I swapped my MacBook Air with a Snapdragon X Elite Extreme laptop – here’s how they compared

The A16’s focal point is the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme system-in-package (SiP) — Qualcomm’s highest-end processor in a consumer laptop, built on a 3nm chip process with an ultra-wide memory bandwidth of up to 228 GB/s. The X2 Elite Extreme has six additional CPU cores compared to the standard Snapdragon X2 Elite chip for a total of 18 (12 prime cores and six performance cores).

Coupled with the standard 48GB of LPDDR5X 9600 memory and standard 1TB SSD, the A16 features a premium base hardware loadout that is far better positioned for demanding applications than its predecessor was. This opens it up to workflows its aforementioned competitor, the MacBook Air, does well, such as video and photo editing outside of the top-tier pro grade and strong multitasking. 

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When it comes to gaming performance, the Qualcomm Adreno X2 GPU in the A16 performs much better than its predecessor, with improved ray tracing, and, according to Asus, 2.3 times higher frame rates for games at an FHD resolution with medium graphics settings. 

What this equates to, in my testing, is better baseline performance across the board for mid-range titles and a steeper drop-off in performance for more demanding games. The A14, by comparison, was not suited to anything but the coziest of games, and gaming on ARM can still be tricky; Despite what Microsoft or Qualcomm may say, performance issues related to emulation are still a thing. 

In our benchmarking, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme demonstrated impressive performance, particularly in multi-core scores, which handily surpassed the M5 in the 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple’s chip is still the king of single-core performance, but these scores position the X2 Elite Extreme as a serious competitor to high-end devices with Intel’s Panther Lake series and Apple’s M5 Pro.

Physical build: A give and take 

The Zenbook A14 had one of the longest-lasting batteries on the market last year, earning a spot on our best list for its longevity: 30 hours in video playback and almost 20 when it came to usage. With the A16, however, things are a little bit different. Asus advertises 21 hours of video playback, even with the beefier 70Wh battery. This step down in longevity is a result of a few different factors, but chief among them is the fact that there’s a lot more to power: namely the large, bright display and the processor. 

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In my initial testing of the A16, I found battery life to be middle of the road. For typical usage in the office running dozens of browser tabs, taking video calls, and uploading and transferring files, it lasted the whole day, but without a lot of room to spare. This variability continued as I kept using it through the evening, and it remained at 5% for over another two hours.

When it comes to demanding tasks like gaming, rendering video in Da Vinci Resolve and transferring large files, I found battery life to be a little more sporadic. In my short time with the Zenbook A16, I haven’t had time for a complete battery analysis, but during sessions where I pushed it, I experienced noticeable drops in battery life followed by sustained periods of much slower depletion. 

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This leads me to believe that there still maybe some firmware improvements to be made, especially with this new processor. Recent, subsequent BIOS updates also imply ongoing optimization efforts. 

As it stands now, the A16 has perfectly good battery life, but it’s important to note that it’s a different beast than its 14-inch predecessor. I’d characterize this laptop to something closer to the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i — a hybrid creator/professional 16-inch with a banger OLED. It’ll happily last all day for the common suite of productivity tasks, but pushing the hardware for more demanding tasks is best done while plugged in. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

Is the Zenbook A16