We have recently seen the launch of a number of different Windows laptops from the likes of Microsoft, ASUS, Lenovo, Dell and HP.

No this is not unusual of course, but what sets these apart is their use of ARM processors from Qualcomm—, specifically the Snapdragon X processor.

The Architecture Difference

Now you might ask yourself why does this matter? Well, that’s a fair question and the answer is quite complex.  The chips from Intel and AMD that we are used to using are what’s referred to as x86 chips, this means they use the same basic architecture as the original 8086 processor that Intel launched back in 1978.

x86 vs. ARM

x86 Chips: These processors follow the Complex Instruction Set Computers (CISC) architecture, executing one instruction at a time. While they offer fast performance, they consume more power and generate heat.

ARM Processors: ARM chips use a Reduced Instruction Set Computers (RISC) configuration. They run more efficiently, consume less power, and generate less heat.

Compatibility Challenges

Software Gap: 

The problem is that Windows (and subsequently all the programs that run on windows) are designed to run on the older x86 architecture that will not work with an ARM processor, so to make it work Microsoft have released a version of windows 11 that is designed to run on ARM devices which is great, the only problem is that while Windows now runs on ARM processors and to the user looks and feels just like the x86 version all the programs that you use on windows will not work.

Solutions

There are 2 ways of getting round this issue:

1. Native ARM Software:

Developers of  software can release a version if the software for the ARM version of windows.  This would be the ideal solution as it allows the software to fully take advantage of the ARM hardware.

2. Emulation:

This means is fooling the software into thinking its running on x86 even when its running on ARM, Micosoft have developed an emulator (called Prism) that is baked into the ARM version of windows and allows you to run the x86 version of programs, now as of the time of writing this emulation layer is by no means perfect, it works for the majority of software but certain categories of software have differing results, for example most productivity software will be fine but things like games and anything that uses graphics acceleration will be less likely to work.

Why Choose ARM-Based Computers?

Efficiency boost

The answer really comes down to efficiency, because of the way these processors work a laptop with one will get significantly better battery life, for example some of the testing we have seen shows an ARM based laptop running under load for in excess of 16 hours, compared to a similar laptop running an x86 processor would be lucky to get 6 hours without needing to run to the wall.

Apple Mac users experienced similar gains when Apple transitioned from Intel processors to Apple designed chips (Which are ARM based).  When Apple moved to ARM processors there was also a crossover where apps would need to be emulated to run just like Microsoft are seeing now.  The crossover for Apple took around 3 years and it is likely to be a similar timescale for Windows to become less of an issue with it.

AI Potential:

Now x86 windows is not going anywhere for the time being but as AI becomes more abundant, ARM will gain in popularity as it excels in handling AI workloads.