This blog post was originally published at Qualcomm’s website. It is reprinted here with the permission of Qualcomm.
A new generation of AI apps for Windows powered by the 45 TOPS NPU in Snapdragon X Elite
Get ready to turbo-charge your productivity and creativity this summer, when Windows gets enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered applications (apps) running directly on your laptop unlock transformative user experiences that will revolutionize creative workflows, immersive collaboration, accessibility and security. They are coming to Windows and they are going to wow you.
In order to run AI on-device, you’ll need a powerful AI processor, also known as a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The Snapdragon X Elite Platform debuts the world’s fastest NPU for laptops, which can deliver up to 45 trillions of operations per second (TOPS). TOPS is a preferred metric of performance for running AI neural networks.
The NPU’s architecture is designed to run modern neural networks fast and efficiently, freeing the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) to run their traditional workloads. The 45 TOPS NPU is so fast you can run multiple neural networks simultaneously.
This means, you can run multiple AI apps at the same time without taking hits to the system performance or battery life — a breakthrough that enables developers to run AI directly on the laptop, instead of the cloud.
Here’s a look at some of the latest AI apps for Windows that provide a breath of experiences, and all harness the 45 TOPS NPU in Snapdragon X Elite and Plus.
Algoriddim‘s djay Pro
Algoriddim’s djay Pro is an award-winning DJ software that allows users to mix their favorite music right from their laptop with professional-grade tools. Their Neural Mix technology enables DJs to play and remix individual elements from multiple tracks by separating the music into its original components in real-time. Instantly isolate drums, instruments and vocals of any song based on cutting-edge AI running on the integrated NPU in Snapdragon X Elite.
Key benefits of running djay Pro on Snapdragon X Elite:
- Algoriddim has recompiled djay Pro to be Arm-compatible so it runs natively on the CPU within Snapdragon X Elite for maximum CPU performance and power efficiency.
- Algoriddim popular AI Neural Mix feature has been enhanced with neural networks that are two times larger — requiring a powerful NPU — which is why it’s only available on Snapdragon X Elite for Windows PCs. This yields instant music separation, and significantly more accurate and higher quality results when using the Neural Mix feature.
- Algoriddim moved the neural networks from the CPU to the NPU within Snapdragon X Elite; this resulted in the neural networks running five times faster.
Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is the world’s only solution that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and audio postproduction all in one software tool. It uses neural networks for video editing features, including Super Resolution, Smart Reframe and Magic Mask.
Key benefits of running DaVinci Resolve on Snapdragon X Elite:
- Blackmagic Design recompiled DaVinci Resolve to be Arm-compatible so it runs native on the CPU within Snapdragon X Elite for maximum CPU performance and power efficiency.
- DaVinci Resolve fully uses the power of Snapdragon X Elite: NPU for AI features like Magic Mask to deliver up to three times performance boost over competitive integrated GPUs.
Bytedance’s CapCut
Bytedance’s CapCut is an easy-to-use video editing app to create more engaging videos for social media and more. Their Auto Cutout feature allows you to segment people and objects out of a video, so you can place them on different backgrounds.
Key benefits of running CapCut on Snapdragon X Elite:
- Bytedance has recompiled CapCut so it runs natively on the Snapdragon X Elite to optimize performance and power efficiency.
- Bytedance moved the neural network powering Auto Cut from the CPU to the NPU within Snapdragon X Elite — it now runs five times faster.
Cephable
The Cephable app uses neural networks for audio recognition, facial expression recognition and head movement tracking to control Windows and Windows Apps. It enables users to control these apps through voice, face and motion for a more accessible digital experience.
Key benefits of running Cephable on Snapdragon X Elite:
- Cephable recompiled their app to be Arm-compatible so it runs native on the CPU within Snapdragon X Elite for maximum CPU performance and power efficiency.
- Cephable moved the neural networks from the CPU to the NPU, resulting in 10 times faster performance.
- By moving Cephable neural networks to the NPU, Snapdragon X Elite experiences less CPU and GPU utilization compared to an Apple M3 in an Apple MacBook Pro and an NVIDIA 3070 Ti discrete graphics card in an Intel PC. The fast inferencing speeds are needed to maintain facial detection at 30 frames per second. And since the NPU is processing the gestures, it allows CPU and GPU to stay busy with their traditional tasks.
- Cephable neural networks running on our NPU delivered inferencing speeds that were faster than an Apple M3 in an Apple Macbook Pro and faster than an NVIDIA 3070 Ti discrete graphics card in an Intel PC.
Luminar Neo
Luminar Neo is a simple-to-use photo editing app that allows you to effortlessly enhance your photos with cutting-edge AI technology. The AI capabilities within Luminar Neo operate directly on the local device, leveraging 45 different neural models to ensure the seamless execution of tasks.
Key benefits of running Luminar Neo on Snapdragon X Elite:
- Luminar Neo was compiled to be Arm-compatible so it runs natively on the CPU within Snapdragon X Elite for maximum CPU performance and power efficiency.
- The performance speed of Luminar Neo is crucial to the user experience — the app needs to stay snappy and responsive while doing a lot of robust image analysis and AI-powered effects.
- Luminar Neo moved the 20 neural networks required for Upscale AI and Supersharp AI, computationally “heavy” models, from the CPU to the NPU within Snapdragon X Elite.
- It showcases the remarkable speed enhancements facilitated by NPUs, with features like Supersharp AI and Upscape AI running over 190 times faster.
McAfee
McAfee Deepfake Detector utilizes advanced AI detection models to identify AI-generated audio within videos, helping people understand their digital world and assess the authenticity of content.
The new generation of AI apps for Windows, powered by the 45 TOPS NPU in Snapdragon X Elite, is set to revolutionize user experiences. By running AI directly on the laptop, these apps unlock a range of capabilities, from music generation to accessibility tools. The Snapdragon X Elite’s impressive speed allows for running multiple neural networks simultaneously without compromising performance or battery life. Get ready to be amazed by the new possibilities that AI apps on Windows can offer.
Learn more about Snapdragon X Elite
Rami Husseini
Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
