Image of a man collaborating on a Copilot+ PC Surface Laptop on a Teams call with 3 monitors

April 15, 2025

What is Qualcomm Snapdragon®?

With Copilot+ PCs, like Surface Pro 11th Edition and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, incredible speed and battery life² come together with game-changing AI experiences. That’s because Copilot+ PCs are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon® X Series processors¹, specialized computer chips for AI-intensive processes like real-time translations and image generation.

This powerful blend of hardware and AI is just the beginning. Fasten your seat belt and get ready to experience what’s possible when speed, performance, and innovation come together.

Your new superpower, powered by Snapdragon®

When choosing a new Surface, you have the option of configuring it with the Snapdragon® X Elite or Snapdragon® X Plus processor:

Snapdragon® X Elite: The top processor for Surface, designed for intensive AI tasks, offering all-day battery life².
Snapdragon® X Plus: A more affordable version, supporting similar advanced AI features and battery life.

Both processors are built to make Copilot+ PCs, like Surface, the fastest and most intelligent Windows PCs ever. Accelerate your productivity and creativity with unique Copilot+ PC experiences³ powered by Snapdragon®.

Snapdragon® processors: The engine that makes it all go…faster

Think of your laptop’s processor as the engine that makes it all go. For example, the processor determines the speed at which a computer runs programs, loads pages, and downloads files.

Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon® X Plus are the engines that make Surface go even faster. Both processors give you unmatched performance, all-day battery life, and advanced AI features thanks to a neural processing unit (NPU) that delivers 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

Fast and ready to tackle your tasks

With 45 TOPS, your Surface delivers:

Super-fast speeds: Load apps, switch between tasks, and process information quickly.
Better multitasking: Experience seamless performance across multiple applications, even under heavy workloads.
Extended battery life: Keep working all day without worrying about your laptop slowing down.
10x faster performance than Intel x86 PCs: Enjoy enhanced speed and efficiency.
4.5x faster AI capabilities: Speed through AI tasks, like real-time translations, image generation, and more.

Get the most out of AI features and gaming

Surface, powered by Snapdragon®, is smarter too, enabling you to stay in your workflow with AI-assistance and productivity tools. The powerful NPU unlocks new levels of AI processing, which lets you experience industry-leading AI performance for tasks like speech-to-text, text-to-image, and video processing.

The premier processor for AI tools

You can count on Snapdragon® as you run the latest AI tools to accelerate productivity and creativity³:

Microsoft Copilot, your AI companion: Get assistance from an AI-powered companion that helps you work smarter, be more productive, and stay connected to the people and things in your life.
Live Captions: Display accurate subtitles in real time with automatic Live Captions. Podcasts, movies, and video calls can be transcribed and translated into English⁴.
Windows Studio Effects: Every call can be a chance for genuine connection. Capture your best self by applying effects that enhance video calls.
Cocreator in Paint: Turn your ideas into AI-generated artwork. However, your idea comes to you, Cocreator can help you finish.³
Automatic super resolution: Upscale games in real time to deliver high-definition, high frame rate gaming, and pixel-sharp video calls. Your Surface laptop powered by Snapdragon® X Elite can upscale the graphics of select games to HD with no performance hit.⁵
Snapdragon® Sound™: Built into Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon® X Plus processors, Snapdragon® Sound enables lossless, high-fidelity sound quality with compatible wireless headphones. Experience high-resolution music, crystal-clear voice calls, and lag-free gaming.

Secured core means hard core

From the moment you turn on your Surface, the Snapdragon® processor brings you the highest standard for Windows security available. Experience the power of turbocharged NPU with Copilot+ PCs, combining speed, AI, and security:

Snapdragon® X Elite:
- Qualcomm Oryon 12-Core CPU
- Lightning-fast speed and extended battery life
- Ideal for CPU/GPU intensive tasks like gaming and video production
- Superior performance for heavy workloads
Snapdragon® X Plus:
- Qualcomm Oryon 10-Core CPU
- Strong performance with great battery life
- More affordable, with excellent AI capabilities
- Balanced performance for a wide range of users

An image of a Surface Pro faintly glowing with digital neon hovering in front of a futuristic city scape displaying neon-like networking lines and fast speed

AI art created via Copilot

Processors that manage power consumption

Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon® X Plus processors are designed to optimize power usage, ensuring long-lasting battery life when you're on the go. Discover:

Efficient power management: Advanced architecture and Windows 11 power features reduce consumption when your Surface is idle or in sleep mode, preserving energy for when you need it.
Enhanced battery life: With Snapdragon® X Elite, enjoy 68% lower power consumption without sacrificing performance, so you can work all day—whether at a coffee shop or poolside—without worrying about battery life.

Keep Surface cool

With Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon® X Plus, advanced thermal management ensures Surface runs smoothly under pressure. Experience:

Less heat, better performance: The efficient Oryon core design generates less heat, which keeps Surface performing at its best without throttling during heavy tasks.
Quieter operation: The improved thermal design means fewer internal fans spinning up, so Surface stays quieter even when you're tackling intensive workloads.

Reliable internet connections, lower latency

Snapdragon® processors offer:

Wi-Fi 7 support ⁶: Get faster, more reliable internet with less lag, perfect for video calls, streaming, or quick uploads.
5G connectivity: Stay connected even when you’re away from Wi-Fi. With built-in 5G, you can keep working or streaming without missing a beat, wherever you are.

Designed for AI, powered by Snapdragon®

With Snapdragon®, Surface offers exceptional performance, all-day battery life, and advanced AI features. Snapdragon X Elite is ideal for intensive tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, or heavy gaming, while Snapdragon® X Plus delivers a strong balance of performance and affordability.

The choice is yours with Surface. Configure your Surface Pro or Surface Laptop today.

DISCLAIMER: Features and functionality subject to change. Articles are written specifically for the United States market; features, functionality, and availability may vary by region.
[1] Snapdragon® and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
[2] Battery life varies significantly based on device configuration, usage, network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings and other factors. See Surface battery performance for details.
[3] On some devices, some Copilot+ PC experiences require free updates continuing to roll out through early 2025. Timing varies by device and region. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs.
[4] Currently supports translation for video and audio subtitles into English from 40+ languages. See aka.ms/nextgenaipcs.
[5] Available at initial launch in limited number of games available through the Xbox app in Windows PC. See https://aka.ms/nextgenaipcs.
[6] 6GHz band not available in all regions.