In response to the collaboration between Intel and NVIDIA in the server and PC markets announced last September, the outside world believes this move will deal a significant blow to AMD. However, AMD executives initially downplayed the impact, stating they are "very confident" in their roadmap and fully prepared to meet all competition. Nevertheless, according to a report by foreign media wccftech, in a recent statement, AMD acknowledged that the Intel-NVIDIA partnership will expose its products to fiercer competition and pricing pressure.
On September 18 this year, NVIDIA announced a $5 billion investment in Intel. Simultaneously, the two companies jointly announced plans to collaborate on developing multiple generations of custom data center and PC products: In the data center market, Intel will build custom x86 CPUs for NVIDIA, which NVIDIA will integrate into its AI infrastructure platforms and offer to the market. In the PC market, Intel will develop and supply x86 System-on-Chips (SoCs) integrated with NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplets. These new x86 RTX SoCs will power a variety of PCs requiring world-class CPU and GPU integration.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described the co-developed PC chip as a "massive" SoC combining a custom Intel X96 CPU and NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplet, creating "a new type of integrated graphics laptop unprecedented in the world." He added that this SoC will enable NVIDIA to enter the market of approximately 150 million laptops shipped annually. Additionally, the custom x86 CPUs built by Intel for NVIDIA will be integrated into NVIDIA’s AI servers. Clearly, the Intel-NVIDIA collaboration will intensify competitive pressure on AMD in both PC and server markets.
Previously, Jason Banta, AMD Vice President and General Manager of Client OEM, stated that the impact would be limited. He expressed "strong confidence" in AMD’s roadmap and pledged to continue delivering disruptive technologies.
However, AMD reversed its stance in the latest statement. The company noted, "This new competitor partnership has been included in the economic and strategic risks section as an example of strategic collaborations, acquisitions, and business arrangements among competitors that may increase competition and adversely affect our business." AMD thus acknowledged that the rival partnership could lead to heightened competition and pricing pressure for its products, which may have a material adverse impact on the company’s business, financial condition, and profitability.
While AMD’s concerns are reasonable, the launch of products from the Intel-NVIDIA collaboration is still years away. Currently, AMD’s Ryzen AI MAX series already delivers exceptional PC and workstation capabilities on mobile platforms—a market Intel also aims to compete in. Although Intel previously planned to launch the Arrow Lake Halo series, the project was ultimately canceled. Instead, Intel is expected to release its first Halo-class chip, Nova Lake-AX, between 2026 and 2027. Meanwhile, NVIDIA is projected to launch its own AI PC products based on the N1 series SoCs in 2026.
Facing the dual squeeze from Intel and NVIDIA, AMD remains in an advantageous position but needs to prepare for the challenge early. The latest updates indicate that AMD is developing an updated version of Strix Halo for 2026, with full-scale production now ramped up. Furthermore, AMD plans to expand its platform offerings, particularly in the mobile segment, with new SKU series options. Leveraging high-performance products built on the next-generation Zen 6 architecture and future RDNA architectures, AMD aims to address this competitive challenge.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）