ARM’s Cortex X2 is part of its effort to expand into higher power and performance segments. Implemented in the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the Cortex X2 features a single core alongside other Cortex A-series cores. It has an expanded envelope for power and area, delivering ultimate peak performance. The Cortex X2 has a wider pipeline, more execution units, and a more capable branch predictor compared to previous ARM cores. It also has an enlarged frontend and can sustain over four instructions per cycle. In terms of memory execution, the Cortex X2 has a two-level TLB setup and a triple-level cache hierarchy. It offers decent L1D and L2 bandwidth and has a good memory bandwidth. Overall, the Cortex X2 competes well in terms of performance, especially in scalar or 128-bit vector operations. However, it falls behind in resolving memory dependencies compared to other CPUs like Zen 4.
https://chipsandcheese.com/2023/10/27/cortex-x2-arm-aims-high/