NVIDIA´s long-rumored Arm-based notebook system-on-chip, identified as the N1x, has made its first public appearance in leaked benchmark results. Spotted in the Geekbench 6.2.2 database, the N1x chip scored 3096 points for single-threaded tasks and 18837 points for multithreaded performance, indicating substantial horsepower likely aimed at premium portable computing. The benchmarked device, an HP-branded prototype designated as ´HP 8EA3,´ was running on Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS. According to test data, the chip offers 20 logical processors—suggesting a possible big.LITTLE configuration with a total of 20 cores—operating at a reported base frequency of 2.81 GHz. Although specifics remain unconfirmed, the architecture may feature Arm reference cores such as Cortex-X925 for performance and Cortex-A725 for efficiency. Notably, the test platform included a significant 128 GB of RAM, pointing to an ambitious, high-end notebook class.
The N1x chip positions NVIDIA squarely against established competitors in the Arm notebook segment. The platform is seen as a direct challenger to Qualcomm´s Snapdragon Elite processors, which power current Windows-on-Arm notebooks and integrate dedicated NPUs for on-device Artificial Intelligence tasks like Microsoft Copilot+. It also steps into the competitive fray with Apple’s silicon, as used in the M3 and M4 chips fueling the latest iPad Pro and MacBook lines. Presently, Microsoft restricts Arm-based Copilot+ support to Snapdragon chips, but evolving collaborations could soon bring NVIDIA’s hardware into the ecosystem, broadening the reach of advanced Artificial Intelligence features for Windows devices.
This development marks NVIDIA’s return to the consumer Arm SoC market after a period focused on server-class CPUs, such as the Grace lineup, and after previous efforts like Tegra chips for Android mobile devices. The N1x initiative signals NVIDIA’s intention to capitalize on its longstanding Arm expertise, bridging the gap between enterprise processing power and consumer device innovation. If NVIDIA successfully partners with Microsoft and delivers on the initial benchmark promise, N1x could reshape the landscape for high-performance, Artificial Intelligence-equipped notebooks, offering new choices for both manufacturers and end users seeking portable power.
