Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen 3 platforms, which will improve PC productivity from premium to entry-level device tiers. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 platform has been updated for Always-On, Always Connected PCs. The 8cx Gen 3 supports three different modem setups, including the Snapdragon X65, X55, and X62 Modem-RF lines, with potential download speeds of 10 Gbps (X65 5G), 7.5 Gbps (X55 5G), and 4.4 Gbps (X62 Modem-RF) (X62 5G).
The Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 is also included for Wi-Fi 6E speeds of up to 3.6 Gbps. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is a 5nm Windows PC platform, and Qualcomm jobs claim that by including this design, it has created the necessary space to improve the performance of the Kryo CPU without significantly increasing power consumption in comparison to the 8cx Gen 2.
According to the company, there is up to an 85 percent increase in Kryo CPU generational performance and up to a 60% increase in Adreno GPU performance. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 supports up to HDR 4K video playback (at up to 120fps), and the Qualcomm Spectra ISP has been improved to reduce camera start-up times by up to this 15%. HDR 4K image capture is possible, and up to four cameras can be used concurrently.
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Improving productivity tools, such as videoconferencing apps, appears to be a priority in this platform update. Qualcomm has included "3A" (Autofocus, Auto White Balance, and Auto Exposure) features to improve the quality of video calls made through Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Furthermore, the Snapdragon Jobs 8cx Gen 3 includes Qualcomm noise cancellation technology, which could help with staff calls now that many of us work from home or use hybrid setups.
Artificial intelligence jobs (AI) functions have been improved at a rate of more than 29 TOPS. In terms of security, the Secure Processing Unit (SPU) of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 employs the Microsoft Pluton architecture for storing sensitive data, such as cryptographic keys. Another new security feature is runtime memory encryption.
On Wednesday, Miguel Nunes, VP of Product Management at Qualcomm told attendees of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit that "most of us have spent more time on a PC than we would have imagined over the past 24 months," and, therefore, "the PC has become important again."
This concept extends to the entry-level tier and ties to the launch of the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, designed for this category of Windows and Chromebook devices.
The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 contains a Kryo CPU and an Adreno CPU, which Qualcomm claims has resulted in a CPU performance boost of up to 60% over previous incarnations and a graphics performance boost of up to 70%. The Snapdragon X53 5G Modem-RF, Qualcomm AI Engine (6.5 TOPS), and FastConnect 6700 for Wi-Fi 6/6E rates of up to 2.9 Gbps are also included in the platform.
In today's computing environments, the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 "raises the bar," according to Nunes, and the firm is focusing on offering "top to bottom" functionality to this segment. Early next year, Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 devices are likely to be available.
