Qualcomm Snapdragon C targets $300 laptops vs Intel N250

Qualcomm has released detailed specifications for its Snapdragon C laptop processor, framing it as a foundation for laptops priced around $300 and placing it directly against Intel’s N250 in the entry-level category.

The company said its internal results show a clear advantage in battery-related performance versus Intel’s chip, but the comparisons it disclosed were centered on systems running on battery power . Qualcomm did not publish equivalent benchmark figures for performance while connected to AC power .

Unplugged benchmarks and the claims Qualcomm highlighted

Qualcomm said Snapdragon C delivered a 67% battery Qualcomm said Snapdragon C delivered a 67% battery performance lead over Intel’s N250 using the company’s Cinebench testing. It added that the results were produced entirely while both systems operated unplugged. In additional internal comparisons, Qualcomm reported Snapdragon C was 44% faster in single-threaded Geekbench testing. It also said Snapdragon C posted a 39% higher result on the Speedometer 3.1 benchmark than the Intel N250. Qualcomm described the overall message of these figures as longer runtime paired with competitive responsiveness, aimed at buyers focused on value-priced devices.

Test configurations and what remains unverified

That setup was compared against an Acer TravelMate The company’s comparison used a Snapdragon reference design with 8GB of memory and a 16-inch display. That setup was compared against an Acer TravelMate system running Intel’s N250 with an 11.6-inch screen. Qualcomm said the comparison was adjusted for total power draw. However, it did not provide separate benchmark data for Snapdragon C when the system is plugged in, leaving that aspect unverified based on what the company made public. Snapdragon C CPU, graphics, and on-device AI blocks On specifications, Qualcomm said Snapdragon C includes an eight-core Kryo CPU. It listed a 3.0 GHz single-core maximum frequency and a 2.0 GHz multi-core maximum, alongside 2MB of total cache.

Graphics are provided through an integrated Adreno GPU that Qualcomm said can reach a maximum frequency of 900 MHz . The platform also integrates a Hexagon neural processing unit, though Qualcomm did not disclose a TOPS figure for AI workloads.

Memory, storage, connectivity, and partner plans Qualcomm said Snapdragon C supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5, LPDDR5x, or LPDDR4x memory, describing the range as sufficient for baseline needs in modern Windows environments. Storage support includes PCIe 3.0 NVMe as well as UFS 2.2 or 3.1.

For wireless, Qualcomm said the platform integrates the FastConnect C6700 system with support for Wi‑Fi 6 and Wi‑Fi 6E. Beyond synthetic tests, Qualcomm also cited internal efficiency comparisons against the Intel-powered Acer device, reporting a 106% improvement while streaming Netflix in Microsoft Edge, a 74% gain during Microsoft Teams video calls, and a 68% advantage in web browsing.

Qualcomm said hardware partners including Acer, Asus, HP, and Lenovo are expected to build devices around the platform, following Acer’s initial showcase of the Aspire Go 15 notebook. The company also warned that rising component costs, particularly for memory, could pressure the $300 target price as manufacturers move toward potential launch announcements at upcoming trade events.