete successfully in the smartphone and laptop processor market, especially against Apple.