NVIDIA has new CPUs in the works that should have consumers excited, according to a recent report. If that proves accurate, Intel and Qualcomm would have a new rival in the PC CPU space. The news comes from HaYaO, which shared details on X recently. Tom's Hardware also provided context on the news.
Two ARM-based NVIDIA processors are said to be on the way. The N1X is expected before the end of this year, while the N1 will reportedly come in 2026. HaYaO states that 3 million N1X chips will ship in Q4 2025 and that 13 million N1 processors would follow sometime in the next year.
NVIDIA will reportedly work with MediaTek to make the chips, which would be a lucrative partnership for the latter. It's said MediaTek is set to make $2 billion in revenue from the partnership.
Details on the N1X and N1 chips are scarce, but there's a chance they're following in the footsteps of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus, with one chip being a more powerful variant.
NVIDIA already has ARM-based SoCs in the server space. Its Tegra processors that feature in several gaming and media devices are also ARM-based. But the N1X and N1 would be the company's first ARM-based chips for Windows PCs. Well, at least Windows devices running a full version of Windows. The ill-fated Surface RT ran on a Tegra chip.
Rumors of ARM chips from NVIDIA have been around for years. Back in 2023, we covered the possibility of NVIDIA creating ARM CPUs. The most recent reports on the subject may center around the same chips, since the coverage from 2023 mentioned an expected 2025 release date for the processors.
Over the last couple of years, Windows on ARM has improved substantially. Those improvements come as a result of updates to Windows 11, app developers adopting the platform, and Qualcomm releasing its Snapdragon X processors. 2025 could prove to be an ideal time for NVIDIA to release ARM CPUs, since Windows on ARM is ready for primetime.
