Market sources indicate that NVIDIA is collaborating with MediaTek to develop an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) designed specifically for gaming laptops. This APU integrates a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). It’s expected to debut as early as Q4 2025 or early 2026. The APU features a single-chip design, incorporating NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell architecture GPU core, with MediaTek responsible for the Arm-based CPU development. The goal is to revolutionize the traditional design model where gaming laptop CPUs and GPUs are separate.
Engineering sample photos of this APU have already surfaced through industry channels, showing it surrounded by eight LPDDR5X memory modules, suggesting support for high-bandwidth data transfer and a high degree of integration. The chip’s design references NVIDIA’s earlier GB10 chip used in AI supercomputing. The APU’s Thermal Design Power (TDP) ranges from 65W to 120W. Test data shows that the 120W version performs comparably to gaming laptops equipped with an RTX 4070 graphics card, while the 65W version also offers close performance, demonstrating excellent energy efficiency.
Unlike traditional gaming laptops that rely on separate CPU and GPU architectures, this APU, through its highly integrated single-chip solution, reduces latency between components and improves data processing efficiency. Industry insiders believe its design philosophy is similar to Apple’s M-series chips, but with a stronger focus on gaming performance. The APU is expected to support the Windows on Arm platform, combining NVIDIA’s technical expertise in game development to ensure smooth operation of mainstream games on the Arm architecture.
NVIDIA’s choice to partner with MediaTek fully leverages the latter’s experience in Arm architecture processor design and mobile device chips. MediaTek’s responsibility for the CPU development, combined with its expertise in low-power design, can significantly enhance the APU’s overall energy efficiency. The chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process technology, with an estimated cost of approximately $300 per chip.
The initial launch of this APU will be in collaboration with Alienware, Dell’s high-end gaming brand, and will first be featured in their new laptop products. Known for its high performance and unique design, Alienware’s adoption of the new APU could lead to lighter and thinner devices with longer battery life, while maintaining a top-tier gaming experience. In the future, mainstream manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and ASUS are also expected to join.
Currently, the gaming laptop market is highly competitive, with Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm all offering high-performance mobile processors. AMD’s Strix Halo APU stands out with its powerful RDNA 3.5 graphics core, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series focuses on the Windows on Arm ecosystem. NVIDIA’s APU, with its Blackwell architecture GPU and efficient NPU, is expected to gain an advantage in AI acceleration and graphics processing, performing particularly well in games supporting RTX technology. Additionally, Microsoft recently optimized Windows on Arm’s gaming compatibility, supporting AVX and AVX2 instruction sets, providing software support for the NVIDIA APU’s rollout.
Market analysis suggests that the launch of this chip will drive gaming laptops toward a lighter, thinner, and more efficient future, potentially redefining the hardware architecture of mobile gaming devices. Leveraging NVIDIA’s technological advantage in GPUs and MediaTek’s deep expertise in the Arm ecosystem, this APU is poised to become a significant milestone in the 2025 hardware market.