These Snapdragon X Elite Laptops Give MacBooks a Run for Their Money


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If you need a productivity device with an all-day battery life and solid performance, MacBooks are a popular choice. But if you prefer Windows to macOS, these Snapdragon X Elite laptops offer the performance and portability to rival Apple’s lineup.

All listed prices are for the base device featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite SoC and at least 16GB of soldered RAM.

1

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9)

At just 12.8mm thick and weighing 2.8 pounds, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is as light and thin as a 13-inch MacBook Air. However, the beautiful 14.5″ 3K (2944×1840) OLED touch display offers more screen real estate and a faster 90Hz refresh rate. With its powerful Snapdragon X Elite 12-core (X1E-78-100) processor, the 70Wh battery pack can last a full day while remaining cool and quiet under regular use. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x starts at $999 for the cheapest model, though that price can change greatly depending on the configuration you choose.

Like other Copilot+ PCs, the Yoga Slim 7x also gets the standard 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory and an upgradable 512GB of Gen4 SSD storage. However, you can opt for a higher-capacity 32GB and 1TB variant if you need more RAM and storage.

Lenovo offers some of the best laptop keyboards, and the Yoga Slim 7x is no different. The spacious keyboard deck features a large, smooth touchpad and tactile keys, making for an excellent typing experience. It also gets an IR camera for biometric sign-in with Windows Hello, three USB-C ports, and all the usual connectivity features, except for a headphone jack.

Buy: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (from $999)

2

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition

The 7th edition of the Microsoft Surface Laptop retains most of the things that Surface laptops are known for: a premium build, an unconventional squarish design, and a stunning 13.8” 120Hz IPS touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. If you need more real estate, you can also opt for the 15” model. The 13.8″ model typically starts at $999, but you can also find an assortment of 10-core and 12-core models on third-party websites like Amazon.

The real upgrade, however, comes in its performance and efficiency. Powered by a more powerful Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) 12-core CPU, 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory, and a swappable 512GB SSD, the new Surface Laptop offers stellar performance and lasts a long time on a single charge at 15 hours of mixed usage. These specs are more than enough for your entertainment and work needs, including some gaming on the go, especially when using Microsoft Auto Super Resolution. It also consistently scores well on benchmarking sites like Geekbench 6 and Cinebench, inching closer to the M3 MacBook Air’s performance.

Along with an excellent haptic touchpad and a good keyboard, it also features all the usual connectivity features, including two USB-4 and one USB-A port, Windows Hello-compatible biometric hardware, and a headphone jack.

Buy: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition (from $999)

3

ASUS Vivobook S15

The ASUS Vivobook S15 is a conventional laptop with a big display, excellent port selection, and a premium Harman-Kardon-certified audio setup. But the highlight of the laptop is its gorgeous 15.6″ 3K OLED 120Hz color-accurate display with a peak brightness of 600 nits. It typically starts at $1,299.99, though you can also sometimes buy some models on Amazon for a discount.

Under the hood, it’s powered by a standard Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor. ASUS has paired it with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and a generous 1TB of storage that can chew through most productivity tasks without a sweat.

Despite its slim 0.58-inch unibody design, it features a full-sized HDMI 2.1, two USB 3.2 Type-A, and two USB-C 4 ports. It also ships with a microSD card reader and headphone jack. While ASUS claims 18 hours of usage from its 70Wh battery pack, it can typically last up to 14 hours with mixed usage in real-life scenarios.

Buy: ASUS Vivobook S15 (from $1,299.99)

4

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is essentially a 13″ tablet that runs a full-blown version of Windows 11. The Surface Pro’s greater flexibility makes it better than the M4 iPad Pro as you can use it as a tablet to take notes with the Surface Slim Pen or turn it into a laptop using the optional Flex Keyboard, which now works wirelessly via Bluetooth.

The 13″ OLED PixelSense 120Hz touchscreen display, which reaches a peak brightness level of 900 nits, and the premium speakers make it a great option for media consumption and productivity alike. The Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) variant can be customized with 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 512GB or 1TB Gen 4 SSD.

Another distinct feature of the 11th Edition of the Surface Pro is the optional 5G support for cellular connectivity on the go. The two USB-C 4 ports on the device support data transfer, charging, and connections for up to three 4K displays at 60Hz for a full-fledged desktop experience. The 52Wh battery pack is also impressive and will net you up to 12 hours of usage on the recommended power plan.

Buy: Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (from $999)

5

Dell XPS 13 (9345)

If you want the thinnest and lightest Windows laptop, the Dell XPS 13 might be the answer. This nimble 13.4″ device offers multiple display options. You can choose from an FHD+ 120Hz non-touch or a stunning 3K OLED 120Hz color-accurate touchscreen screen.

Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100), the base variant offers 16GB of LPDDR5X integrated memory and 512GB of swappable SSD storage for snappy performance. With a 55Wh battery pack, it can last up to 15 hours of mixed usage, including photo editing, video streaming, and browsing.

While the XPS 13 is highly portable at just 2.6 lbs and measuring 0.6″ thick, it suffers from some of the same issues we noted in our review of the Dell XPS 16 9640. This lightweight chassis comes at the cost of a shabby keyboard and poor port selection, with only two USB-C 4 ports for charging, data transfer, and display output.

Buy: Dell XPS 13 9345 (from $1,299.99)

6

HP OmniBook X

HP OmniBook X
HP

The HP OmniBook X is a no-nonsense productivity device with an excellent keyboard, impressive all-day battery life, and a fairly colorful 14″ 2.2K touchscreen LCD, all packed in a relatively light 2.9 lbs chassis. Unfortunately, the peak brightness of 400 nits may make it difficult to use outdoors, and the 60Hz refresh rate can detract from the overall experience. Still, for a laptop that starts at $1,089.99, which can often be found cheaper on Amazon, it holds up pretty well during everyday use.

It comes equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite processor (X1E-78-100), 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory, and a 512GB swappable SSD, which are more than strong enough to get you through the day. While the speakers and trackpad leave plenty to be desired the OmniBook X stands out as one of the most affordable Snapdragon X Elite laptops currently available when it’s available at a discount.

Buy: HP OmniBook X (from $1,089.99)


These are the best Snapdragon X Elite laptops you can buy today. If you prefer full-fledged Windows computers with flexibility and portability, I recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition since it can function as both a tablet and a laptop. Because Copilot+ computers use a different architecture than standard Windows 11 PCs, there have been reports that Copilot+ PCs are a bit of a disaster for average users, but as more developers start to support the Windows on Arm system, those issues will be ironed out.

If you’re still uncertain about whether to stick with conventional x86 chips or transition to the new-generation ARM-powered devices from Apple and Qualcomm, I recommend checking out our comparison guide on the Snapdragon X Elite, Apple M3, and Intel Core Ultra. It provides an in-depth look at what each of these SoCs offers.

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