Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2: Qualcomm provides laptop SoC with Wi-Fi 6

Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 Qualcomm

Qualcomm is launching the Snapdragon 8cx as Gen 2 in a slightly revised second generation. Improvements include more performance that Intel will continue to keep at bay, and enhanced connectivity that now includes Wi-Fi 6. With Acer, there is a first supporter of the new notebook chip.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 is similar to the Snapdragon 400 with 5G support, as several technical details are missing for the announcement.

Designed for ARM-based notebooks for Windows on Snapdragon, the chip is expected to deliver slightly more performance through optimizations than its direct predecessor Snapdragon 8cx, which Qualcomm presented at the Tech Summit 2018 and which, among other things, in the Samsung Galaxy Book S (test) is used. Microsoft uses the processor in a slightly modified form under its own designation SQ1 in the Surface Pro X.

Qualcomm wants to keep Intel in check

Qualcomm explains that the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 in the PCMark 10 delivers more than 50 percent higher overall performance for CPU and GPU than solutions with comparable TDP from the competition. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 is specified as its predecessor with 7 watts and should be 51 percent faster than the Intel Core i5-L16G7 of the Lakefield generation, which also runs with 7 watts. Qualcomm wants to beat a Core i5 from the Ice Lake-U family with 15 watts TDP by 18 percent. For the comparisons, Qualcomm used its own reference platform instead of end customer products with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 vs Intel

In terms of output per watt, Qualcomm also looks ahead to Intel. The lead is 58 percent to the Lakefield processor and 39 percent to the Ice Lake U CPU. In addition, Qualcomm calls 50 percent longer battery life when using a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 instead of an Intel processor under otherwise equal conditions.

Wi-Fi 6 and from now on probably always with 5G

Specific changes beyond the raw performance of the CPU and GPU concern connectivity, where now with the support of the FastConnect 6800 platform Wi-Fi 6 moves in. If the notebook is to be connected via mobile communications, the integrated Snapdragon X24 modem is also available, which supports LTE Advanced Pro with up to 2 Gbit/s in the downlink. The connection of the Snapdragon X55 modem no longer seems to be optional, since the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 now carries the 5G "in the name. The additional modem can bundle up to 800 MHz bandwidth at mmWave and 200 MHz in the sub-6 GHz spectrum to realize up to 7 Gbit/s downlink and 3 Gbit/s uplink.

Acer Spin 7 uses Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 will be available at the end of the year and will be used by Acer. Acer’s Co-COO Jerry Kao presented the Convertible Spin 7 with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, which uses Windows for ARM devices and supports 5G in the sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrum, at the virtual Qualcomm press conference.