Nvidia and AMD plan to launch Arm PC chips as soon as 2025, Reuters reports

Nvidia and AMD are both reportedly planning to launch Arm-based CPUs for Windows-based PCs. Reuters reports that Nvidia has started designing Arm-based CPUs in what could be a major expansion of Microsoft’s Windows on Arm work. Nvidia and AMD could both be ready with PC chips as soon as 2025, according to Reuters.

Microsoft has so far exclusively partnered with Qualcomm for Arm-based versions of Windows 11, and the Reuters report comes on the eve of Qualcomm’s next big Snapdragon launch for Arm-based chips that will likely power Samsung’s upcoming flagship phone. Reuters reports that Microsoft executives will be part of Qualcomm’s announcement tomorrow, including vice president of Windows and Devices Pavan Davuluri.

Microsoft’s first Surface tablet, the Surface RT, was powered by Nvidia’s Arm-based Tegra processor, but Windows RT failed to make an impact despite Lenovo, Asus, Samsung, and Dell all trying to push Arm-based Windows devices. We haven’t seen Nvidia Arm-based devices running Windows ever since, as Qualcomm’s close partnership with Microsoft has extended to special processors for Surface Pro tablets.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

AMD and Nvidia potentially joining Qualcomm for Arm-based Windows devices will increase the pressure on Intel to deliver chips that can compete with Apple’s own silicon. Intel-based laptops have struggled to keep up with the battery life and performance that Apple’s M1 and M2 chips deliver, with Meteor Lake CPUs set to arrive in December to try and challenge Apple once again.

Microsoft has also been rumored to be working on its own Arm-based chips for servers and potentially even Surface devices. We haven’t seen that materialize yet, with the Windows maker co-engineering an Arm-based SQ1 processor with Qualcomm for the Surface Pro X and a SQ2 variant. AMD also worked with Microsoft to create a custom version of its Ryzen processor for the Surface Laptop 3, and is reportedly working with Microsoft on AI chips.