Chrome is the default browser for a majority of Windows users who navigate through Microsoft’s prompts to use Edge in order to download Google’s browser.
With the Arm revolution underway for Windows with Snapdragon X Elite laptops on the horizon, it’s time for Chrome to optimize for Arm-compatible Windows PCs. That’s exactly what Google has announced today, as a full version of Chrome optimized for Arm-compatible Windows PCs will be rolling out this week.
Arm Flex
While an Arm version of the browser has been available for Arm-based OSes such as Android, macOS, and Chrome OS, Google’s official release for Windows marks a significant step. This move, combined with the assurance that Windows games “should already work” thanks to x64 emulation, is putting pressure on Intel and AMD.
“The new version of Google Chrome will help establish Snapdragon X Elite’s position as the top platform for Windows computing starting in mid-2024,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Inc. “As we enter the era of the AI PC, we can’t wait to see Chrome shine on the powerful Snapdragon X Elite system.”
Oh Snap(dragon)
With Chrome coming to Snapdragon-powered laptops, it promises high-speed performance, surpassing AMD’s top-end APU based on leaked benchmarks seen by Tom’s Hardware. If these benchmarks hold true, the multi-core performance could challenge Apple’s M3 MacBook Air.
| Chipset | Single core | Multi-core |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon X Elite | 2,574 | 12,562 |
| Apple M3 (MacBook Air 13-inch) | 3,082 | 12,087 |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (Asus Zenbook Duo) | 2,475 | 12,867 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | 2,475 | 11,667 |
Qualcomm is also confident in its NPU performance for AI workloads, supporting 70+ Trillion Operations Per Second (TOPS) across all processor units. This outperforms the AI capabilities of the eight AI PCs showcased at MWC, which can barely achieve 10 TOPS,” said Qualcomm CMO Dom McGuire to Tom’s Guide.
As for the specifics on which laptops will feature the Snapdragon chipset and their performance and energy efficiency, the details are yet to be revealed.
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