Nvidia: ARM attack against AMD, Intel, Apple and Qualcomm
Nvidia forms a trio with ARM and Mediatek. Together, they are obviously preparing an all-round attack, summarizes Mark Mantel.
Render image of Nvidia's GB10 – the processor in the mini PC Project Digits.
(Image: Nvidia)
The cards in the processor market will be reshuffled in 2025; the old warhorses need to watch out. What the rumor mill has long rumored is now a reality: Nvidia is targeting Windows on ARM with its own processors. To this end, Nvidia is teaming up with ARM and Mediatek – a trio with a lot of oomph that could create new conditions.
ARM contributes the CPU cores, Nvidia the graphics unit and Mediatek weaves everything together into a so-called system-on-chip (SoC). For those who have never heard of Mediatek: The company's mobile processors are found in most Android smartphones and smart TVs. The company's high-end processors are sometimes unconventional – with thicker but lower clocked cores instead of special efficiency cores.
First Linux, then Windows on ARM
Initially, Nvidia presents the Project Digits mini PC as a dev kit for AI developers, with only vague specifications. ARM itself was the first to reveal more details: the GB10 processor used combines ten Cortex X925 cores with ten Cortex A725 cores. The X925 is ARM's fastest CPU core to date, codenamed Blackhawk. It is explicitly designed to put Apple's powerful M-CPU cores under pressure.
Nvidia initially practiced the art of announcing a processor for Windows on ARM without announcing a processor for Windows on ARM. So far, Qualcomm seems to have exclusive rights to CPUs for Windows on ARM devices. The deal is due to expire in the summer.
In the meantime, Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has confirmed that processors for Windows on ARM systems are also coming. According to rumors, the Mediatek-ARM-Nvidia cooperation for notebooks will bear fruit from September 2024.
It's all about the sausage for ARM
Nvidia and Mediatek are currently the only two major companies to equip flagship processors with Cortex cores from ARM. The Dimensity 9400 for smartphones and Nvidia's processors have to prove that the ARM standard cores can keep up with Apple's M series and Qualcomm's Oryon. With Blackhawk, other ARM customers will also be able to buy a core that can compete at the very top. ARM ultimately wants to earn more with this.
ARM is currently unable to find any partners other than Nvidia and Mediatek for this attack on the CPU market. Apple and now Qualcomm have their own CPU cores anyway. Samsung has been stuck with its Exynos family for years. And Google is also quite far behind with its Tensor processors. Amazon, Microsoft and other companies are only interested in server processors.
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Perfect opportunity to tease the competition
A storm is brewing for the established giants, which Nvidia can exploit: Intel has significant problems and an uncertain roadmap. Microsoft finally seems to be getting serious about Windows on ARM – the operating system is now usable. And with the Cortex-X925, ARM delivers a potentially competitive computing core. At the same time, Nvidia is leading the way in software for AI applications, which are currently experiencing a lot of hype.
When it comes to processors, the second half of 2025 will be really exciting.
(mma)
