- After running several benchmarks, it's clear that the Apple M4 chipset significantly outperforms the Snapdragon X Elite in all categories -- CPU, GPU, and NPU.
- In the Geekbench test, the Apple M4 CPU delivers 54% faster single-core performance than the Snapdragon X Elite.
- In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test, the M4 GPU offers 51% faster graphics performance.
After benchmarking the Apple M4 chipset, we have compiled a detailed benchmark comparison between Apple M4 and Snapdragon X Elite. Both are flagship chipsets from Apple and Qualcomm and they are directly competing in the laptop space. We have compared the Apple M4 Mac Mini (Base) and Asus Vivobook S15 which features the Snapdragon X Elite chipset (X1E-78-100). On that note, let’s check out the findings.
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Specs Comparison
| Apple M4 (Base) | Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication Process | TSMC’s 3nm process (N3E) | TSMC’s 4nm process (N4P) |
| CPU | 10 CPU cores 4x 4.40GHz Performance cores 6x 2.89GHz Efficiency cores | 12 CPU cores 12x 3.40GHz Performance cores |
| GPU | Apple’s 10-core GPU HW-accelerated Ray Tracing | Qualcomm’s Adreno X1 GPU 3.8 TFLOPs |
| Neural Engine/NPU | 16-core Neural Engine 38 TOPS | Hexagon NPU 45 TOPS |
| Unified Memory (RAM) | 16GB LPDDR5X @7500MHz | 16GB LPDDR5X, up to 8448 MT/s |
| Memory Bandwidth | 120 GBps | 135 GBps |
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Geekbench 6 CPU
Starting with the Geekbench 6 CPU test. Here, the Apple M4 performs exceptionally well. It scored 3,781 in single-core and 14,858 in multi-core. In contrast, the Snapdragon X Elite packing the first-gen Oryon CPU achieved 2,441 in single-core and 14,050 in multi-core.
In single-core tasks, the Apple M4 is around 54% faster than the Snapdragon X Elite. However, in multi-core, the Snapdragon X Elite significantly closes the gap due to 12 performance cores. Apple M4 has 10 CPU cores, of which four are performance cores and six are efficiency cores. Despite a lower core count, Apple M4 leads by 5% in multi-core performance.
Geekbench 6 CPU Apple M4 Snapdragon X Elite Single-core 3,781 2,441 Multi-core 14,858 14,050
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Cinebench 2024
Next, in the Cinebench 2024 CPU test, the Apple M4 scored 176 points in single-core and 972 points in multi-core. On the other hand, the Snapdragon X Elite gets 108 in single-core and 1,110 in multi-core. Here, the Apple M4 leads by a whopping 63% in single-core tasks. However, in multi-core, the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite outperforms the 10-core Apple M4 by 13%.
Cinebench 2024 Apple M4 Snapdragon X Elite Single-core 176 108 Multi-core 972 1,100
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Geekbench 6 GPU
To test the GPU, we ran the Geekbench 6 CPU test using the same OpenCL graphics API for better parity. The Apple M4 achieved 38,006 points while the Snapdragon X Elite could only muster 20,266 points. Basically, the 10-core Apple M4 GPU on the Mac Mini is almost 2x faster (87%) than the Adreno X1 GPU on the Snapdragon X Elite. That’s a big win for Apple.
| Geekbench 6 GPU | Apple M4 | Snapdragon X Elite |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCL | 38,006 | 20,266 |
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: 3DMark
We also ran the graphics-intensive 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test on Apple M4 and Snapdragon X Elite to evaluate their GPUs. The Apple M4 10-core GPU again delivered stellar graphics performance. It scored 9,807 points with an average of 58.7 FPS. In contrast, the Adreno X1 GPU on Snapdragon X Elite achieved 6,461 points with 38.69 FPS. In this test, Apple M4 delivered 51% faster graphics performance which is huge.
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Apple M4 Snapdragon X Elite Overall Score 9,807 6,461 FPS 58.7 38.69
Next, in the demanding 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test, the gap widens even further. The Apple M4 achieves 4,001 points with 29.6 FPS. And the Snapdragon X Elite gets 2,228 points with 16.50 FPS. Here, the Apple M4 outperforms the Snapdragon X Elite by 80% which is a remarkable feat.
3DMark Steel Nomad Light Apple M4 Snapdragon X Elite Overall Score 4,001 2,228 FPS 29.6 16.50
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Geekbench AI
While Qualcomm has added support for its QNN backend on Geekbench AI, the Hexagon NPU on Snapdragon X Elite still lags behind the Neural Engine on Apple M4. In our test, Apple M4’s 16-core Neural Engine consistently delivered 2x to 3x faster performance than Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU, be it Single Precision, Half Precision, or Quantized data type. It goes on to show that Apple is the leader in on-device AI computation.
Geekbench AI Apple M4 Neural Engine Snapdragon X Elite NPU Single Precision 4,730 2,070 Half Precision 36,664 11,079 Quantized 51,758 21,751
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: On-Device LLM Performance
We also did a practical test to assess the NPU/Neural Engine on both processors. We installed the LM Studio application that lets you run AI models locally. Sadly, LM Studio doesn’t leverage the NPU or Neural Engine on both chipsets. The app uses the CPU on the Snapdragon X Elite and GPU+CPU on the Apple M4.
Nevertheless, we loaded a 3B model (4-bit) on both devices and ran a few prompts. The Apple M4 generated response at 48 tokens per second whereas the Snapdragon X Elite could only achieve up to 24 tokens per second. In line with the Geekbench AI test, local AI inference on the Apple M4 is 2x faster than the Snapdragon X Elite.
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: Speedometer 3.0
Finally, moving to Speedometer 3.0, a browser benchmark that evaluates web browsing performance and responsiveness of web applications. The Apple M4 once again hits it out of the park with a score of 33.2 points, while the Snapdragon X Elite achieves 27.2 points. Put simply, the Apple M4 delivers about 22% faster performance in web browsing than the Snapdragon X Elite.
Apple M4 vs Snapdragon X Elite: The Verdict
To conclude, the Apple M4 chipset is significantly better than the Snapdragon X Elite across the board, whether in CPU, GPU, or NPU performance. The M4 CPU is based on the newer Armv9 architecture whereas the Oryon CPU on Snapdragon X Elite is still on the older Armv8 design. In addition, the M4 CPU has SME units which makes it even more performant.
Apple has been refining its M-series processors for four years, leading to a mature platform with significant performance headroom. In contrast, Snapdragon X Elite is Qualcomm’s first PC chipset with the custom Oryon CPU. However, Qualcomm has teased that Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2 will pack third-gen Oryon CPU cores which promise a generational leap in performance and efficiency.
Perhaps, next year, we might see Qualcomm matching Apple in CPU performance and efficiency. As for the GPU, Apple’s in-house GPU is again 50% to 80% more powerful than the Adreno X1 GPU. There is a substantial difference in graphics performance. And the same goes for the Neural Engine/NPU. Apple delivers 2x faster performance in specialized AI workloads.
As things stand, Qualcomm lags behind Apple in laptop-grade chipsets. However, as we saw with the Snapdragon 8 Elite which brings massive improvements with the second-gen Oryon v2 cores, the chipmaker is quickly reiterating and improving performance and efficiency. We anticipate that next year, Qualcomm will be on solid grounds to rival Apple.
