Highlights –

  • The arm-based Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 system-on-chip from Qualcomm Inc. is part of the upcoming Windows Dev Kit 2023.
  • Microsoft claims that the version of .NET that will be included in the Windows Dev Kit in 2023 has several new features, including several performance enhancements.

Microsoft Corp. introduced the Windows Dev Kit 2023, a new personal computer for programmers that includes a processor based on Arm Ltd. chip designs.

The device is designed to give developers a platform to write software for Arm-based systems. A few hardware manufacturers have recently released Windows desktops with Arm-based processors. Moreover, many cloud instances and data center systems are powered by the chip design company’s semiconductor blueprints.

The arm-based Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 system-on-chip from Qualcomm Inc. is part of the upcoming Windows Dev Kit 2023. A processor that integrates numerous computing modules into a single unit is known as a system-on-chip.

According to Qualcomm Inc., the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3’s includes a CPU and offers up to 85% more performance than its previous generation silicon. The CPU is integrated with a graphics processing unit, which is said to be 60% faster than its predecessor. Qualcomm has developed a cybersecurity module for businesses that help guard against hacking attempts and protect data like encryption keys.

The Windows Dev Kit 2023 merges the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chip with 32 GB of memory and 512 GB of high-speed NVME flash storage. Microsoft claims the device also has a neural processing unit designed to run artificial intelligence software. According to the company, the device can process some neural networks 90 times quicker than a CPU.

Microsoft execs Pavan Davuluri and Kevin Gallo said in a blog post that “Windows Dev Kit 2023 enables developers to build apps that unlock the power of the NPU hardware to accelerate AI/ML workloads delivering AI-enhanced features and amp; experiences without compromising app performance”.

The Windows Dev Kit 2023’s chassis features an Ethernet port, five USB ports, and a Mini DisplayPort that may be used to link the device to a display. The most recent Wi-Fi wireless networking protocol, Wi-Fi 6, is also supported by the device. Compared to earlier-generation technologies, the standard enables network connections up to three times faster.

Windows Dev Kit 2023 users can access Arm-compatible versions of Microsoft’s core productivity apps and more than a dozen third-party programs. The machine can also run several well-known software development tools.

The Windows Dev Kit 2023 supports Visual Studio 2022 17.4, a new arm-optimized version of Microsoft’s popular integrated development environment. Developers use the software to write code and carry out various related tasks.

Microsoft states that the widely used C and C# programming languages are supported by Visual Studio 2022 17.4. The software enables the creation of web apps, Windows, and cloud services that use the Node.js application development platform.

Microsoft is also making a version of its .NET framework available on the Windows Dev Kit 2023. The framework, which is well-known in the business world, may be used to create software for various hardware, including servers and desktop computers. Microsoft claims that the version of .NET that will be included in the Windows Dev Kit in 2023 has several new features, including several performance enhancements.