Windows on ARM
Windows on ARM is a variant of the Microsoft Windows operating system optimized for ARM64 (AArch64) processors, allowing it to run on power-efficient devices such as laptops and tablets while supporting both native ARM applications and emulated x86 and x64 software for broad compatibility.[1] This architecture leverages system-on-chip (SoC) designs that integrate CPU, GPU, wireless connectivity, and neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks, delivering up to 45 TOPS of performance in modern implementations like the Snapdragon X Series.[1] The history of Windows on ARM dates back to 2012 with the release of Windows RT, a locked-down version of Windows 8 for ARM devices, which debuted on the original Microsoft Surface tablet powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor but faced criticism for its limited app ecosystem and inability to run traditional desktop software.[2] Efforts revived in 2017 with Windows 10 on ARM, which introduced x86 app emulation via the Windows on ARM Runtime, enabling devices like the ASUS NovaGo and HP Envy x2 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processors to support a wider range of software, though early performance and compatibility issues hindered adoption.[2] By 2019, Microsoft launched the Surface Pro X with a custom Qualcomm SQ1 chip, marking a push toward "always-connected" PCs, but emulation overhead and incomplete native app support continued to pose challenges.[3] Significant advancements came with Windows 11 on ARM in 2021, which added x64 emulation to further bridge the gap with Intel/AMD ecosystems, alongside tools like Arm64EC for developers to incrementally port applications without full rewrites.[1] In 2023, Microsoft introduced the App Assure Arm Advisory Service to assist with compatibility issues and released the Windows Dev Kit 2023 (formerly Project Volterra), a developer device featuring an NPU for AI experimentation.[1] The ecosystem gained momentum in 2024 with the launch of Copilot+ PCs, powered by Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors, offering over 20 hours of battery life, up to 50% better single-core efficiency than comparable x86 systems, and on-device AI features like live captions and image generation—though the controversial Recall feature was paused due to privacy concerns.[3] Today, Windows on ARM emphasizes native app development for optimal performance and battery savings, with growing support from partners like Qualcomm and Adobe (e.g., native Photoshop for ARM).[1] Official Windows 11 Arm64 ISO images became publicly available in late 2024, simplifying installation on compatible hardware and signaling Microsoft's long-term commitment to the platform amid rising demand for efficient, AI-capable devices.[4] At CES 2025, Nvidia and MediaTek announced a partnership for new Arm-based PC chips, with launches delayed to 2026. In November 2025, Microsoft announced Windows 11 version 26H1 with optimized support for upcoming Arm chips from Nvidia and Qualcomm.[5][6] Challenges persist in full x86/x64 emulation efficiency and developer adoption, but the platform continues to evolve.Overview
Definition and Objectives
Windows on ARM refers to Microsoft's port of the Windows operating system to the ARM architecture, enabling the execution of native ARM64 (AArch64) applications on low-power processors while supporting 32-bit ARM32 compatibility and emulating unmodified x86 and x64 software for broad application compatibility.[1][7] This adaptation targets always-connected personal computers (PCs), leveraging the ARM instruction set to deliver desktop experiences on energy-efficient hardware traditionally dominant in mobile devices.[1] The architecture's prominence in mobile computing surged in the late 2000s, with ARM powering nearly every smartphone following Apple's adoption for the iPhone in 2007, due to its superior power efficiency compared to x86 alternatives.[8][9] Microsoft's motivations for developing Windows on ARM emerged in the post-PC era, driven by the need to transition Windows from power-hungry x86 systems to ARM's mobile-inspired design, thereby competing with ARM-based ecosystems like iOS and macOS while addressing the shift toward portable, connected computing.[10] Core objectives include minimizing power consumption to extend battery life, enabling slimmer and lighter device form factors, and broadening Windows deployment to edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios.[10][1] These goals support a unified Windows platform across diverse devices, with emulation layers ensuring legacy app support in a single sentence of reference. Key benefits feature enhanced efficiency for AI workloads via dedicated neural processing units, effortless connectivity with mobile peripherals for persistent internet access, and the foundation for seamless experiences spanning phone to PC form factors.[10][11]Key Milestones
