Ever heard that getting a Surface PC powered by Snapdragon X means you’re signing up for misfiring apps, printers that don’t work, and sluggish performance? Let’s clear the air.
Microsoft Surface laptops and tablets with the Snapdragon X chip are now more capable than ever. Even then, there are still a couple of myths and misconceptions about these handy devices that persist in the ether. Here, we debunk some of these rumours that include a lack of app compatibility and how its AI capabilities are actually nifty.
Since Snapdragon X runs on ARM architecture that is slightly different from the Intel and AMD language that we’re more familiar with, you might be inclined to think that your go-to Windows app won’t work on a Microsoft Surface. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Thanks to the Prism emulation engine that is built into Windows 11, Snapdragon-powered devices can run popular x86- and x64-based applications that have yet to be made for ARM. Yes, Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, Zoom, your VPNs, and Netflix will all run as smooth as butter on your Microsoft Surface PC with Snapdragon X.
Another niche – but very common – myth about the Snapdragon X is that it isn’t compatible with wireless printers. Unfortunately for the haters, Microsoft Surface Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X can support over 8,500 different wireless printers, thanks to the Mopria universal printing standard.
So whether you’re using Canon, HP, Brother, EPSON, or Xerox printer at home and at the office, rest assured that your documents that need to be printed will be printed.
It used to be safe to assume that ARM-based PCs like the Microsoft Surface were built for efficiency, not power. With the latest Snapdragon X chips – especially the X Elite – that assumption no longer holds any weight. In multiple benchmark tests, the Snapdragon X handily matches and even outperforms Intel and AMD’s ultra-portable chips.
Efficiency-wise, it also delivers strong value with lower power consumption and integrated graphics, all without needing a discrete GPU. This enables your Microsoft Surface PC to be lighter, slimmer, and all-around more portable.
There’s no escaping this new world of artificial intelligence that we’re living in. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Stable Diffusion are all tools that we might use more than once in a day. PCs powered by the Snapdragon X have a built-in neural processing unit (NPU) that can deliver up to 45 trillion operations per second (TOPs). Yes, that’s trillions with a capital T.
You might think that 45 TOPs is kinda unnecessary, and it probably is if you’re just a writer like me. But this lets you run very complex and task-heavy actions like image generation and local language model processing directly on your laptop, not on some remote virtual server. The NPU also frees up the CPU and GPU from running these apps, letting you multitask with little to no lag at all.
For example, generating an image on Stable Diffusion with GIMP only takes around 7 seconds with the Snapdragon X Elite. And using DaVinci Resolve’s magic mask tool takes merely 90 seconds, compared to the 4 minutes it might have taken without an NPU.
Myths are just myths for a reason. The latest Microsoft Surface PCs powered by the Snapdragon X are a testament to how far ARM-based computing has come. Forget about app incompatibility and printer woes. With the Prism emulator, support for thousands of wireless printers, and performance that outperforms its competitors, the Snapdragon X is a mythbuster.
Beyond pure speed and compatibility, the Snapdragon X’s custom ARM architecture also delivers impressive performance, especially in AI workloads, battery efficiency, and multitasking. This is what powers the days-long battery life for the Microsoft Surface Copilot+ devices, letting you stay on the go without having to scour cafes for power outlets.
These PCs also can maintain full performance when unplugged, allowing you to work, create, and game – in no particular order – without compromise.
This post was brought to you by Microsoft.
Photography by: Matin Hakim
For Fido & you.
Featuring interactive exhibitions and free live performances.
Here are all the best things to do this weekend in Singapore.
Plan your festive outings before the year ends.
That “off-peak” trip you’re planning might actually be peak chaos.
Consider these myths debunked.