Nvidia could enter the AI PC market in 2025 with its own Arm-based CPU
A "consumer" launch in September, followed by a "commercial" launch in March 2026
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Rumor mill: Reports indicating that Nvidia plans to compete with Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD in the AI PC processor market have circulated for about a year. As Arm's spat with Qualcomm intensifies and the latter's Arm PC exclusivity license nears its end, other companies, including MediaTek and Nvidia, are expected to broaden the sector next year.
DigiTimes reports that Nvidia's long-rumored AI PC chip will emerge in the third quarter of 2025. The company, which has become one of the most valuable on Earth due to surging demand for its AI graphics processors, is reportedly developing an Arm-based platform for consumer PCs.
According to sources, the high-end platform will incorporate CPUs and GPUs. The report vaguely states that a consumer platform will debut in September 2025 and a commercial platform will follow in March 2026. This might refer to a platform for end users followed by a lineup of enterprise products or indicate a late 2025 unveiling with a formal launch the following year.
When questioned about AI PCs in May, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hinted that onlookers should ask the company again in 2025. MediaTek is reportedly collaborating on a 3nm SoC with the GPU giant, and Dell might also be involved.
Presumably, the processor would compete with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite platform, which powers a lineup of Arm-based Windows laptops from various hardware manufacturers. Qualcomm developed Snapdragon X Elite with an exclusive license for Arm Windows processors, but Arm recently canceled licensing for all Snapdragon chips amid a rapidly escalating legal battle between the two companies. Furthermore, Arm previously said that more manufacturers, likely including Nvidia, are set to enter the Arm PC market.
Selling a consumer PC SoC represents a shift for Team Green, but it isn't entirely new territory. The company currently offers Arm-based data center chips and previously released a line of mobile processors, one of which powers the Nintendo Switch.
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Aside from the range of vendors offering hardware, software remains one of the most important questions regarding Arm PCs. Apple has convinced the developers of many important applications to adapt to its shift to Arm with Apple Silicon to improve performance and energy efficiency, but it remains unclear if Windows can gain enough traction on the instruction set to do the same.
Furthermore, consumer interest in AI PCs remains tepid. Customers aren't yet sold on AI applications, and some fear the emerging sector is heading for a crash resembling the dot-com bust.