Skip to main content

Powerful Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 Chromebooks could be coming soon

ARM-based Chromebooks have been around for many years, but they’ve been limited to the slower offerings from MediaTek and Qualcomm. But according to a discovery by Chrome Unboxed, there are mentions of Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 chip in the Chromium Repository.

This hints that work is being done in the code in ChromeOS to support the new, much more powerful SoC (system on chip).

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 top down view showing display and keyboard deck.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

But going back to Chromebooks, the Chromium Repository is listing the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 as “SC8280xp,” which was the code-name for the SoC when it was used in Windows Laptops. This is also pretty similar to the original Snapdragon 8cx which was listed as “SC8180x.” For reference, the current generation Snapdragon 7c and 7c Gen 2 are  “SC7180” and “SC7280”.

Recommended Videos

So, what’s the big deal with the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2? While we already have reviewed Chromebooks with the Snapdragon 7c and have liked the system performance versus Chromebooks with Intel chips, there could be some massive performance gains with the 8cx Gen 2 platform. Chrome Unboxed reports a possible 50% boost in single-core speed, and a near 100% boost in multi-core speed. For gaming and other GPU tasks, the performance could be as much as 400% faster.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

It is unknown when Chromebooks with the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 could launch, but the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 is technically no longer a flagship chip from Qualcomm in the Windows space. Windows devices are now using the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, like the ThinkPad X13s. This means that 2023 could be a better chance to see Chromebooks with the chip while work is done at Google and Qualcomm to optimize for the SoC.

Yet unlike with Windows devices where Qualcomm is Microsoft’s only partner making ARM-based chips, this 8cx Gen 3 could also give Google the chance to boost the sale of ARM-based Chromebooks.

However, it is important to note that as of now, this is all just a rumor. We’ll need to wait for official confirmation from Google or Qualcomm to know for sure.

More competition between MediaTek and Qualcomm means a battle for faster Chromebooks. We don’t really know how powerful a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 Chromebook might be, but there’s a lot of hope, especially with Google confirming that a new video editor for ChromeOS is on the way.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Acer’s 5G Spin 7 is the world’s first laptop powered by the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2
acer spin 7 qualcomm snapdragon 8cx gen 2 5g spin7 sp714 61 tablet mode with stylus

Following Qualcomm's announcement of the new Snapdragon 8cx 5G compute platform at IFA, Acer revealed that its new Spin 7 will be the world's first laptop to be powered by the ARM-based silicon. With a convertible form factor that allows the notebook's screen to fully rotate around on a 360-degree hinge, you can easily switch between laptop mode and tablet mode, and a Wacom AES 1.0 pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity will be useful for drawing and taking digital notes on the go.

In total, the package weighs just 3.09 pounds and is constructed using a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis for a more premium feel. The Spin 7 comes with a 14-inch FHD display that's coated with the same antimicrobial Gorilla Glass found on Acer's other products. The laptop is just 0.63 inches thin, making it a portable option for business, travel, and school. Acer isn't giving specifics on battery life at this time, though the company stated that the Spin 7's battery is good for multiday usage.

Read more
Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2: Qualcomm’s second attempt at outmuscling Intel on PCs
qualcomm snapdragon 8cx gen 2 arm 5g compute platform  badge

Qualcomm is doubling down on its investment with Microsoft's Windows platform. With the company's Snapdragon silicon found on a broad array of Android smartphones and tablet, Qualcomm is now launching its second generation of premium always-connected PC processors at the IFA trade show in Berlin.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G compute platform will be Qualcomm's second system-on-a-chip architecture for Windows 10 devices that supports 5G mobile broadband connectivity.

Read more
Black Friday’s best PC hardware deal is still live, and you’re sleeping on it
The Ryzen 5 7600X sitting among thermal paste and RAM.

I'm not mad, just disappointed. A couple of weeks ago, I covered the insane deal that essentially allowed you to score a Ryzen 5 7600X -- still one of the best processors you can buy -- for just $105. At the time, I thought, surely, this will sell out in a matter of hours. Who would pass up on a deal this good? And yet, two weeks later to the day, the craziest deal I've seen during all of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is still live on Newegg.

Let me break down the deal again. You can get the Ryzen 5 7600X for $225, which is not a good price. However, you can get an additional $30 off by using promo code DLCDZ342, bringing the price down to $195. The kicker is that you also get a free Team Group MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. That's a $90 hard drive that Newegg is just throwing in with a CPU that's already available for a decent price. The fact that the deal is still live suggests either Newegg has a ton of inventory, or not enough people know about this sale.

Read more