Snapdragon X Elite: What’s It Like After Six Months of Daily Use?

When Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon X series for laptops, it sparked serious interest. Many wondered whether this ARM-based processor could truly rival Apple’s M-series chips or how well it would fit into Windows laptops. After six months using the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7X powered by Snapdragon X Elite, it’s clear this is more than a gimmick—it’s a real player in the laptop space.

First, it’s important to understand the shift toward ARM architecture in laptops. Traditional chips like Intel and AMD follow the x86 design, which is all about raw desktop power. ARM, on the other hand, is built for efficiency. Think of it like the difference between driving a car that burns a lot of fuel versus one that sips fuel while covering the same distance. ARM processors excel at battery efficiency and thermal management, which is why phones have relied on them for years.

Snapdragon’s new laptop chipsets come in a few variants. The X model features 8 CPU cores for lighter workloads, X Plus offers 10 cores for more demanding tasks, and the X Elite packs 12 Orion cores clocked at up to 3.4GHz. The laptop tested here sports the Snapdragon X Elite X1E78100 with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD—clearly built for serious multitasking. The package also contains an Adreno GPU and a Hexagon NPU to support AI workloads.

When it comes to performance, the X Elite does not disappoint. Benchmark tests like Geekbench showed a solid single-core score and even better multi-core results than competing Intel and AMD chips. Similar trends appeared in Cinebench and 3DMark. Graphics-wise, the Adreno GPU held its own during tests.

In everyday use, this laptop proved to be a capable workhorse. Whether juggling dozens of Chrome tabs, messaging in Slack and WhatsApp, or editing images in Photoshop, everything felt smooth and responsive. Battery life was equally impressive. Even after a full day of work, there was no need to scramble for a charger. Unlike most Windows laptops that require plugging in before sundown, this lasted well into the next day with nearly 12 hours of active use per charge.

The ARM architecture hasn’t been without its hurdles. Early on, some x86 apps like Local Send failed to work. However, Microsoft’s Prism transition layer has improved, allowing x86 apps to run more smoothly on ARM. Updates like these mean more and more apps are becoming fully usable on Snapdragon laptops. Even video editors like Adobe Premiere Pro have native versions underway.

Gaming on this platform showed mixed results. Popular titles like Counter-Strike 2 ran around 40 FPS at low settings, and Cyberpunk was playable at 30 FPS. It’s clear that ARM laptops don’t aim to be gaming machines just yet, although Qualcomm’s partnerships with game developers for native support and anti-cheat integration could improve this in the future.

The NPU, with its 45 TOPS of AI power, is one of this laptop’s biggest strengths. AI features in Windows like live captions, Windows Studio Effects, and even tools inside MS Paint—including background removal and generative image fills—run efficiently on this laptop. Windows Recall also tracks your activity to help you jump back into past work, all without relying on cloud services.

Battery life, powered by a 70Wh cell and a 65W USB-C charger, was outstanding. Even during mixed workloads, the laptop lasted around 12 hours. Weekend video streaming pushed that up to 14 hours. Charging is equally fast: reaching full capacity in about an hour.

Physically, the laptop shines. It features an all-metal chassis, a slim profile, and a premium matte finish that resisted scratches and dents. Its 14.5-inch 3K OLED panel with 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and Dolby Vision looks incredible. Colors pop, blacks are true, and the 90Hz refresh rate adds a smooth feel to everyday use. The four-speaker Dolby Atmos setup brings immersive sound, making movies and music sound impressively rich.

The keyboard is comfortable with concave keys and white backlighting that make long typing sessions enjoyable. The glass trackpad is responsive and supports Windows gestures smoothly. The built-in 1080p webcam and Windows face unlock work well, and image quality is sharp in video calls. The only downside is the lack of diverse ports, as the laptop only offers three USB-C slots and nothing more.

Finally, the price reflects its premium status. The Snapdragon X Elite version of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7X is priced around ₹1,11,990, while the X Plus version comes in at ₹1,04,990. Given its strengths in battery life, screen quality, and day-to-day performance, this is an ideal time to upgrade to a Windows 11 Copilot Plus PC—especially with Microsoft set to end Windows 10 support in October 2025.

That’s the full picture. The Snapdragon X Elite laptop is a promising, efficient alternative to traditional laptops and a strong step toward ARM’s future in mainstream computing.