Cheap laptops: A new ARM processor with a surprisingly old interior

Qualcomm has unveiled technical specifications for its new entry-level ARM processor, Snapdragon C, which will power budget notebooks. The processor, announced two months after its initial reveal, is designed for particularly affordable notebook models. Unlike the Snapdragon X series, which features Oryon cores, the Snapdragon C uses older-generation Cortex-A78 or A55 cores. This choice is evident from the 6-nanometer fabrication process used, which suggests the eight (still officially unspecified) Kryo cores likely belong to the previous generation. For comparison, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3, introduced in late 2021 and used in Windows-on-ARM devices such as Microsoft’s Surface lineup, was fabricated using 5-nanometer technology and featured faster Cortex-X1 cores. The Snapdragon C is expected to perform slower than this earlier model, which already struggled with performance expectations. The integrated Adreno 643 GPU in the Snapdragon C is also unlikely to deliver strong 3D gaming capabilities. In slides published by Qualcomm, the company compared the Snapdragon C to Intel's entry-level N250 processor, which uses even older Intel 7 technology. This comparison makes sense given the expected performance gap between the two chips. While Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon C should outperform the N250 in both performance and energy efficiency, the N250 has only four CPU cores despite the availability of an eight-core variant, the N350. Once a notebook equipped with the Snapdragon C becomes available, independent benchmarking tests will be conducted and shared. It is anticipated that the Snapdragon C will fall behind more recent low-end processors such as Intel’s Core 300 (without Ultra; codenamed Wildcat Lake) or Apple’s A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo. The pricing structure for the Snapdragon C is still under discussion. During its May presentation, Qualcomm indicated that notebooks featuring the Snapdragon C could start at around $300. However, the first known device, the Acer Aspire Go 15, is currently listed on Amazon UK for £500, which converts to approximately €600. This price point is considered high for a 15.6-inch notebook with a plastic chassis, 8GB of working memory, and 128GB of flash storage. Both types of memory are soldered onto the motherboard, making future upgrades impossible. It remains unclear whether the device uses LPDDR4X or faster LPDDR5X DRAM, though Qualcomm’s processor supports both variants. Maximum capacity is limited to 16GB. The Aspire Go 15 is expected to launch in Germany in November, with Acer stating a starting price of €500. In the current model, the Snapdragon C C1-10-100 utilizes all eight CPU cores. Future weaker variants may follow, as some of Qualcomm’s slides refer generally to “up to eight cores” for the Snapdragon C. Beyond the CPU cores, there is little room for customization: PCIe is only available in version 3.0, and USB ports support up to 3.1. The device includes DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting an external monitor, but only 60Hz at 4K resolution is supported. The built-in display is capped at Full HD+ with 120Hz refresh rate. The FastConnect C6700 wireless adapter supports Wi-Fi 6E. Currently, only Acer has announced a notebook with the Snapdragon C, but this is expected to change soon. According to Qualcomm, Asus, HP, and Lenovo are also developing budget notebooks powered by the Snapdragon C. These companies face challenges in maintaining competitiveness unless their devices can undercut the current price threshold of €500. More advanced Snapdragon X notebooks have already started at €600.