Mobile SoC Manufacturers are Putting ARM Chips in Notebooks

[AlphaAtlas]

Qualcomm already uses the Snapdragon 850 in some Windows PCs, and rumors indicate that they're cooking up a larger chip designed specifically for larger devices. But, according to "industry sources" in contact with Digitimes, they aren't the only mobile SOC manufacturer trying to push into the PC market. Apple, Samsung, HiSilicon, and Unisoc may be working on "a spate of 7nm chips for slim notebooks set to be unveiled in 2019." The source said that the major barrier to entry is Windows software support, and once they work that out with Microsoft, "it will be highly feasible for new-generation slim notebooks to adopt mobile chip platforms instead of CPUs in the future." Samsung already pushed out some Exynos-based Chromebooks, and analysts have been predicting Apple's entry into the market for years. But a 2019 release would mean that notebook chip development is already well underway.

Along with growing AI applications, global new-generation smartphone SoCs have integrated the functions of CPU, GPU and NPU. This, coupled with the support of advanced 7nm process that will become mainstream node for mobile SoCs in 2019, will create a larger leeway for business expansion by global mobile chip suppliers, the sources indicated. Accordingly, the sources commented that leading chipmakers are aggressively strengthening AI function and power-saving performance for their 7nm mobile chipsets, and such chip solutions will become a new choice beyond Intel and AMD processors for notebook makers.

 

[gxp500]

Only apple's a12 chip is a worthy laptop soc, no one else has anything worthwhile.

 

[Vercinaigh]

ARM is getting interesting.

 

[Nobu]

Only apple's a12 chip is a worthy laptop soc, no one else has anything worthwhile.

I wouldn't mind a snapdragon 850 in a notebook as long as the cooling solution is more than the bare minimum and they don't install a bunch of junk on it...but I don't expect either to be the case.

 

[daglesj]

Oh god will this be like the AMD E1 chips that ran Windows alright but only at 100% usage the whole time and let you watch the spinning egg-timer a whole lot.

Give it another 5 years...