Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip clearly differs significantly from the two Snapdragon X2 Elite chips the company announced just a few hours ago, not only in its technical specifications but also through changes to the chip package. The US-based company’s most powerful processor for laptops features SiP memory technology, which enables high bandwidth.

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme’s Maximum Bandwidth is 50% Higher than the Snapdragon X2 Elite

System-in-Package (SiP) is a design approach that combines RAM, storage, and other components into a single package. This method saves internal space, particularly in devices with limited space like laptops, while also improving efficiency and enabling faster memory speeds. Placing the RAM directly next to the chip allows the two components to communicate much faster, thus increasing memory bandwidth.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme’s SiP memory layout is reminiscent of Apple’s unified RAM architecture, which allows the CPU and GPU to share the same memory pool. While the two architectures differ significantly in terms of their core functionality, the key point here is the similarity of component design.

This packaging change is why the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme reaches 228GB/s of memory bandwidth and comes with a minimum of 48GB of RAM. Other Snapdragon X2 Elite versions, however, come with standard out-of-package memory, limiting their bandwidth to 152GB/s. The “SEC” label in the image shared by @IanCutress also confirms that Qualcomm sourced the chipset from Samsung to complete the package.

The chip isn’t small in size, but that’s not surprising considering the components it packs. Manufacturers planning to use the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in laptops slated for release in the first half of 2026 will need to provide adequate cooling systems to enable the chip to reach its full potential.