Nvidia Eyeing x86 Processor Market, Says Analyst

By: Scott Ferguson 2009-11-04

With Intel and AMD moving toward microprocessors that combine the CPU and graphics on the same piece of silicon, Nvidia could see its chip-set business disappear. However, Nvidia could also start making its own x86 processors to target both mainstream PCs and low-end mininotebooks, according to one analyst. In the coming months and years, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are looking to change the way the world thinks about computing by combining the CPU and graphics on the same piece of silicon. In 2010, Intel plans to release "Arrandale," a microprocessor that combines a 32-nanometer microprocessor along with a 45-nm graphics chip and the chip set. Then, in 2011, AMD plans to unveil its much-talked-about Fusion project that combines elements of the CPU and GPU (graphics processing unit). For years, Nvidia, which is best known for its graphics, sold chip sets that supported x86 processors for both Intel and AMD. All told, chip sets account for about 30 percent of Nvidia's revenue, according to a recent report. So, when these new versions of microprocessors appear, what will happen to Nvidia?

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