Nvidia and AMD to make ARM PC chips in 2025

Nvidia and AMD will enter the ARM-based PC chip market in 2025, a report claims. This could provide some competition for Intel and Apple.

Currently, only one company makes ARM-based chips which supports Microsoft's Windows, and that is Qualcomm. The San Diego company has been selling the SoCs for laptops since 2016. Microsoft had an exclusivity arrangement with Qualcomm to develop Windows-compatible chips based on the ARM architecture, but this deal runs out in 2024.

According to Jay Goldberg, chief executive of D2D Advisory, Microsoft had never planned to let Qualcomm be the sole supplier of ARM chips, as the Redmond company had done earlier in the 90s with Intel. Microsoft wanted other manufacturers to enter the market when the exclusivity agreement for Windows on ARM (WOA) devices with Qualcomm ends.

Nvidia and AMD to sell ARM PC chips in 2025

A report by Reuters quotes people familiar with the matter as saying that Nvidia has been designing ARM-based CPUs that will run Windows 11. This is not surprising, as earlier this year, MediaTek and Nvidia were said to be collaborating on designing mobile and Windows ARM chipsets. Nvidia has plenty of experience with ARM, which it used for its Tegra lineup, which was equipped in the Microsoft Surface RT, though it was criticized for being underpowered. Even the Nintendo Switch is powered by an Nvidia Tegra X1 with 4 ARM Cortex Cores. It is worth noting that Nvidia had even tried to buy ARM Holdings for $40 Billion from SoftBank Group last year, but the acquisition failed due to regulatory hurdles.

AMD has decades of experience in the CPU industry, and the American mogul wants to expand its reach by making ARM-based chips for Windows PCs. Microsoft has urged chipmakers to focus their efforts on building advanced AI features in their CPUs, for example to support apps like Copilot. So, we can expect the ARM-based PC chips from AMD and Nvidia to come with AI capabilities. This will help Windows computers compete with Macs that are powered by Apple Silicon, which are known for delivering stellar performance and efficient battery life. Apple chips are also based on the ARM architecture, and support AI processing. Intel on the other hand has failed to achieve the performance levels with its x86-based chips, so it would be interesting to see how things head with the new chips from AMD and Nvidia. Still, a lot of things can change over two years, when the new processors will be available in the market.

Apple may have faced poor Mac sales recently, but according to a according to preliminary third-quarter data from research firm IDC, the company has managed to double its market share in the last 3 years, after ditching Intel chips in favor of its in-house ARM-based Apple Silicon SoCs.

Qualcomm is hosting its Snapdragon Summit today, where it is expected to announce its latest flagship mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Microsoft's executives will also attend the event, including Pavan Davuluri, the Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices, who recently took over the reins from Panos Panay. Reuters says that spokespersons for Nvidia, AMD, ARM and Microsoft declined to comment.

Nvidia has dominated the GPU market, but can it become the next big name in the CPU industry?

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