For decades, the PC market is dominated by the Intel-developed x86 instruction set (and subsequently, x86-64 developed by AMD and cross-licensed between the two firms), but that changed this year as Qualcomm made its proper entrance to the mainstream laptop market with the Arm-based Snapdragon X series SoCs.
MediaTek Is Coming For Intel, AMD & Qualcomm
According to Chinese outlet MyDrivers, MediaTek will be teaming up with NVIDIA to launch its first-ever ‘AI PC chip’, with targets set on Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. The report cited that the chipmaker is expected to complete processor development by Q3 2024, with validation process set in the next quarter. The final product will be launched sometime in 1H 2025.
As Qualcomm’s arch rival, MediaTek wants a share of the PC pie too – but due to exclusivity agreements between the American chipmaker and Microsoft, the Taiwanese chipmaker will have to wait until next year before they’re allowed to launch any new PC chips.
Despite the slower start, that doesn’t mean MediaTek is out of the race just yet. Having NVIDIA onboard the processor development can be extremely beneficial as the GPU maker dominates pretty much the entire graphics market from datacenter to client, so the know-how is definitely out of the question. Another advantage comes down to price: the Taiwanese chipmaker often undercuts Qualcomm’s counterparts in the smartphone market, so a lower price can be attractive for OEMs as well.
Pokdepinion: Four CPU vendors for PCs – it’s 90s all over again isn’t it?
