Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors are the fastest ARM-based chips for Windows laptops, making ARM-powered PCs viable alternatives to Intel and AMD. Microsoft has introduced an emulator named Prism to facilitate the execution of x86 applications on Windows PCs. The latest version of Prism enhances performance by supporting additional CPU features during emulation and simulates a virtual x86 CPU, allowing non-natively compatible software to run. It adds support for several x86 instruction set extensions, including AVX, AVX2, BMI, FMA, and F16C, improving compatibility for PC games. The updated Prism is accessible in Windows 11 24H2 and supports any 64-bit x86 application, enabling previously blocked games and creative applications to operate on ARM processors. The new version is currently available to Windows Insider program members, with no details on a broader release timeline.
Valve is testing a version of its Proton software for ARM processors, indicated by the designation "proton-arm64ec." This development suggests potential support for ARM-based devices, possibly hinting at an ARM-powered handheld device, a VR headset, or the expansion of SteamOS to third-party hardware. Valve has not officially confirmed these intentions, and the information comes from updates tracked by SteamDB.
Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X Elite chip for Windows PCs, with Asus' Vivobook S 15 being one of the first laptops to feature it. The Vivobook S 15 is priced at ₹1,24,990 and comes with the Snapdragon X Elite chip, a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The laptop offers excellent performance, battery life, and gaming capabilities, showcasing the potential of ARM-based chips in the Windows ecosystem. The Asus Vivobook S 15 also features an OLED display rated at up to 600 nits of brightness and an all-metal design.
Microsoft has been working on making Windows on Arm a viable platform for 12 years. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips are turning Windows on Arm into a competitive platform, with good performance in single-core and multicore benchmarks. The Snapdragon chips fall behind in GPU performance compared to Apple's M3 chip. The Snapdragon laptops offer longer battery life compared to Intel and AMD-based laptops. The Snapdragon Copilot Plus PCs are priced competitively and offer better performance and battery life for less money. Qualcomm's lead in Windows on Arm may be challenged by upcoming processors from Intel and AMD.
Microsoft's new flagship Surface hardware, powered exclusively by Arm-based chips for the first time, takes a similar approach to Apple's Apple Silicon Macs by keeping the exterior design similar to their Intel-powered predecessors. The Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 look almost identical to their previous versions, with features like touch screens, face-scanning webcams, and Surface Connect ports. The Surface Laptop 7 is similar in design and feel to the MacBook Air, with a great keyboard and trackpad, while the Surface Pro 11 remains a well-built tablet with a detachable keyboard cover. Windows on Arm has improved in terms of app compatibility, but emulated apps still show some lag compared to native apps. Games and drivers are still a challenge on Arm-based Windows PCs.
