According to reports from leakers on the Chinese social media site Weibo, Mediatek and Nvidia are collaborating on a 3nm AI CPU. IT Home shared a report from user "Mobile Chip Expert" today, claiming that the CPU is entering the tape-out phase of production this month, with mass production on track for late 2025.
We've reported on rumors of potential MediaTek and Nvidia collaborations for a few months now, so as usual, take this new report with a serving of salt. Previous rumors of a PC chip collaboration were the companies working on an AI card processor. However, today's reports are connected to rumors of an Nvidia/MediaTek AI processor that started in May.
The MediaTek AI processor is expected to be paired with an Nvidia GPU. The post also names Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Asus as prospective customers looking to adopt the processor in OEM hardware. The chip has also been linked to a rumored $300 price tag.
Today's report curiously only refers to the rumored chip as an "AI PC" CPU, surprising as both previous leaks about the collaboration and MediaTek's stable of products would point to a mobile chip or SoC being more likely. MediaTek specializes in mobile products and typically employs AMD as a hardware partner. AMD uses MediaTek’s Wi-Fi 6E solutions in its mobile platforms, and MediaTek and AMD have also been connected through rumors of a 5G notebook for some time.
It would not be surprising if the MediaTek/Nvidia chip transitioned to only an AI PC solution and moved away from being a mobile phone offering. After the big waves and lessons learned from the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite launch this year, there is room for another Windows-on-Arm competitor from a primarily mobile company like MediaTek. One of the most prominent problems reviewers had with the performance of Snapdragon X-powered computers was their lack of graphical strength, which Nvidia can quickly solve. Nvidia's name recognition alone will do much to boost the MediaTek chip, whether it is Nvidia's return to mobile graphics or a different venture into laptop-form-factor AI PCs.
MediaTek and Nvidia's only officially announced collaboration is the Dimensity Auto Cockpit platform, an SoC for cars that license Nvidia's graphics IP and Nvidia Drive OS. The chip seeks to be a front-runner in automotive chips by offering full support for infotainment platforms, including AAA gaming with RTX graphics and safety features such as HDR multi-camera support. So far, no US-based cars seem to have adopted the platform.
