Leaked benchmarks for new Microsoft Windows 10 laptops show meager performance

Microsoft is set to unveil a new range of Windows 10 laptops built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, based on an early benchmark test that’s been leaked on the internet, their performance may be somewhat underwhelming.

Microsoft and Qualcomm have both pledged that this processor will offer multiday battery life without any negative effect on performance, according to a report from MS Power User. The stats, however, paint a very different picture.

A comparison on Geekbench between a Qualcomm processor labeled the CLS and an Intel Core i3 gives the CLS a single-core score of 1,202, while the Core i3 blows it out of the water with a score of 3,692. When it comes to multicore results, the i3 dominates once again, outscoring the CLS 11,860 to 4,068.

The Snapdragon’s performance also disappoints when compared to Android devices that take advantage of the 835 processor, which tend to score around 2,200 by single-core metrics and about 7,700 for multicore.

It is possible that Microsoft simply needs to carry out some last-minute optimization work before the hardware is ready for release. These tests are dated November 1, and given that the laptops haven’t been officially unveiled just yet, there is time for this to take place.

There’s also a chance that these tests might not be utilizing the second run caching that the ARM emulator is capable of. This should make the hardware able to run apps much faster the second time that they are launched when compared to the first.

Of course, there’s also a much more troubling scenario – Windows 10 might just run significantly slower on ARM hardware as a result of the limitations enforced by the necessary emulation, and the overhead required for the operating system itself. If these tests are indicative of the performance we can expect from these laptops, it’s difficult to imagine how they could contribute much to the Windows ecosystem.

We won’t know for sure how well Windows 10 performs on the Snapdragon 835 processor until third-party benchmarkers get their hands on the hardware and are able to put it through its paces. Microsoft is set to lift the lid on the range of laptops soon.

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