Qualcomm recently unveiled its Snapdragon X Elite , a 12-core laptop processor designed to compete with Apple's M2. The Snapdragon X Elite is no ordinary laptop processor, as it represents a potential shift in the world of laptop CPUs . This custom chip features the Orion CPU, a departure from the conventional ARM-based processors that usually fall into one of two categories: those designed by ARM itself, like the Cortex series, and those designed by ARM's architectural licensees, such as Apple's M1 and M2 chips. Qualcomm is firmly in the latter category, with the Orion CPU representing their in-house design. The Snapdragon X Elite's journey begins with the acquisition of Nuvia, a company founded by former Apple engineers who set out to create a server chip. Qualcomm later purchased Nuvia and incorporated their chip design into their product roadmap. However, adapting a server chip for laptops raises some questions, especially regarding power efficiency. While most ...