The personal computing landscape is shaped by the variety of choices available between different laptop brands and CPU models. With recent advancements, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and AMD’s Ryzen AI 300-series have entered the fray, challenging Intel’s Core Ultra processors. The newly tested AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a flagship in the Ryzen AI 300-series, is now compared across multiple benchmarks with its competitors.
AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 demonstrates superior multi-core performance compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H. In various benchmarks, such as Cinebench 2024, AMD’s chip outperforms its competitors, including the Core Ultra 7, and shows a strong edge over Snapdragon’s offering. However, it should be noted that the Core Ultra 9 185H, which was not tested here, may offer better multi-core performance but is more power-intensive.
The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370’s multi-core setup, featuring a combination of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, positions it as a strong performer. It surpasses both the Intel Core i9-13900H and AMD’s own Ryzen 9 7940HS, even though these chips are housed in larger, more power-equipped laptops that generally maintain better cooling and performance.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite vs. AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370: Performance and Battery Life Showdown
In single-core performance, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite holds an edge on Windows platforms, although AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 shows marked improvements over its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 7940HS. While the Ryzen chip does not lead in single-core tasks, it competes well against the Core Ultra 7 155H and even slightly edges out the Core Ultra 9 185H based on external benchmarks.
Performance in Office 365 applications, which rely on single-threaded processing, shows Snapdragon X Elite as the leader. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is competitive, particularly in Outlook performance, but overall, Snapdragon X Elite excels in most Office tasks. However, all three processors perform adequately for typical office work, making the differences less noticeable in everyday use.
AI performance is a growing focus, and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 excels in applications like Topaz Lab’s Gigapixel AI, which is used for increasing image resolution. This chip outperforms both the Core Ultra 7 and Snapdragon X Elite in CPU-based AI tasks. Snapdragon’s lack of support for AVX and AVX2 instructions limits its performance in such AI applications.
When evaluating AI performance on GPUs, AMD’s Radeon 890M and Intel’s Arc integrated graphics offer better results than Qualcomm’s Adreno. AMD’s Radeon 890M leads in AI tasks, while Intel’s Arc provides competitive performance, though it doesn’t match the Radeon 890M’s capabilities.
Gaming performance, especially on thin-and-light laptops with integrated graphics, highlights AMD’s Radeon 890M as superior. It performs well in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, surpassing both Qualcomm’s Adreno and Intel’s Arc. AMD’s integrated graphics prove robust for gaming, outperforming its competitors.
Battery life is crucial for laptop users, and here, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite stands out with over 12 hours of runtime in the UL Procyon Office Battery test. This is especially notable given its smaller battery size compared to AMD and Intel models, which generally provide around 10 hours of battery life. The Snapdragon X Elite’s efficiency in this area is a significant advantage.
While the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 demonstrates strong performance across various benchmarks, the Snapdragon X Elite leads in battery life. Each processor has its strengths, with AMD excelling in multi-core tasks and AI performance, Snapdragon offering superior battery efficiency, and Intel providing competitive performance in other areas.
