Qualcomm kills its mini PC, casts doubt on the future of Windows on ARM desktops | Laptop Mag

Qualcomm Snapdragon mini PC dev kit orders are being refunded

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Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipset took the computer market by storm in June, with several successful laptop and tablet launches. This sparked a renewed interest in Windows on ARM, leaving enthusiasts wondering whether Snapdragon X would come to desktops.

Enthusiasts were in luck in late July, as Qualcomm quietly debuted a Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit sold by Arrow. This week, however, things don't look as optimistic — Qualcomm and Arrow have recalled those Dev Kit units, and according to App Developer and YouTuber Jeff Geerling, Arrow is canceling all orders.

So, what does this mean for the future of Windows on ARM desktops?

The Snapdragon Dev Kit featured a Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-00-1DE) 12-core processor with a 42MB cache and 4.3GHz boost clock. The CPU also packaged an integrated Qualcomm Adreno GPU and Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with up to 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of AI power.

The Dev Kit also housed 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The mini PC chassis measured 8 x 7 x 1.3 inches and weighed just 2.1 pounds.

While the Dev Kit is still listed on Arrow.com, customers can no longer purchase a Dev Kit through the site. Originally, the mini PC retailed for just $899. That low price originally made it the cheapest Snapdragon X Elite computer on the market.

Arrow shared a message from Qualcomm to developers who purchased the mini PC Dev Kit, which reads in part, "The Developer Kit product comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence and so we are reaching out to let you know that unfortunately we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely."

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As such, Arrow has canceled and refunded all pending orders. At this time, it isn't known if developers who already received a dev kit will be included in the refund.

Qualcomm is pausing all support of the dev kit mini PC indefinitely. Part of the issue with this dev kit in particular likely comes down to timing. The dev kit launched after consumer-level platforms were already available, negating the need for a dev kit in the first place.

However, Qualcomm's statement only indicates dissatisfaction with this particular dev kit, so we could see another iteration hit the markets in the future as Qualcomm launches more Snapdragon chips.

Of course, mobile computers like laptops and tablets benefit the most from the Snapdragon X Elite platform and its 45 TOPS NPU. NPUs can be used for on-device AI, but most existing AI applications run through the computer's GPU rather than the NPU itself. This leaves the NPU to manage hardware acceleration and power efficiency, which is more important in mobile form factors than on desktops.

Eventually, more AI programs will be designed to utilize the NPU, so it will make sense for AI enthusiasts to want a desktop platform with a dedicated NPU.

But we're unlikely to see a ton of desktops running Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors because AI remains a niche market. I wouldn't be surprised if a few AI enthusiast desktops hit the market with a Qualcomm CPU in the next year as Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon promised during the Computex Taipei keynote that Snapdragon X would come to PCs of all forms, including desktops.

There is certainly a future for Windows on ARM that exists outside of the laptop spectrum. The immediate future may be a bit murky now that the Snapdragon Dev Kit mini PC is no more, but that doesn't mean the dream of a Snapdragon X desktop is dead.

A former lab gremlin for Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, and Tech Radar; Madeline has escaped the labs to join Laptop Mag as a Staff Writer. With over a decade of experience writing about tech and gaming, she may actually know a thing or two. Sometimes. When she isn't writing about the latest laptops and AI software, Madeline likes to throw herself into the ocean as a PADI scuba diving instructor and underwater photography enthusiast.

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