The development of Windows on ARM began in the 2000s with precursors like Windows CE, a lightweight operating system designed for embedded devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), which Microsoft ported to ARM processors to leverage their low power consumption for mobile computing.[12] Windows Mobile, evolving from Windows CE, further experimented with ARM architecture on smartphones and pocket PCs, requiring at least an ARM-compatible processor and 64 MB of RAM to run core applications like Microsoft Office Mobile. In January 2011, Microsoft announced a partnership with ARM and chipmakers including Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments to bring the full Windows desktop experience to ARM-based systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), marking a shift toward supporting ARM for mainstream PCs beyond mobile devices.[13] This collaboration aimed to enable the next version of Windows—later known as Windows 8—to run natively on ARM hardware, with demonstrations at CES 2011 highlighting its potential for tablets and laptops.[13] Windows RT launched on October 26, 2012, alongside Windows 8, as Microsoft's first consumer-facing ARM edition restricted to ARM-native apps for optimized performance on low-power devices like the Surface RT tablet.[14] The release debuted with the Surface RT hardware, priced starting at $499 for the 32 GB model, emphasizing touch-first interfaces and battery life over full x86 compatibility.[15] A pivotal shift occurred in 2017 when Microsoft introduced Windows 10 on ARM, partnering with Qualcomm to support Snapdragon processors and x86 app emulation, enabling unmodified Win32 applications to run on ARM devices for broader compatibility.[16] The first devices, including laptops from HP, Lenovo, and Asus, launched in December 2017, promising all-day battery life and cellular connectivity through the Snapdragon 835 platform. Windows 11 extended ARM support from its launch in October 2021, building on Windows 10's foundation with enhanced native app compatibility and x64 emulation to target hybrid work scenarios and emerging AI features.[1] From 2024 onward, advancements accelerated with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series integration into Copilot+ PCs, delivering high-performance ARM computing with on-device AI processing via the NPU, as seen in over 60 designs entering production by early 2025.[17] Microsoft improved x86 app support through the Prism emulation engine in Windows 11 version 24H2, released in late 2024, which doubled performance over prior versions and added features like AVX2 instruction support in subsequent updates to enable more games and productivity apps.[18] In 2025, the ecosystem expanded with over 85 Snapdragon X-based PCs available by mid-year, the release of Windows 11 version 25H2 featuring further ARM optimizations, and announcements from Nvidia and MediaTek at CES and Computex for new ARM processors (e.g., N1X and GB10 Superchip) targeting Windows PCs, though launches delayed to 2026.[19][20][21][22]History
Early Development (Pre-2012)
Microsoft's early explorations into adapting Windows for ARM architecture began in the late 1990s with the development of Windows CE, a lightweight operating system kernel designed for embedded devices and handhelds.[23] Windows CE 2.0, released in 1998, included support for ARM processors alongside other architectures like MIPS, PowerPC, x86, and SH, enabling development for compact PC companion devices such as the Palm PC, a precursor to the Pocket PC.[23] This adaptation allowed ARM-based handhelds to run a subset of Windows applications, focusing on resource-constrained environments with features like voice and ink controls.[23] By the early 2000s, Windows CE continued to evolve with robust ARM compatibility, supporting both classic ARM and Thumb-2 instruction sets through a distinct application binary interface.[24] Building on this foundation, Windows Mobile, introduced in 2000 as a successor to Pocket PC software, provided comprehensive ARM support for smartphones and PDAs throughout the decade. Devices running Windows Mobile 2000 and later versions, such as Windows Mobile 5.0 released in 2005, required ARM-compatible processors like Intel XScale or Samsung and Texas Instruments variants, ensuring efficient performance on mobile hardware with at least 64 MB of RAM. The platform's user interface layers, characterized by touch-friendly navigation and today-style screens, laid groundwork for subsequent Microsoft mobile designs, influencing the tiled, gesture-based Metro UI introduced in Windows Phone 7 in 2010.[25] Windows Mobile's ARM-centric ecosystem dominated the period until 2010, powering millions of devices from manufacturers like HTC and Motorola.[26] In 2010–2011, Microsoft intensified research into porting the full Windows NT kernel to ARM through the MinWin project, which aimed to create a minimal, modular kernel by stripping non-essential components from the Windows core.[27] Known internally as Experiment 19, this effort began around 2008 but accelerated in 2010, resulting in prototypes that ran a ported NT kernel on ARM-based phones, including an ARM just-in-time compiler, CLR runtime, and Silverlight applications.[27] These prototypes, tested in collaboration with NVIDIA for drivers and firmware, demonstrated feasibility for low-power devices like netbooks, though they highlighted limitations on budget hardware.[27] A 2009 demo showcased the system's capabilities, paving the way for broader NT-based ARM integration.[27] Key partnerships formed during this period to advance ARM integration in Windows devices. In January 2011, Microsoft announced support for ARM-based system-on-a-chip architectures in the next Windows version, collaborating with NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments to develop SoCs like NVIDIA's Tegra 2, Qualcomm's Snapdragon QSD8250, and TI's OMAP3430.