January 10, 2026
GPU glow-up or driver meltdown?
Diving into Qualcomm's Upcoming Adreno X2 GPU with Eric Demers
Qualcomm’s new graphics chip sparks Linux fears and a surprise leadership exit
TLDR: Qualcomm teased the Adreno X2: faster, more efficient, with big on‑chip memory and broad software plans. Commenters loved the specs but slammed Qualcomm over open-source driver doubts and Linux fears, then gasped when the GPU lead reportedly left—stirring worries about timelines, support, and whether this power translates into reality.
Qualcomm showed off its Adreno X2 graphics chip, promising more speed without the battery burn and a chunk of on‑chip “High‑Performance Memory” that can hold a full 2K screen so the chip doesn’t have to keep running to external memory. Translation: faster visuals, less wasted power. They also pledged Windows DirectX 12 Ultimate, native Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0, and SYCL in early 2026—a buffet of software interfaces for games and compute. But the community immediately turned this launch into a comment‑section cage match. The top worry: drivers. “Fully open source? Unlikely,” sighed one skeptic, while another nervously chanted “It’ll work on Linux… Right? Right?” The vibe: specs are cute, but if the software that makes the chip actually usable is locked down or flaky, the party’s over before it starts. A spicier side thread mused that if there were a thriving open interface for AI chips (TPUs), Nvidia’s grip might wobble—cue popcorn. Then the plot twist: shortly after the interview, Qualcomm’s long‑time GPU lead Eric Demers reportedly left, sending the chat into soap‑opera mode. Optimists say the X2’s on‑chip memory is a real battery‑saver and the feature list is strong; cynics counter with memes like “Soon™” for SYCL and zingers about Qualcomm being better at lawyering than software. Drama level: high, expectations: cautiously chaotic.
Key Points
- •Qualcomm discussed its upcoming Adreno X2 GPU at its first architecture day in San Diego, led by GPU team head Eric Demers.
- •X2 targets noticeably higher performance than X1 with only a modest increase in power, emphasizing power efficiency.
- •The X2 GPU will support DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, native Vulkan 1.4, and native OpenCL 3.0; SYCL support is planned for Q1 2026.
- •A new High-Performance Memory (HPM) on-chip SRAM enables full-surface on-die rendering, reducing DRAM bandwidth and improving performance per watt.
- •The X2 Extreme Edition can render QHD+/1600p (2K) surfaces entirely on die; the X2-90 model includes 21 MB of HPM.