According to a recent Reuters report, Taiwanese chip design powerhouse MediaTek is gearing up to enter the Windows on Arm arena, with plans to launch its own Arm-based CPUs by 2025. But the real kicker? They’re reportedly teaming up with GPU giant Nvidia on this venture.
This development comes as Microsoft’s exclusive deal with Qualcomm for Windows on Arm chips is set to expire, opening the floodgates for new players. With the growing demand for AI-capable laptops, the timing couldn’t be better for MediaTek’s entry.
MediaTek isn’t starting from scratch, though. The company plans to leverage Arm’s ready-made designs, potentially accelerating their development timeline. This strategy could see MediaTek bringing a chip to market in as little as nine months after the design is complete, a remarkably swift turnaround in the world of semiconductor development.
The MediaTek-Nvidia collaboration is shrouded in mystery for now, but it’s a pairing that makes a lot of sense. Nvidia’s expertise in GPUs and AI acceleration could complement MediaTek’s system-on-chip prowess, potentially resulting in a formidable challenger to both Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series and Apple’s M-series chips.
This move is part of a broader shift in the PC market. With Apple’s success in Arm-based Macs, Microsoft is doubling down on Windows on Arm. Reports have already surfaced of both Nvidia and AMD working on their own Arm chips for Windows, signaling a potential sea change in the PC processor landscape that has long been dominated by Intel.
While it’s unclear if MediaTek’s chip will be part of Microsoft’s AI-focused Copilot+ Windows program, the push towards Arm architecture in Windows PCs is unmistakable. 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for Windows on Arm, with new players and collaborations promising to shake up the status quo.
