The shift could disrupt the PC industry, which Intel has long dominated but is under increasing pressure from Apple's custom chips that offer better battery life and performance. Microsoft, which granted Qualcomm an exclusivity arrangement to develop Windows-compatible chips until 2024, has encouraged other companies to enter the market once the deal expires. However, the transition could pose challenges as software developers have spent decades writing code for Windows that runs on the x86 computing architecture, owned by Intel and licensed to AMD, which is not automatically compatible with Arm-based designs.
Key takeaways:
- Nvidia is reportedly designing central processing units (CPUs) that would run Microsoft’s Windows operating system and use technology from Arm Holdings, aiming to challenge Intel's dominance in the personal computer market.
- Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also plans to make chips for PCs with Arm technology, with both Nvidia and AMD potentially selling PC chips as soon as 2025.
- Microsoft has been encouraging chipmakers to build advanced AI features into the CPUs they are designing, envisioning AI-enhanced software to become an increasingly important part of using Windows.
- The transition to Arm-based designs could pose challenges as software developers have spent decades and billions of dollars writing code for Windows that runs on the x86 computing architecture, which is owned by Intel but also licensed to AMD.