[13] These alliances focused on optimizing Windows for ARM's power efficiency in tablets and netbooks, with prototypes showcased at events like CES 2011.[13] A major challenge in these early developments was binary compatibility with the vast x86 software ecosystem, as ARM's instruction set prevented unmodified x86 applications from running natively.[28] This incompatibility necessitated a shift toward a curated app store model for ARM variants, limiting access to legacy desktop software and prioritizing new, native ARM apps to ensure stability and security.[29] Such issues underscored the trade-offs in pursuing ARM for full Windows, influencing decisions to isolate the ARM edition as a distinct, app-centric experience.[28]Windows RT Era (2012–2015)
Windows RT 8.0 marked Microsoft's initial commercial push for an ARM-based variant of its operating system, launching on October 26, 2012, alongside the company's first Surface tablet, the Surface RT.[30] This release was designed exclusively for low-power ARM processors, emphasizing portability and extended battery life in tablet form factors. The operating system featured a touch-optimized interface centered on the Metro UI (later rebranded as the Start screen), which prioritized full-screen apps and gesture-based navigation to align with mobile device usage patterns.[31] Bundled native ARM applications included essentials like Mail, Calendar, and SkyDrive (now OneDrive), along with a trial version of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013, providing basic productivity tools without requiring additional downloads.[31] A core design principle of Windows RT was its restriction to ARM-native applications distributed through the Microsoft Store, deliberately excluding support for traditional x86 desktop software to enhance security and optimize power efficiency.[30] This lockdown ensured all apps were digitally signed by Microsoft, reducing vulnerability to malware, while the ARM architecture's inherent low power consumption—exemplified by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor in devices like the Surface RT—promised superior battery life compared to Intel-based counterparts.[31] Hardware compatibility was limited to 32-bit ARMv7 processors such as the Tegra 3 or Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, with devices typically featuring 2 GB of RAM and 32-64 GB of storage, targeting tablets and convertibles under lightweight thermal envelopes.[30] Although a desktop mode was included for familiarity, it served primarily as a placeholder, running only the bundled Office suite and lacking broader software compatibility.[31] Despite these innovations, Windows RT struggled with market adoption due to a sparse app ecosystem, as developers hesitated to port existing x86 software to ARM amid uncertain demand.[32] Initial partners like Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and Asus released a handful of devices, such as the Dell XPS 10 and Asus VivoTab RT, but sales lagged as consumers found the inability to run legacy Windows applications confusing and limiting, compounded by a user interface that blended mobile and desktop elements without clear resolution.[32] By mid-2014, major manufacturers began abandoning the platform, shifting focus to Intel-based alternatives for better software compatibility.[32] Microsoft discontinued new Windows RT hardware production in early 2015, effectively ending the era, though limited support for existing devices like the Surface RT continued until January 2016 for Windows RT 8.0 and extended to 2023 for the 8.1 update.[32] The Windows RT period demonstrated the technical viability of running Windows on ARM hardware, establishing key architectural components like hardware abstraction layers and driver models that informed future iterations.[30] However, it underscored critical ecosystem challenges, including the need for robust app compatibility and developer incentives, which prompted Microsoft to pivot toward emulation-enabled approaches in subsequent ARM strategies.[30]Windows 10 on ARM Introduction (2017–2020)
Windows 10 on ARM marked a significant revival of Microsoft's efforts to bring its operating system to ARM architecture, building on lessons from the restrictive Windows RT era by incorporating x86 app emulation to broaden compatibility. Announced at Microsoft Build in May 2017, the platform was designed to run natively on 64-bit ARM processors, with the first devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 launching in December 2017 from manufacturers including HP, Lenovo, and Asus.[33][34] A key innovation was the inclusion of x86 emulation through the Windows on ARM runtime, allowing unmodified 32-bit x86 applications to run alongside native ARM64 apps, which addressed previous compatibility limitations that had hindered adoption.[35][36] This emulation layer enabled the full Windows desktop experience, including Win32 applications, while prioritizing battery efficiency and always-connected cellular capabilities inherent to ARM hardware. Available in Home, Pro, and Enterprise editions, Windows 10 on ARM supported standard Windows features tailored for mobile productivity, with Pro and Enterprise offering advanced security and management tools for business users. The platform targeted lightweight laptops and 2-in-1 devices, emphasizing up to 20 hours of battery life and gigabit LTE connectivity.