Can Qualcomm Power Ahead to Dominate Desktop CPUs by 2025?
Qualcomm’s Desktop CPU Ambitions: Can They Shake Up the Market?
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip has made waves in the tech world with its impressive performance and battery life. But can the company’s future desktop CPUs really shake up the market dominated by AMD and Intel?
Qualcomm’s Current Arm-based Chips are Impressive in Multiple Ways
The Snapdragon X Elite chips available now, and even Snapdragon X Plus variants, are crushing the competition when it comes to performance power. Our sister site Tom’s Hardware compared Geekbench 6 performance scores for Snapdragon X Elite chips against chips from Intel and AMD, and found that the X Elite outperformed its competitors by 18-25%.
Will Qualcomm Make a Dent in the Desktop CPU Market?
If Qualcomm can create and sell a viable desktop CPU, I think it would only become the first pick for those looking for the most affordable desktop option that promises decent performance, especially businesses looking for cheap PCs. In terms of more powerful, gaming-capable desktop PCs and DIY PCs, I think AMD and Intel will still be the preferred brands in 2025.
AMD and Intel are So Established that Qualcomm Might Not Make a Dent
If you’re building a PC today, you’ll likely be picking between a CPU from Intel or AMD. The companies have flip-flopped over the years when it comes to which is better in terms of price and performance, but those two brands have established themselves as the best processor brands in the world. I don’t see Qualcomm shaking that up in 2025.
A New Competitor Might Overshadow Qualcomm
In addition to the struggles Qualcomm already faces going up against Intel and AMD, a new Windows-on-Arm competitor may also throw a wrench into the company’s plans. Established powerhouse Nvidia reportedly has plans to make an Arm chip for Windows in 2025. Considering Nvidia has already gained trust from many PC builders as a reliable, go-to option for the best graphics cards, the company would have a leg up over Qualcomm when it comes to selling an Arm chip as a smarter pick over an x86 chip from AMD or Intel.
The Success of Qualcomm’s and Nvidia’s Future Arm-based Desktop CPUs will be Based on Accompanying Software
Ultimately, the success of both Qualcomm’s and Nvidia’s future Arm-based desktop CPUs will be based on accompanying software. Both companies may be able to make powerful chips, but if Windows doesn’t mesh well with them, they won’t be an optimal choice for anyone over x86-based chips from AMD and Intel.
Will Qualcomm’s Desktop CPUs Really Shake Up the Market?
Right now, there’s a lot of potential for future desktop CPUs from Qualcomm and Nvidia. But will that potential be fully realized in 2025 to the point that it pushes AMD and Intel chips aside? Personally, I don’t think so.
