NVIDIA is reportedly making a comeback to the PC market with artificial intelligence (AI)—focused laptop chips this year for Dell Technologies, Lenovo, and other manufacturers, Seeking Alpha reported, citing a Sunday report from The Wall Street Journal.
Analysts say the move may not add much to Nvidia’s profits in the near term, but they see it as an important step for the world’s most valuable company by market capitalisation.
NVIDIA is looking to lock in its position in the next generation of AI-enabled PCs by developing system-on-chip (SoC) processors that combine central processing units (CPUs) with its graphics processing units (GPUs), as the industry shifts towards putting artificial intelligence directly into devices.
This could mean slimmer laptops, longer battery life, and more powerful AI features, as the design mirrors smartphone architecture.
The company is currently pursuing partnerships with MediaTek and Intel Corporation, including an Arm-based chip expected to appear in PCs from Dell Technologies and Lenovo as early as the first half of the year, and integrating Intel CPUs with Nvidia graphics and AI components in the Windows PC ecosystem.
The partnership could help Windows manufacturers compete more directly with Apple’s MacBook lineup through improved power efficiency and performance.
However, analysts said, for it to succeed, prices of the said PCs should be between US$1,000 and US$1,500 (S$1,265 and S$1,897), and compatibility will be important, especially for gamers accustomed to Intel-based systems.
Currently, the global laptop market has around 150 million units released annually. Expanding into AI PCs will provide Nvidia with another revenue stream, although it may not materially impact company’s revenue in the near term. /TISG
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