[37] In 2018, Microsoft enhanced 32-bit x86 app support with performance optimizations in updates like the April 2018 Update (version 1803), improving emulation efficiency for broader app compatibility. By 2019, the introduction of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx processor enabled more powerful laptops, delivering better CPU and GPU performance for demanding tasks while maintaining ARM's power advantages. Microsoft deepened its partnership with Qualcomm to drive ecosystem growth, culminating in the October 2019 launch of the Surface Pro X as the flagship device featuring a custom Microsoft-designed SQ1 chip based on the Snapdragon 8cx architecture. Despite these advances, adoption faced challenges, including emulation overhead that caused performance lags—often 20-30% slower than native x86 hardware for emulated apps—and a limited selection of native ARM64 applications, which restricted the platform's appeal during this period.Windows 11 on ARM Evolution (2021–Present)
Windows 11, released on October 5, 2021, introduced native support for ARM64 processors, enabling unmodified x64 applications to run on ARM devices through enhanced emulation capabilities.[1] This version brought a redesigned user interface with a centered Start menu, rounded corners, and improved Snap layouts for multitasking, all optimized for ARM hardware to deliver a more fluid experience on devices like tablets and laptops.[38] In 2022, Microsoft launched ARM64EC, a new application binary interface (ABI) that allows developers to build mixed-mode applications combining native ARM64 code with emulated x64 components within the same process, reducing performance overhead and facilitating easier porting of legacy software.[39] This enhancement, supported in the Windows 11 SDK version 22000 updated on July 29, 2022, enabled faster development of hybrid apps, marking a significant step toward broader software compatibility on ARM platforms.[40] Emulation technology advanced further with the introduction of Prism in Windows 11 version 24H2, released in late 2024, which replaced prior x86 translation layers with a more efficient just-in-time compiler that translates x86/x64 instructions to ARM64 at runtime while caching results for improved speed.[18] A major update to Prism in October 2025 added support for AVX and AVX2 vector instructions, enhancing compatibility for complex applications like certain games and scientific software.[41] From 2024 onward, the adoption of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors powered the rollout of Copilot+ PCs, thin-and-light devices emphasizing on-device AI processing via dedicated NPUs capable of over 40 TOPS.[42] These systems integrated Windows 11 features such as Recall for timeline-based search, Live Captions for real-time translation, and Cocreator in Paint, all leveraging local AI to ensure privacy and efficiency without cloud dependency.[43] By mid-2025, devices like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite became flagship examples, demonstrating battery life exceeding 20 hours in mixed workloads. The software ecosystem expanded rapidly by 2025, with native ARM64 versions of key applications covering 90% of user activity time on Windows on ARM devices, including Google Chrome's full native support since its stable release in March 2024 and Microsoft Office suite's optimized ARM builds for Word, Excel, and Teams.[43][44] Other popular apps like Spotify, Slack, and Adobe Photoshop followed suit, reducing reliance on emulation and boosting overall system responsiveness.[45] Looking ahead, Microsoft has positioned ARM as the preferred architecture for new Windows PCs through initiatives like Copilot+, aiming to capture a growing share of the market amid competition from Intel and AMD's x86 dominance.[46] Efforts include partnerships with Qualcomm and explorations by AMD and Nvidia for ARM-based chips launching as early as 2025, potentially shifting up to 40% of PCs to ARM by the end of the decade while addressing power efficiency and AI performance gaps.[47][48]Technical Architecture
ARM Processor Integration
The Windows NT kernel has been ported to the ARM64 (AArch64) instruction set architecture, enabling native execution of core operating system components on ARM-based processors since the release of Windows 10 in 2017. This port involves recompiling the kernel and associated subsystems to leverage ARM64's register set, memory model, and exception handling mechanisms, while maintaining compatibility with the existing Windows driver and application ecosystems. The unified kernel design across architectures minimizes platform-specific code, allowing a single codebase to support x86, x64, ARM32, and ARM64 variants, which facilitates scalability from mobile devices to servers.