Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) vs Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) or Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) has 12 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.00 GHz. Up to 64 GB of memory is supported in 8 memory channels. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) was released in Q2/2024.

The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has 14 cores with 14 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. The CPU supports up to 96 GB of memory in 3 memory channels. The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) was released in Q4/2023.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) is 1.00 GHz (4.00 GHz) while the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has 14 CPU cores and 14 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) is at 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz).

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) or Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) can use up to 64 GB of memory in 8 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 133.9 GB/s. The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) supports up to 96 GB of memory in 3 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 307.2 GB/s.

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) is 23 W, while the Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) has a TDP of 50 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) is manufactured in 4 nm and has 42.00 MB cache. The Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) is manufactured in 3 nm and has a 36.00 MB cache.