Nvidia is making a surprise play for the CPU market, according to recent rumors. Although AMD and Intel CPUs dominate the space currently, Nvidia looks to gain a foothold with ARM-based processors, rather than the x86 ones produced by teams red and blue, for the Windows operating system.
Nvidia is well-known for producing some of the best graphics cards out there, as well as dominating the AI chip market, but it’s historically left the CPU space to AMD and Intel. That is, potentially, until now.
Nvidia’s ambition to produce ARM-based processors is likely prompted by Microsoft encouraging companies to develop new processors for Windows using the ARM instruction set. However, it’s not alone, as AMD is apparently also interested in exploring the ARM chip market, according to industry sources speaking to Reuters.
Nvidia is apparently working with Arm holdings to develop this new line of CPUs. It’s unclear at this stage whether AMD will also work with Arm holdings. At any rate, Microsoft’s current exclusivity deal with Qualcomm – which has been making Arm-based chips for seven years – suggests we’ll be waiting a while longer before these processors arrive on the market.
ARM, which originally stood for Advanced RISC Machines, is a type of processor architecture which is designed to execute single instructions efficiently and quickly. x86, which is used in current gaming CPUs, is designed for more complex instructions.
Since we’re likely waiting several years before these Nvidia CPUs hit the market, you’ll probably want to consider your options in the meantime. If you’re on the lookout for an upgrade right now, check out our best gaming CPU guide for recommendations at a range of prices.