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Can Windows 11 on Arm Finally Compete with Apple’s M4 and M5 Chips?
The wait for a genuine Windows-based competitor to Apple’s silicon dominance is effectively over. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme—specifically the X2E-96-100 variant—has posted performance numbers that don’t just compete with Apple’s MacBook lineup but threaten to overtake key parts of it. For creative professionals relying on multi-threaded workloads like rendering or compiling, these new benchmarks signal a pivotal shift in the mobile workstation market. While single-core performance still trails Apple’s future-facing M5 architecture, the multi-core gains here are substantial enough to warrant serious attention from power users.
Breaking Down the Snapdragon X2 Elite Lineup
You need to understand that not all “Elite” chips are created equal. The lineup is segmented by core count and thermal design power (TDP), meaning performance will vary significantly between a thin-and-light laptop and a mobile workstation. The standout here is the “Elite Extreme” (X2E-96-100), which pushes the envelope with a higher 82W TDP and boost clocks hitting 5.0 GHz.
Performance Analysis: Snapdragon X2 vs. Apple M-Series
The benchmark data reveals a nuanced battle where Qualcomm wins on raw multi-core throughput but Apple maintains a lead in efficiency and single-thread speed. The X2 Elite Extreme’s multi-core score of 23,611 places it slightly ahead of the Apple M4 Pro, which typically scores around 23,000. This is a critical threshold; it means Windows laptops can finally handle heavy multitasking workflows—such as video exports and code compilation—at a pace comparable to a high-end MacBook Pro.
However, single-core performance tells a different story. The X2 Elite Extreme scores 4,072, effectively tying with the M4 Max but falling behind the projected capabilities of the upcoming Apple M5, which is rumored to score around 4,351. For tasks that rely heavily on single-thread bursts, such as timeline scrubbing in video editors or certain photo manipulation filters, Apple likely retains a slight responsiveness edge.
The Software Variable: Windows 11 26H1
Hardware specifications mean little if the operating system cannot effectively utilize them. Microsoft is preparing the Windows 11 26H1 update, based on the “Bromine” platform, specifically to optimize for these new ARM architectures. This update is expected to ship around April 2026, aligning with the hardware release.
For you as a user, this software update is as important as the chip itself. Previous Windows on Arm iterations suffered from emulation overhead that dampened performance; the 26H1 release aims to resolve these underlying performance issues, potentially unlocking even higher scores from these Snapdragon chips once they reach consumer hands.