Nvidia Corp., the world's largest artificial intelligence chipmaker, is expected to release computer semiconductors for laptops. The company, which has dominated the AI server and high-end gaming PC markets with its graphics processing units, aims to expand its influence into the general personal computer market in preparation for a potential end to the AI boom.
The Wall Street Journal reported on January 22, citing sources, that Nvidia is developing a system-on-chip, with Dell Technologies and China's Lenovo potentially launching ARM-based Windows laptops equipped with the SoC as early as the first half of this year.
An SoC is an integrated chip combining a central processing unit and GPU. By combining a GPU with the CPU that serves as a computer's brain, the company aims to enable AI operations on PCs.
Nvidia is collaborating with U.S. chipmaker Intel and Taiwan-based chip designer MediaTek on SoC development. Intel holds 70% of the CPU market for Windows PCs. In September last year, Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in Intel for joint development of chips for PCs and data centers. CEO Jensen Huang confirmed during his Taiwan visit last month that the company is working with MediaTek to launch AI PC chips called "N1" and "N1X" this year.
Nvidia's last SoC appeared in the Windows tablet "Surface" released in 2013, with no significant follow-up products since. Development of data center server chips and GPUs for high-end gaming PCs had been the company's primary strategy amid growing AI development demand.
However, analysts suggest Huang sees opportunities not only in the enterprise AI chip market but also in the consumer market. Unlike the smartphone market where SoCs are widely applied, the PC market has greater potential for demand growth. In September last year, Huang said 150 million laptops are sold worldwide annually, adding: "The trend of CPU and GPU integration is clear, but we haven't properly addressed this area."
Industry observers predict Nvidia's SoC launch would usher in an era where high-end games run on lightweight laptops. Some also anticipate this will create a competitive dynamic between Windows PCs and Apple's MacBooks.
Critics note that reducing power consumption while maintaining high performance will determine the SoC's success. Qualcomm released a laptop SoC in 2024, but devices equipped with it drew criticism for failing to properly run popular games such as "Fortnite" and "League of Legends."
The WSJ said: "The key to the Nvidia-MediaTek collaboration is creating PCs compatible with high-end games and other applications." The publication added that since Nvidia is originally known among consumers as a gaming hardware company, the laptop SoC's success may depend on how well it runs blockbuster games.