[49][50] The driver model in Windows on ARM relies on the Universal Windows Drivers (UWD) framework, which has been adapted to support ARM64 peripherals through the Windows Driver Kit (WDK). This enables developers to create architecture-agnostic drivers using Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) and User-Mode Driver Framework (UMDF), with native ARM64 builds ensuring efficient interaction with hardware such as touchscreens via HID (Human Interface Device) protocols and cellular modems through the Mobile Broadband Interface Model (MBIM). The WDK version 10.0.26100 and later provides full support for building, testing, and deploying these drivers on ARM64 systems, including emulation for legacy x86 components during development.[51][52] The boot process on Windows on ARM mandates UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware support compliant with the ARM binding specification, facilitating secure initialization of ARM-based systems. This includes multiprocessor startup protocols for platforms lacking Power State Coordination Interface (PSCI), ensuring all cores are properly initialized during boot. Secure Boot is enforced as a core requirement, verifying boot images against a pre-provisioned Microsoft signature database and key exchange keys (KEK) to prevent unauthorized code execution from the firmware stage onward.[53][54] Power management in Windows on ARM integrates with the ARM big.LITTLE heterogeneous architecture, where the kernel scheduler dynamically scales cores by assigning performance-critical foreground tasks to high-power "big" cores and efficiency-focused background tasks to low-power "LITTLE" cores. This optimization, introduced in Windows 10, enhances battery life on mobile devices by leveraging thread priority and affinity mechanisms, such as SetThreadInformation for marking interactive threads. The system also supports advanced processor power states (C-states) and dynamic voltage/frequency scaling (DVFS) tailored to ARM hardware, balancing performance and energy efficiency.[49][55] Security features in Windows on ARM incorporate ARM TrustZone technology to support virtualization-based security (VBS), which isolates sensitive operations using a lightweight hypervisor. VBS creates isolated memory regions for features like Credential Guard and Device Guard, with ARM64's exception levels (EL0-EL3) enforcing separation between normal and secure worlds. Additionally, firmware-based TPM 2.0 (fTPM) implementations leverage TrustZone to provide virtual trusted platform modules (vTPMs) for secure key storage and attestation, enhancing boot integrity and runtime protection without dedicated hardware.[56][57]Emulation and Compatibility Layers
The emulation and compatibility layers in Windows on ARM enable the execution of legacy x86 and x64 applications on ARM64 processors by translating instructions from the source architecture to the native ARM64 instruction set.[18] Introduced with Windows 10 on ARM in 2017, the initial layer supported only 32-bit x86 emulation through binary translation, allowing unmodified Win32 applications to run without requiring native recompilation.[18] This system, part of the broader Windows on ARM runtime, mapped x86 instructions to equivalent ARM64 operations at runtime, facilitating compatibility for a wide range of desktop software during the platform's early adoption phase.[58] x64 emulation was introduced with Windows 11 in 2021. Advancements in 2024 with Windows 11 version 24H2 brought the Prism emulator, providing an improved just-in-time (JIT) compilation implementation for x86 and x64 applications.[18] Prism dynamically compiles blocks of x86 or x86-64 code into optimized ARM64 equivalents, caching translations for repeated execution to minimize recomputation and improve efficiency on Snapdragon processors.[59] This JIT-based approach handles complex instruction mapping, such as converting x86-64's variable-length instructions to ARM64's fixed-length format, while incorporating optimizations like loop unrolling and dead code elimination. The emulation layer introduces performance overhead compared to native ARM64 execution, depending on the application's workload and complexity, though Prism reduces this compared to prior implementations.[60] In October 2025, emulation support was extended to AVX and AVX2 instructions, enhancing compatibility for games and applications using vector instructions.[41] For applications requiring a mix of native and emulated code, the ARM64EC (Emulation Compatible) application binary interface provides hybrid support.[61] ARM64EC allows developers to compile portions of an app natively for ARM64 while running other modules—such as legacy libraries or plugins—under x86-64 emulation within the same process, using thunks to bridge calls between architectures and maintain interoperability.[39] This enables incremental porting of complex software, where critical performance paths run natively on the ARM64 kernel while preserving compatibility for x86-specific components.[61] Despite these capabilities, emulation has notable limitations, particularly for kernel-mode components and security-sensitive software. x86-specific drivers cannot be emulated and must be recompiled for ARM64, as the layer operates solely in user mode.[18] Similarly, anti-cheat software in games often fails due to its reliance on direct hardware detection or x86 kernel interactions, which detect the emulated environment and block execution to prevent tampering, though recent updates have improved overall gaming compatibility.[11] These constraints highlight the need for native ARM64 adaptations in driver-dependent or high-security scenarios.[62]App Execution Models
