Graphics processing unit (GPU) giant, Nvidia has plans to encroach upon Intel’s stronghold – the Windows PC CPUs – with its custom-designed ARM-based chips, a report indicates. A couple of insiders privy to the matter have disclosed to Reuters that these designs are already underway. Additionally, whispers suggest that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), another contender in the x86 territory, is contemplating creating PC chips using ARM technology.
According to one source, these ARM-based PC chips by Nvidia and AMD could hit the market as early as 2025. Moreover, there are rumors that Microsoft executives, impressed by the effectiveness of Apple’s ARM-based chips, especially in artificial intelligence (AI) processing, are seeking a similar edge.
Microsoft is said to have made an exclusive agreement with Qualcomm for the development of Windows-compatible chips. Scheduled to last till 2024, Microsoft seems intent on scouting for more potential players in the market once the exclusivity with Qualcomm extinguishes.
“They don’t want to be dependent on Intel again, they don’t want to be dependent on a single vendor. If Arm really took off in PC (chips), they were never going to let Qualcomm be the sole supplier,” conveyed Jay Goldberg, Chief Executive of D2D Advisory, providing an insight into Microsoft’s strategic disposition.
There are suggestions that Nvidia’s venture might prove successful given the parallel performance Apple’s M-series chips have shown in comparison to Intel’s PC chips. Nvidia, primarily a GPU producer for gaming PCs, invariably could meet the rising processing requirements in AI and crypto markets with these new chips. Although this might present some compatibility issues to be addressed.
It seems like a reversal of fortunes for Intel who attempted to create x86 chipsets for mobile devices, but didn’t taste much success.
Saddled with a checkered past, Nvidia had set out to acquire ARM from the Japanese powerhouse, Softbank in 2020. Regulators, however, put a spanner in the works, prompting Nvidia to abandon the bid in2022, forsaking a non-refundable deposit of $1.25 billion.
A question hangs in the air regarding Nvidia’s intentions – was the takeover bid for ARM a strategic move to venture into ARM-based PC CPUs, or is this an entirely fresh aspiration? Regardless, the recent churn in the PC CPU space, where Intel has held the lion’s share for ages, indicates the likelihood of upcoming disruption. It seems like the stage is set for some riveting action in this industry. Stay paired with us for the latest news and developments in the field.
