NVIDIA is teaming up with MediaTek to shake up the PC processor market with a powerful new ARM-based chip. The N1X, as it’s called, just showed up on Geekbench with impressive scores: 3,096 in single-core and 18,837 in multi-core.
This chip has 20 cores: 10 fast Cortex-X925 and 10 efficient Cortex-A725. It runs at 2.81 GHz and can boost up to 4.0 GHz. Tested on an HP board with Ubuntu, the N1X already matches high-end x86 CPUs.
Here’s how it stacks up:
- NVIDIA N1X (Leak): 3,096 single-core, 18,837 multi-core
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395: ~2,978 single-core, ~21,269 multi-core
- Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX: ~3,078 single-core, ~22,104 multi-core
- Apple M4 Max: ~4,054 single-core, ~25,913 multi-core
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite: ~2,693 single-core, ~13,950 multi-core
The N1X beats the Snapdragon X Elite and gets close to AMD and Intel’s performance. However, it still lags behind Apple’s M4 Max in single-core.
This is a big deal for the ARM-on-PC market. NVIDIA and MediaTek are showing they can make an ARM chip that rivals traditional processors. The N1X already runs well on Linux, but it needs to prove itself on Windows too.
Rumors say the N1X might be a version of the GB10 Superchip used in the DGX Spark project, with a built-in GPU featuring 6,144 CUDA cores based on the Blackwell architecture. Brands like Asus, Dell, and Lenovo are reportedly working on N1X-based laptops and desktops, set to launch in 2026.
For now, the commercial release is still pending, with sources pointing to a late 2026 launch. This suggests NVIDIA is fine-tuning the chip’s integration, heat management, and compatibility, especially with Windows and commercial ecosystems.