Nvidia isn’t content with simply dominating the GPU market. According to a Wall Street Journal report, a system-on-chip that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a neural processing unit (NPU) is being prepared for consumer laptops. And we could see laptops from Dell and Lenovo with this new silicon in just a few months.
Nvidia and MediaTek partner for the Arm chip
Nvidia is partnering with MediaTek to develop this new chip. As a system-on-chips (SoC) from Qualcomm and Apple, it will be based on the Arm architecture as opposed to the x86 architecture used by Intel and AMD. And unlike high-end laptops and creators with dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs, laptops with this new Nvidia-designed, MediaTek-manufactured SoC are expected to be smaller and lighter and work longer. The new chips will reportedly be labeled N1 and N1X.
Most laptops have best battery life that I tested last year used an Arm-based chip from Qualcomm or Apple, so I expect laptops based on this upcoming Nvidia SoC to offer good battery life. Given Nvidia’s prowess with graphics processors, the biggest question I have is how much power can we expect from the integrated GPU in this new chip? Will we see small and light designs that offer long battery life and strong graphics performance, up to and including the ability to play AAA titles with reasonable resolutions and quality settings?
While Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptops offer long battery life, they often fall short in graphics performance. Gaming compatibility is improving on Arm but still not as ubiquitous as x86. With Nvidia’s deep relationship with game developers from RTX GPUs, it makes sense that its Arm-based chip could further accelerate Arm compatibility.
The HP OmniBook 5 14 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processor and is the current CNET laptop battery life king. How will laptops with Nvidia/MediaTek chips compare?
Nvidia and Intel combine the x86 chip
A previous report by the Wall Street Journal says that Nvidia has also partnered with Intel on an x86 chip that will combine an Intel CPU with a GPU and NPU from Nvidia. This is another way to get to the day when gaming laptops with iGPU can power 3D gaming. Without the thermal requirements and power of a dedicated graphics processor, the design can be very thin and light and have great success in long battery life.
The new Intel Panther Lake Mobile processors show promise for power and efficiency. The first Panther Lake laptop I reviewed, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AIworked for over 25 hours on a single charge while delivering decent 3D frames. The timing isn’t exactly clear when we might see the Intel and Nvidia chip, but of course I’m curious to know how it will compare to Intel’s Panther Lake processors.
For decades, Windows laptop buyers had two choices: Intel or AMD. A few years ago, Qualcomm offered a third option with its Arm-based Snapdragon X series chips. And now Nvidia will add a fourth choice, with both Arm- and x86-based chips on the horizon. Dell and Lenovo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
