Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, 7c+ Gen 3 launched for next wave of Windows 11 laptops

Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chipset alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Unlike the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which will be used to power the next generation of Android flagship smartphones, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is engineered for the next generation of Windows laptops and Chromebooks.

Qualcomm also launched the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, primarily designed for more affordable notebooks.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is the world’s first 5nm chipset for Windows devices. Qualcomm hasn’t revealed the CPU cores behind the 8cx Gen 3, though the company said the new chipset would feature up to 85 percent faster CPU performance and up to 60 percent faster GPU performance.

The NPU has also upgraded offers over 29 TOPS, thrice as much as the previous chip could manage.

However, these performance gains will also come with reduced power usage. Qualcomm also claims that laptops using the platform will also be able to feature fanless designs. Another highlight of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is the multi-day battery life, depending on the laptop.

The next-gen Snapdragon 8cx chip will also leverage 5G, offering OMEs several configurations, including the X65 modem that delivers up to 10 Gbps downlink speeds as well as older X55 and X62 modems that offer up to 7.5 Gbps and 4.4 Gbps speeds, respectively. Local connectivity will also include Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.

The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 is aimed at affordable Windows laptops. The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 is fabricated on the 6nm process and offers significant improvements over its predecessor.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 will offer up to 60 percent faster CPU performance and up to 70 percent GPU performance.

The NPU on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 offers 6.5 TOPS of AI computing power. The new Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 chip can also leverage 5G with the Snapdragon X53 modem with downlink speeds of up to 3.7 Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E with speeds up to 2.9 Gbps.

The 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen 3 also come with the latest Snapdragon audio and security features. The first Windows 11 laptops using the two new Snapdragon chips will arrive in the first half of 2022.