Qualcomm Snapdragon C: Full Specs for $300 Laptops Revealed

Qualcomm first teased the Snapdragon C back in May, but the chip’s actual specifications stayed vague — until now. The company has finally detailed the silicon behind its push into $300 laptops, and it’s making bold claims against Intel’s budget-segment chip in the process.

What’s Inside the Snapdragon C

The chip is an 8-core Qualcomm Kryo CPU, built on the same mobile-derived architecture that’s powered Qualcomm’s phone chips for years — a deliberate choice over the custom Oryon cores used in the premium Snapdragon X series. It’s a clear signal of intent: this isn’t a stripped-down flagship chip, it’s mobile-grade efficiency purpose-built for the entry-level PC market.

For more on how chipmakers are targeting different price tiers this year, check our laptop and PC hardware coverage.

The Battery Life Claims

Qualcomm’s real pitch here isn’t raw speed — it’s efficiency. Testing the Snapdragon C (in an 8GB reference design) against an Acer TravelMate running Intel’s N250 with the same 8GB of RAM, Qualcomm claims:

Notably, Qualcomm has only shared battery-based comparisons so far — how the chip performs while plugged into AC power remains unclear, which is worth keeping in mind before assuming these gains carry over to raw performance benchmarks.

No Copilot+ Features Here

One important caveat: the Snapdragon C’s NPU doesn’t meet Microsoft’s 40 TOPS threshold for Copilot+ PC certification, meaning features like Recall and Cocreator won’t be available on these devices. Qualcomm has been upfront about this, positioning the Snapdragon C as a chip for simple, everyday tasks rather than on-device AI workloads. Full technical details are available via Qualcomm’s official Snapdragon C page.

Who’s Building These Laptops

Qualcomm has confirmed partnerships with HP, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo. Acer has already shown off the first device — the Aspire Go 15, packing 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 15.6-inch FHD display — though pricing and release timing remain unconfirmed for now.

Timing Amid a Memory Crunch

This launch lands at an unusual moment: DRAM and NAND prices are climbing industry-wide, making even entry-level laptops more expensive to build. Qualcomm targeting the sub-$300 segment despite that pressure suggests real confidence in the Kryo-based platform’s cost efficiency — something we’ve also seen play out across budget smartphone pricing this year.

What’s Next

With OEM partners lined up and Acer’s device already teased, expect Snapdragon C laptops to start reaching shelves later in 2026. Keep following our laptop launches section for pricing and availability as these devices go official.