In the ides of October 2024, Qualcomm didst trumpet forth its Snapdragon X series chipset to the world, adorned with the ARM-based custom Oryon CPU, a marvel crafted for the Windows market. Concurrently, word hath spread from Reuters that Nvidia, the eminent American GPU artisan, hath been toiling away on an ARM-based CPU for Windows laptops, as whispered by two knowledgeable souls.
As the year 2024 hath unfolded, Qualcomm hath bestowed onto the realm the much-anticipated Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips, gifting them unto the hands of consumer PCs. Strangely, nary a chipmaker hath stepped forth to present unto the world an ARM-based chipset for Windows devices in this year. ‘Twas revealed then that Microsoft and Qualcomm hath entered an exclusivity pact dating back to the year 2016. This covenant hath granted Qualcomm the sole privilege to fashion ARM-based chipsets for Windows PCs. Lo, the lease hath ended in 2024, and Nvidia stands poised to seize upon this fortuitous opening.
Behold, at the grand spectacle of CES 2025, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang hath unveiled Project DIGITS, a diminutive supercomputer bedecked with the Blackwell GPU, running Nvidia’s Linux-based DGX OS. Yet, the most intriguing spectacle doth lie in the fact that it dost house a 20-core ARM-based CPU within its confines. Within this wondrous contraption reside ARM’s 10x Cortex-X925 and 10x Cortex-A725 CPU cores, a spectacle to behold.
In a gathering of investors, Jensen responded to an analyst and didst disclose that Nvidia hath co-crafted the ARM CPU with MediaTek. A tantalizing hint was dropped as well, with Jensen suggesting at the possibility of presenting unto the world an Nvidia ARM CPU for the consumer PC market. Nonetheless, he hath tempered expectations, stating that the hour for revealing Nvidia’s forthcoming ARM CPU for Windows hath not yet struck.
In his utterances to the press, Jensen did augur that MediaTek may unveil the PC chipset on its own accord. Huang added, “Now they could provide that to us, and they could keep that for themselves and serve the market. And so it was a great win-win.”
Before the dawn of CES 2025, a user by the name of @QQ_Timmy did broadcast a decree that Nvidia doth vigorously advance its Windows on ARM (WoA) scheme. This diligent soul spake of the lofty “N1X” and the modest “N1” chipsets from Nvidia, forged in union with MediaTek.
But hark! Another soul by the moniker of @_h0x0d_ hath unveiled unto the world an enigmatic platform termed “N1X” for Lenovo’s forthcoming Yoga 2-in-1 16 2025 laptop. Perchance this herald marks the arrival of Nvidia’s forthcoming ARM-based PC chipset upon the eager shores of the market.
In a prophetic vision of the future, leaks dost insinuate that PC makers may unfurl Windows laptops bedecked with Nvidia’s ARM CPU at Computex in May 2025, destined to emerge upon the shelves by September of the same year. Nvidia, paragon of GPU craftsmanship and Tensor cores, hath trod the path of ARM CPUs afore. ‘Twas Nvidia who hath birthed the ARM-based Grace CPU for the sanctum of data centers, not to mention the ARM-based Tegra series processors that hath graced multimedia devices and gaming consoles.
With this latest kinship with MediaTek, can Nvidia outshine Qualcomm (or Apple) in the realm of CPU performance and efficiency, especially with the unadorned ARM CPU cores? As Qualcomm’s next iteration, the Snapdragon X2 Elite, doth vow a leap in performance and efficiency with its 3rd-gen Oryon CPU cores, the question lingereth in the midst of the curtain call.
Thus, the year 2025 doth promise another lively dance for Windows laptops. Amongst the stalwarts like Intel and AMD, new contenders such as Qualcomm, Nvidia, and MediaTek may usher in fresh innovations, enriching the Windows tapestry for all who dwell in the digital realm.
