Why it matters: Microsoft’s unveiling of the Arm-based Copilot+ PCs from the company and other vendors focused on consumer laptops, but Qualcomm is packing the same hardware into a mini desktop to help developers start building native Arm Windows software. The box features the highest-grade Snapdragon hardware configuration with plenty of ports at a relatively affordable price.
Developers interested in working on the Arm version of Windows who don’t need the expensive displays featured in the newly announced Snapdragon laptops now have an alternative option from Qualcomm. The company’s Windows Snapdragon dev kit offers a testing environment in a compact desktop chassis.
The 8 x 7 x 1.3-inch mini PC includes hardware equivalent to the high-end options from the selections Microsoft, Dell, and other vendors recently introduced. It features the Snapdragon X Elite SoC with a 3.8 GHz 32-core Oryon CPU, 42 MB of cache, a 4.6 TFLOP Adreno GPU, and a Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 45 TOPS.
It also supports Wi-Fi 7 and includes 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The dev kit’s sole disadvantage compared to some of the consumer laptops regarding specs is that it offers only 512 GB of storage, whereas some of the laptops feature 1 TB. The desktop’s main performance advantage will likely stem from the fact that it won’t depend on a battery, as its AC adapter affords it 180W.
The device’s high number of outputs allows developers to connect up to four 4K displays. It includes three USB 4 Type-C ports, two USB 3.2 Type-A connections, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an ethernet port.
Pricing information isn’t available on the public website, but reports indicate it will cost $899 when it begins shipping on June 18, hundreds of dollars less than equivalent hardware from Microsoft, Dell, or Lenovo. Ordering a Snapdragon dev kit requires signing up on Qualcomm’s website, signifying that the product is only for developers.
Most of the conversation surrounding Arm-based computers with NPUs has focused on laptops and tablets like the new Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft’s Surface products, MacBooks, and iPads. The most prominent desktop in the new Arm race is the $7,000 M2 Ultra-powered Mac Pro. It’s unclear when Qualcomm or another company might start developing desktop-oriented Arm hardware, but upcoming x86 CPU lineups from Intel and AMD will bring powerful NPUs to the sector.
