Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 Compute Platform Brings 5G, Wi-Fi 6E to Entry-Level Laptops

Last Updated on December 3, 2021 by Anu Joy

Qualcomm held its Tech Summit 2021 in Hawaii recently to announce its latest Snapdragon mobile platforms and computer platforms. Alongside its latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 flagship mobile processor, the company announced the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 computer platforms. These will be the successors to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 and Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 respectively.

The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 platform is essentially built to power the budget category of ultra-slim and fanless Windows-powered laptops and Chromebooks. Qualcomm promises that its Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 will deliver more performance and lower battery consumption in laptops compared to its previous iteration.

Qualcomm has been facing fierce competition from its arch-nemesis, MediaTek, in the mobile chipset market lately. MediaTek also expressed its interest in making an ARM-based chipset for the Windows platform, which is an area currently dominated by Qualcomm. The US-based semiconductor company is sensing the storm coming. Hence, Qualcomm has introduced these newly refreshed computer chipsets in a bid to stay ahead of its competition and maintain its position as a primary partner with Microsoft.

Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 Features, Specifications

The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 is built on the 6-nanometer fabrication process as opposed to the 8nm process of its predecessor, the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2. Qualcomm promises that its Kryo based cores will deliver 60 percent more performance in multi-threaded and 30 percent more in single-threaded tasks when compared to its predecessor. Its Adreno GPU also gets a 70 percent GPU boost to handle graphic-intensive tasks like video editing and gaming. The chipset will be able to run Windows 11 OS and will support Full HD+ displays. It will come with embedded UFS 2.1 memory and offer support for eMMC and NVMe SSD memory. The chipset will also support LPDDR4x or LPDDR5 RAMs.

The Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 will come with 5G connectivity and mmWave support along with features such as Qualcomm Smart Transmit technology, Qualcomm Wideband Envelope Tracking, Qualcomm AI-Enhanced Signal Boost adaptive antenna tuning, and Qualcomm 5G PowerSave. It will support Wi-Fi 6E with sub-6GHz for reliable Wi-Fi connectivity with supported devices and routers.

In the photography department, this chipset supports 64MP single camera and 22MP sensors in triple camera configuration. It promises an immersive audiovisual experience with its 4K HDR capability, Hi-Fi Audio and virtual surround sound. Additionally, it comes with certain features like AI accelerated Echo-cancellation and noise suppression (ECNS) that can filter out noises to deliver a clear sound.

Lastly, the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 comes with improved security features to help keep your data secured. It comes with 5G support, hence eliminating the need for public Wi-Fi for your internet needs. Qualcomm has enabled the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 to support Microsoft Secured-core PCs by integrating security features in its hardware.

Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 Powered Laptops Availability

Expect entry-level Windows 11 laptops and Chromebooks powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 to launch in Q1 of 2022. If priced right, this chipset could be the first choice for brands such as Asus, HP, Acer, Dell etc. However, going by the prices of the laptops powered by the older Snapdragon 7c gen 2 chipset, expect the prices of these laptops to start from upwards of $350 in the US. The chances of getting laptops powered by this chipset in India are very slim though.