In a few years, your next processor purchase may end up being an Nvidia CPU, if recent rumors are to be believed. However, it appears that the company is opting to develop ARM-based processors rather than compete with Intel and AMD in the race for x86 supremacy.
While Nvidia enjoys something of a stranglehold over the graphics card market, a venture into the consumer ARM processor space could prove similarly fruitful. Though, it apparently wouldn’t be alone in its pursuits, as AMD is allegedly eyeing up the same territory.
Following the launch and growing popularity of Apple’s ARM silicon, Microsoft is actively encouraging manufacturers to design their own processors using the instruction set for its Windows operating system. Now, Nvidia is working alongside Arm Holdings to do just that, according to sources speaking to Reuters.
The publication also claims that AMD is working on its own ARM CPUs, but it’s unclear if the company is similarly working with Arm Holdings to develop them. Regardless, we shouldn’t expect to see these processors make it to market before 2025, at least, due to an exclusivity deal Microsoft has in place with Qualcomm.
Exciting as the prospect of a consumer Nvidia CPU line is, the transition from x86 to ARM on Windows will likely create compatibility issues. While some developers will naturally port applications from the former to the latter instruction set, Microsoft needs to have a solid compatibility layer in place for everything else, as Apple did.
As such, it’ll likely take a few years, if not generations of processors, before AMD or Nvidia ARM chips find their way to our best CPU list. In the meantime, check out our Intel Core i9-14900K review, if you’re in the market for an upgrade.
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