NVIDIA and MediaTek could soon enter the "AI PC" segment, this time with a dedicated processor for gaming laptops, which could redefine competition.
NVIDIA x MediaTek Now Shifts Focus Towards The Mobile APU Segment, Developing a Highly Capable Chip
There's no doubt that out of all the consumer hardware segments out there, mobile processors have seen massive development in the past few years, especially with contributions by Intel and AMD. Lineups like AMD's Phoenix, Strix Point, and Strix Halo have taken performance levels with compact machines to new heights, and NVIDIA wants to capitalize on the market hype. According to Taiwan Economic Daily, NVIDIA x MediaTek is planning to launch a dedicated APU for gaming laptops, with the first integration expected to be by Dell's Alienware lineup.
Rumors about the NVIDIA x MediaTek AI chip have been swirling around since last year, but they were previously said to be confined to the desktop segment. The companies were partnering up to build an ARM-based PC chip, one of its kind, but the plan has been switched to an APU implementation. It is claimed that the APU will launch by Q4 2025 or in the first quarter of next year. The chip would likely feature an ARM-dominant CPU architecture, and Blackwell for the onboard iGPU.
Interestingly, NVIDIA is expected to enter into an exclusive partnership with Dell for its upcoming APU since it will first launch only on Dell's gaming laptops, notably the Alienware lineup. Dell has been a key partner of Team Green with the AI hype, offering one of the largest "AI factory" portfolios to its customers, hence the partnership makes sense here. Making the APU exclusive to Dell will allow NVIDIA to test its chip and see the customer response before deploying it to wider AIBs, which could help the firm gain rapid adoption.
The specifics of NVIDIA's upcoming APU are uncertain for now, given that this rumor is in the early stages, but launching a mobile chip makes sense here, given that MediaTek's expertise in compact chips and Team Green's experience with graphics architectures would put this chip in a great position. However, the mobile APU segment is currently dominated by AMD and Intel, with both firms offering products that feature significant perf/watt figures, so it will be interesting to see how NVIDIA competes in this market.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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