Nvidia targets first half of 2026 for Arm-based laptop chips with Mediatek partnership

Nvidia is preparing Arm-based system-on-chip processors for consumer laptops in collaboration with Mediatek, targeting thin-and-light designs and a launch in the first half of 2026. OEMs including Dell and Lenovo are already linked to early systems, despite no formal product announcements.

Nvidia is reportedly preparing a new consumer laptop processor for launch in the first half of 2026, using a system-on-chip design that integrates CPU, GPU, and NPU into a single package. The processor uses the Arm architecture rather than x86 and is being developed in partnership with Mediatek, with internal names including N1 and N1X. Systems based on these chips could first ship from OEMs such as Dell and Lenovo within months of launch, and they are expected to target thin-and-light laptops with a focus on efficiency and battery life.

Alongside the Arm-based design, Nvidia is also referenced as working on a separate project with Intel that would combine an Intel x86 CPU with Nvidia graphics and neural processing technology, aiming to improve graphics performance in slimmer laptops without a discrete GPU. Nvidia has not formally announced either chip, so specifications, pricing, and final configurations remain undisclosed. Earlier reporting indicated that Nvidia’s Arm-based N1 and N1X laptop chips were moving closer to launch, with Lenovo inadvertently confirming several upcoming Yoga and Legion models through a since-deleted support page listing. Dell was also linked to testing the N1X, supported by a November 2025 shipping manifest for a “Dell 16 Premium” powered by an N1X engineering sample.

Initial leaks suggest both N1 and N1X are based on the same GB10 Superchip used in Nvidia’s DGX Spark Artificial Intelligence mini PC, with the N1X reportedly packing 20 Arm CPU cores and a 48-unit iGPU. Despite expectations, Nvidia skipped CES without any official announcement, and rumors of delays pushing the launch to late 2026 persisted at the time. With Nvidia GTC 2026 scheduled for March 16-19 and described as being just a few weeks away, industry attention is now focused on that event as the likely venue for unveiling these new mobile processors.

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