NVIDIA and MediaTek rumored to be co-developing an Arm-based AI processor for PCs

NVIDIA and MediaTek are reportedly working on a new Arm-based AI processor, co-developing the new SoC that will be finalized in Q3 2024... just months from now.

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The new silicon will support advanced technologies, and will be mass-produced on TSMC's new 3nm process node, and will compete against Apple's new M4 chip, and Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X Elite SoC according to Chinese media outlet UDN.

The site reports that the price of NVIDIA and MediaTek's new Arm-based AI processor will be "as high as $300" adding that this is the first time NVIDIA and MediaTek have cooperated on PC processors, and that it's expected we'll get details on the new AI PC processor during Computex 2024 in just a few weeks' time in Taipei, Taiwan.

The industry is reportedly "optimistic" about the collaboration between NVIDIA and MediaTek, and that the two companies will bring a "new atmosphere to the AI PC market" due to the low power consumption, and other characteristics of the Arm architecture, it is "expected to once again set off an industry sensation".

NVIDIA and MediaTek have cooperated previously on automotive chips, with the integration of chips and AI the companies will create a complete smart cockpit solution for software-powered cars, scooping up the huge opportunities available to the companies in the smart car market.

Both of the companies will bring their respective technologies to the table, with NVIDIA's powerful gaming GPUs and AI GPUs with MediaTek's Arm-based architecture design capabilities will reduce the processor development time, to create an energy-efficient AI PC processor for thin-and-light product designs like new laptops.

Apple's new M4 processor was recently announced, inside of the new iPad Pro, made on TSMC's 3nm process. The same TSMC 3nm process node will be used for NVIDIA and MediaTek's new AI PC processor, giving them the same power efficiencies and more that TSMC's latest node brings.

As for the AI PC market, it truly is the next big thing. It's expected that AI PCs will represent close to 60% of total PC shipments by 2027 according to some analysts. NVIDIA wants a piece of that market, obviously.

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It was only earlier this month that NVIDIA said RTX is the "premium" AI PC platform, and that NPUs inside of AMD and Intel CPUs are for "basic" AI PCs. Now it's beginning to make more sense... with these new reports that the company has teamed with MediaTek on an AI PC processor.

• Read more: NVIDIA says RTX is the 'premium' AI PC platform, NPUs are for 'basic' AI PCs

NVIDIA used an example of an AI PC that you can buy now with 10 TOPS to 45 TOPS of AI performance, calling that a "Basic AI PC" while 100 TOPS right up to an astonishing 1300+ TOPS is available right now with a "Premium AI PC". The big difference here is the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is just part of the CPU, part of the series of chips including the CPU, integrated GPU, NPU, I/O, and soon, on-package memory with upcoming Intel Lunar Lake CPUs.

NVIDIA's extensive dominance in GPU technology allows them to use RTX (in any form, GeForce, mobile GPU, RTX GPUs on Arm-based chips) to blow any NPU out of the water.