2024 is an exciting year for Windows as Microsoft introduces the Copilot+ PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware. This marks a significant milestone as Windows on Arm becomes a viable alternative to traditional x86 processors, promising longer battery life for users. However, when it comes to gaming on these devices, there are some concerns.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips come with integrated Adreno X1 GPUs, with varying performance levels across different chip models. On the other hand, Intel offers integrated Arc graphics with its Core Ultra chips, providing a different gaming experience. In a recent comparison between the Microsoft Surface Laptop with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and a Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1 with Intel Core Ultra processor and Intel Arc graphics, some interesting findings emerged.
Games that failed to run smoothly on the Qualcomm chip included popular titles like PUBG: Battlegrounds, Counter-Strike 2, Warframe, Apex: Legends, Diablo IV, and Valheim. These games either crashed, experienced stability issues, or refused to launch on the Snapdragon X Elite hardware. On the other hand, Intel Arc was able to handle most of these titles, offering a more stable and playable experience.
Testing various games like Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Dota 2, Diablo II: Resurrected, Final Fantasy XIV, Total War: Warhammer III, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Cyberpunk 2077, and synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark revealed that Intel Arc outperformed Qualcomm’s Adreno X1 in most cases. While Qualcomm’s hardware showed potential in Arm-native tests like Night Strike, the lack of game developers’ support for Windows on Arm remains a significant challenge.
In conclusion, for users looking to play PC games on entry-level laptops, choosing an Intel laptop with Arc integrated graphics or an AMD Ryzen laptop is currently a better option over a Qualcomm alternative. As the gaming industry evolves and developers begin to release Arm-native versions of their games, the landscape may change in the future. However, for now, Intel Arc provides a more reliable and stable gaming experience compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite hardware.