Windows on ARM supports multiple app execution models to balance performance, compatibility, and developer accessibility. Native ARM64 applications deliver the highest efficiency by running directly on the processor without translation overhead, while emulated execution enables legacy software to function through compatibility layers. Hybrid approaches like Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) further expand options, allowing cross-architecture deployment and web-based alternatives. These models collectively address the ecosystem's evolution from limited native support to broader interoperability. Native ARM64 apps are compiled specifically for the ARM architecture, providing optimal performance, lower power consumption, and faster responsiveness compared to emulated alternatives.[1] Examples include Microsoft Edge, which leverages native execution for efficient browsing, and Visual Studio, enabling developers to build and debug ARM-targeted software directly on ARM devices.[1] These apps are typically developed using languages like C/C++, .NET, or Java, ensuring seamless integration with the Windows kernel and hardware features.[1] The Universal Windows Platform (UWP) facilitates cross-architecture app distribution through MSIX packaging, where developers can include binaries for multiple processor types, including ARM64.[63] Upon installation from the Microsoft Store, the system automatically selects and deploys the native ARM64 version if available, running it without emulation for superior efficiency; otherwise, it falls back to compatible architectures.[63] This model promotes portability across x86, x64, and ARM devices while prioritizing native performance on ARM hardware.[64] Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) serve as lightweight, browser-hosted alternatives that execute natively on ARM64 processors using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.[64] PWAs bypass traditional app store dependencies and emulation needs, offering quick installation and offline capabilities to fill gaps in native desktop software availability.[64] They integrate with the operating system via the Edge browser, providing app-like experiences such as notifications and file access without architecture-specific recompilation.[64] For legacy support, unmodified x86 apps run via emulation on Windows 10 on ARM, while Windows 11 extends this to x64 apps through emulation layers, with Prism in version 24H2 improving performance.[18] Microsoft provides guidelines for developers to migrate emulated apps to native ARM64, recommending incremental approaches like Arm64EC, which allows mixing native ARM code with emulated x64 components in a single binary for gradual optimization.[1] This hybrid ABI ensures interoperability while reducing performance penalties over full emulation.[65] App execution flow begins with the system examining the app's manifest—typically in MSIX or executable metadata—to identify supported architectures against the device's ARM64 processor.[63] If a native ARM64 binary matches, it loads directly for execution; mismatched architectures trigger emulation routing, with the compatibility layer translating instructions on-the-fly.[63] This automated process minimizes user intervention while directing apps to the most efficient path available.[18]Hardware Ecosystem
Supported Processors
Windows on ARM primarily supports processors from Qualcomm's Snapdragon series, which have been the cornerstone of the platform since its inception. The Snapdragon 835, introduced in 2017, marked the debut of full Windows 10 on ARM devices, featuring an octa-core Kryo 280 CPU based on ARMv8-A architecture with a maximum clock speed of 2.45 GHz and integrated Adreno 540 GPU.[66] Subsequent iterations expanded this lineup, with the Snapdragon 8cx launched in 2019 as Qualcomm's first PC-optimized SoC, incorporating an octa-core Kryo 495 CPU (up to 2.84 GHz), Adreno 680 GPU, and support for up to 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM to enable always-connected laptops. By 2024, the Snapdragon X Elite represented a significant advancement, utilizing Qualcomm's custom Oryon CPU cores in configurations up to 12 cores with a base clock of 3.4 GHz and boost up to 4.2 GHz, paired with an Adreno GPU delivering up to 4.6 TFLOPS and a Hexagon NPU for AI acceleration.[67] At CES 2025, Qualcomm announced a new entry-level Snapdragon X processor targeting affordable AI PCs starting at $600. Microsoft officially certifies a range of these processors for Windows 11 compatibility, including the Snapdragon 850, 7c series (7c, 7c Gen 2, 7c+ Gen 3), 8c, 8cx series (8cx, 8cx Gen 2, 8cx Gen 3), and custom SQ variants (SQ1, SQ2, SQ3), ensuring they meet security, performance, and driver standards.[68]| Processor Series | Key Models | Core Configuration | Max Clock Speed | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 800 | 835 (2017) | 8x Kryo 280 (ARMv8-A) | 2.45 GHz | First full Windows 10 ARM SoC; Adreno 540 GPU |
| Snapdragon 8cx | 8cx (2019), Gen 2, Gen 3 | 8x Kryo 495/585 | Up to 3.0 GHz | PC-focused; 5G modem integration; up to 16 GB RAM support |
| Snapdragon X | X Elite (2024) | Up to 12x Oryon (ARMv8.7-A) | 4.2 GHz boost | Custom cores; 45 TOPS NPU; LPDDR5X memory |