MediaTek and Nvidia are gearing up to tackle the AI PC market hand-in-hand, with an all-new chip

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the potential collaboration between Nvidia and MediaTek to develop an Arm-based APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) for PCs, which could be ready for shipping in 2025.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Nvidia and MediaTek's Collaboration

1. What is the key information about Nvidia and MediaTek's collaboration on an Arm-based APU for PCs?

• The overall design of the Arm-based APU has already been finalized, with full completion expected by the end of 2024.
• Nvidia and MediaTek have previously worked together on automotive chips and developed a preliminary reference laptop specification in 2021.
• The chip will be manufactured by TSMC using its N3 process node, and the unit price could be as high as $300.
• The APU is expected to have low power consumption (likely less than 60W for the biggest variant and around 30W for mainstream models), between 8 and 16 Arm CPU cores, and a GPU capable of handling 1080p gaming.

[02] Reasons for Nvidia and MediaTek's Entry into the PC Market

1. What are the reasons behind Nvidia and MediaTek's decision to enter the PC market?

• 2024 is expected to be the "year of the AI PC", with AMD, Intel, and Microsoft all focusing on AI in the form of NPUs (neural processing units) or generative AI software tools.
• Nvidia is an artificial intelligence company, earning billions of dollars from sales of its H100 mega-chips, and it wants to capture a share of the new AI PC market.
• 2024 is also expected to be the "year of Arm chips for PCs", as the exclusivity agreement between Qualcomm and Microsoft around the CPUs for Windows on Arm PCs is rumored to expire, allowing for more potential entrants into the PC market.
• The smartphone chipset market is not showing significant growth, so Nvidia and MediaTek may be looking to diversify into the PC market.

[03] Potential Impact on the PC Market

1. How might the entry of Nvidia and MediaTek's Arm-based APU affect the PC market?

• The introduction of this new Arm-based APU could provide more competition in the PC market, which is expected to be good news for consumers as it may result in more choices and potentially more palatable prices.
• Intel will need to have something special lined up to combat the offerings from AMD, Qualcomm, and the new Nvidia-MediaTek collaboration, as the PC market is becoming more competitive.