Google has introduced a version of Chrome for Windows laptops running on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. According to two unnamed partner companies, the Snapdragon version of Chrome demonstrates «significant performance improvements». The new version of Chrome is already available for download.
While there are already Snapdragon Windows laptops available for purchase, today’s announcement basically paves the way for future devices with Snapdragon X Elite. Qualcomm says that this chip will significantly outperform the speed of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 line. But if you have one of the previous Snapdragon computers available, the new Chrome will work there as well.
Google sees the companies’ long history of working together on Android as an advantage as Qualcomm encroaches on Intel’s share of the PC market. «Our close collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies will help ensure that Chrome users get the best possible experience when browsing the web on ARM-compatible PCs,» Google Senior Vice President Hiroshi Lockheimer wrote in a press release.
The first laptops with Snapdragon X Elite are scheduled to be released in the middle of this year. The chip is equipped with 12 Oryon cores and, according to Qualcomm, has twice the performance of Intel Core i7-1360P or i7-1355U — while consuming 68% less power. The chip is manufactured on TSMC’s 4 nm process technology. Its clock speed ranges from 3.8 GHz to dual-core acceleration up to 4.3 GHz. Qualcomm claims that most Windows games will run on it at almost full speed without the need to tweak the code or change resources.
While Intel is Qualcomm’s direct competitor on the Windows platform, the company is also trying to match or beat Apple’s M-series processors. Qualcomm’s challenge is to do this on different hardware from different companies, something Apple doesn’t have to worry about.
Source: Engadget