Tuxedo Computers Announces Snapdragon X Elite-Powered Linux Laptop

arindam

10 months ago

Tuxedo computer is working on an ARM Linux laptop powered by Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

Great news for Linux users! Tuxedo Computers, a company that specializes in creating computers built for Linux, has announced that they are working on an ARM-based Linux laptop using Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

This is an exciting development as Apple and Windows have already started using ARM-based chips in their devices, while Linux laptops have been slower to make the switch from the traditional x86 architecture.

The Snapdragon X Elite chipset is Qualcomm’s high-end laptop chip, and Tuxedo’s laptop will be the first Linux laptop to use it. This is a promising choice, as Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon X Elite can outperform Apple’s M2 chip with higher efficiency.

Snapdragon X Elite can outperform Apple’s M2 chip with higher efficiency.
Qualcomm

Tuxedo has shown off a prototype of the laptop, codenamed “Drako” during Computex. While there are still some things to work on, such as drivers, Tuxedo expects to have a finished product available for purchase by the end of 2024.

A brief specs of the prototype as below, as always, it is subjected to change in the final product on the shelf.

Snapdragon X Elite X1E80100
Oryon cores with 3.8 GHz
4.6 GHz dual-core clock boost
Adreno GPU – 1.25 GHz
8+4 PCIe 4.0 labes and 2+2 PCIe 3.0 lanes
Integrated NPU with 45 Teraflops for AI workloads

However, Qualcomm said the SoC is not suitable for high-end notebooks or gaming behemoths; it is more suited to business-class workhorses such as the Pulse or the InfinityBook Pro notebooks.

One of the benefits of using an ARM-based chip is higher efficiency, but trying to get Linux running on ARM laptops can be a bit of a challenge. However, Qualcomm has been working with Linaro to bring the Snapdragon X Elite SoC to Linux, so it might be a smooth process.

The upstreaming of drivers for this chip is underway. Few changes arrive in current mainline Kernel 6.9. As per Qualcomm, all the Linux support in the kernel should arrive by Mainline Kernel 6.11.

But time will tell how much this succeeds. Because the main selling point of the Apple M-series is the huge battery backup, which is the main deal for everyone. AI workloads, RAM, computing power – these are all great. But the actual battery savings while having high-compute is the main aspect. Also, the pricing will be a critical success factor for this device.

So, stay tuned for more updates from Tuxedo, pricing, and other details by the end of this year. This is likely to be launched during Christmas 2024.

Via Tuxedo Comp

Share this: