Dell and Lenovo will launch Copilot+ laptops with Nvidia Arm CPU in H1 2026

[DragonSlayer101]

Forward-looking: Several PC manufacturers are developing new Copilot+ laptops powered by Arm-based Nvidia processors. The devices are expected to launch later this year, potentially posing direct competition not only to other Arm PCs based on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips but also to mainstream notebooks using traditional x86 processors from Intel and AMD.

Nvidia is known to be collaborating with MediaTek to develop its N1 and N1X PC SoCs, which integrate CPU, GPU, and NPU components into a single chip. Major PC makers such as Dell and Lenovo are reportedly working on several laptops powered by the new processors, with launches expected in the first half of 2026.

Last month, a data miner claimed to have found evidence that Lenovo is developing at least six laptops based on the N1 and N1X chips. The lineup is said to include 14-inch and 16-inch IdeaPad Slim 5 models, two Yoga Pro 7 notebooks, a Yoga 9 2-in-1 device, and a 15-inch Legion 7 gaming laptop.

Dell is also reportedly designing an Alienware gaming laptop and an XPS notebook powered by the N1X.

The Nvidia chips are expected to be more power-efficient than their x86 counterparts while delivering comparable CPU and GPU performance. In fact, NPU performance is said to surpass that of the latest Intel and AMD processors. Nvidia and its OEM partners are apparently hoping that the new devices will compete with Apple's MacBooks in both performance and battery life.

Alongside its partnership with MediaTek, Nvidia is also working with Intel to integrate GeForce graphics technology on Intel CPUs for Windows laptops. The initiative represents a significant shift for Nvidia, which has traditionally focused on designing discrete GPUs for PCs, but has recently prioritized AI accelerators for data centers which are considerably more lucrative.

Source: App Economy Insights

This is not the first time Nvidia has attempted to enter the PC CPU market. The company previously designed the chips that powered the original Microsoft Surface devices launched in 2012. However, the products failed to gain commercial traction, effectively ending Nvidia's early efforts to compete directly with Intel and AMD.

Since then, Nvidia has grown rapidly, becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world, largely driven by its success in the AI hardware market and supplying data centers. The company also produces Arm-based custom Tegra processors that power the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

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Dell and Lenovo will launch Copilot+ laptops with Nvidia Arm CPU in H1 2026

 

[Billybobjoey]

and a 15-inch Legion 7 gaming laptop. Dell is also reportedly designing an Alienware gaming laptop and an XPS notebook powered by the N1X.

That's great, but if they don't have a solid compatibility layer for existing games then they're DOA. Everything I've heard about the Qualcomm Windows chips for gaming has been terrible. Developers aren't going to start natively supporting them just because a few people buy them (see: native Linux support for popular games). The one thing that might save them is if Valve's new version of Proton for the Steam Frame can be made to work for the Windows ARM chips, but I imagine that won't be an easy task if they're even interested in trying.

 

[Eldrach]

Lenovo has tried releasing a high end ARM device previously - it wasn't a great success.

For native software, they work great - as soon as you need to use a translation layer - it's no longer an efficient device.
Apple has made a far superior translation layer than what Windows has managed to. So the problem lies with software, not hardware ...And I've yet to hear any "final solution" to this coming from Microsoft as of now

 

[NumberNine]

Nvidia all but abandons gaming customers and then brings this trash to market. I've never been more excited to give my money to anyone except Nvidia. This product will fail like the others or languish in a grey area of corporate financial life support until they finally admit they won't write enough software to justify a brand new architecture and pull the plug. This free market economy stuff is brutal, but it helps when you're being shoveled tax money.

 

[RudyBob]

Lenovo has tried releasing a high end ARM device previously - it wasn't a great success.

For native software, they work great - as soon as you need to use a translation layer - it's no longer an efficient device.
Apple has made a far superior translation layer than what Windows has managed to. So the problem lies with software, not hardware ...And I've yet to hear any "final solution" to this coming from Microsoft as of now

I'm not versed in what you are talking about but it's well said and makes sense to me

 

[RudyBob]

This free market economy stuff is brutal, but it helps when you're being shoveled tax money.

Yep it's brutal but government controlled economies are deadly final. Cuba? Russia? Canada? There is no innovation there and in so many other nations because free markets are discouraged via fees, taxes, regulations, studies, etc. And I take exception to the term shoveling money. That's so over to the degree that it was. Now it's more of a partnership. FDR let industry have long reins and the result was an industrial boom like no other. Get off the money makers back and everyone can work

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I'm excited for this, the core count on the n1x is desktop 5070 level. If these things can deliver 5060/ti performance in a single package with macbook tier battery life and linux support I might actually be convinced to buy a new laptop!

Lenovo has tried releasing a high end ARM device previously - it wasn't a great success.

For native software, they work great - as soon as you need to use a translation layer - it's no longer an efficient device.
Apple has made a far superior translation layer than what Windows has managed to. So the problem lies with software, not hardware ...And I've yet to hear any "final solution" to this coming from Microsoft as of now

All WoA devices up to this point have relied on Qualcomm support, and their drivers are dogshit. They can barely get things working, and that is evident once you move away from synthetic benchmarks and the performance just tanks.

nVidia wont have that problem. Even at their worst they are on a completely different plane from qualcomm.

This will be the big test for WoA. If nVidia comes out with good drivers and the performance to match, its over for Qualcomm in the space and we'll see the ARM revolution in Windows finally take off.

I'm betting good money that the translation layer from MS works fine, its down to Qualcomm's ignorance as to why graphical performance is so shite.

 

[Eldrach]

I'm excited for this, the core count on the n1x is desktop 5070 level. If these things can deliver 5060/ti performance in a single package with macbook tier battery life and linux support I might actually be convinced to buy a new laptop!

All WoA devices up to this point have relied on Qualcomm support, and their drivers are dogshit. They can barely get things working, and that is evident once you move away from synthetic benchmarks and the performance just tanks.

nVidia wont have that problem. Even at their worst they are on a completely different plane from qualcomm.

This will be the big test for WoA. If nVidia comes out with good drivers and the performance to match, its over for Qualcomm in the space and we'll see the ARM revolution in Windows finally take off.

I'm betting good money that the translation layer from MS works fine, its down to Qualcomm's ignorance as to why graphical performance is so shite.

Remains to be seen, I'll be happy if they'd manage to make it work as intended - But this is a still a "first gen" product, hope you are correct of course...We need to look at shaking up the core of the PC business a bit, although it being Nvidia isn't that good for "diversifying" the marketshare.

 

[daffy duck]

No, but Qualcomm should!

 

[antiproduct]

People: Give us more graphics cards and bring down the prices!
Nvidia: Check out these laptop processors!

 

[cfenton]

Lenovo has tried releasing a high end ARM device previously - it wasn't a great success.

For native software, they work great - as soon as you need to use a translation layer - it's no longer an efficient device.
Apple has made a far superior translation layer than what Windows has managed to. So the problem lies with software, not hardware ...And I've yet to hear any "final solution" to this coming from Microsoft as of now

Apple also has a lot more control over platform. They were able to get developers to switch over to ARM in a few years. At this point, nothing I use regularly even requires the translation layer because it's all native. Microsoft isn't really in a position to force that kind of support.

 

[yRaz]

Can we ****ing not?

 

[Gixser]

FDR let industry have long reins and the result was an industrial boom like no other. Get off the money makers back and everyone can work

Can you expand on this by giving some examples as to what you mean? Been a long time since I studied US history but my recollection is exactly the opposite in terms of regulations and regulatory bodies.

 

[opckieran]

Nvidia all but abandons gaming customers and then brings this trash to market. I've never been more excited to give my money to anyone except Nvidia. This product will fail like the others or languish in a grey area of corporate financial life support until they finally admit they won't write enough software to justify a brand new architecture and pull the plug. This free market economy stuff is brutal, but it helps when you're being shoveled tax money.

I'm not sure what you mean when you imply nVidia is "being shoveled tax money", but the fact is, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm have an established future in laptops thanks to having a consumer CPU lineup. nVidia does not. They see the writing on the wall. They know the desktop market is not the future, and that laptop dGPU is no longer going to be viable within the next decade. So they have no choice here. The longer they wait to enter the SOC market, the worse of a chance they have to establish a marketshare, not dependent on Intel and AMD, for the laptops of the 2030s. And if any company can (and is actually motivated to, unlike Qualcomm) pull off a successful last-mile software engineering feat on this level, it's nVidia.

 

[RudyBob]

Can you expand on this by giving some examples as to what you mean? Been a long time since I studied US history but my recollection is exactly the opposite in terms of regulations and regulatory bodies.

Tell me what you think you know.

 

[Gixser]

Tell me what you think you know.

I think you are wrong.

 

[Axeia]

I'm hoping this fails as I'd like NVIDIA to stay out of newish markets (they ruined the GPU one more than enough). But realistically this stands a pretty good chance.
ARM on Windows is a lot more mature now. Performance has a reach a level where emulation even at a performance hit can likely brute force it for the majority of cases.
NVIDIAs driver will be a LOT better than what Qualcomm has to offer and MediaTek has been solid in their CPU designs.

It is somewhat of an odd combination, MediaTek 'the budget king' combined with NVIDIA 'Jensen needs every penny to afford more leather jackets'. But I guess MediaTek is simply more open to working with others than Qualcomm.
If this does become a hit I betcha with the next generation or the one after it MediaTek gets sidelined so that NVIDIA can do it themselves for more profit.

I'm mostly curious if this will make it into SteamOS gaming handhelds. Linux tends to handle different CPU architectures a lot more gracefully and if you're gaming on Linux you already expect some compromises when it comes to gaming anyhow.

 

[Jack77]

Apple has made a far superior translation layer than what Windows has managed to.

In addition: Apple also controls the silicon. They can tweak the design to accelerate the translation.

 

[FrancB]

Perfect for classrooms!

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Can we ****ing not?

Why? You want to sit in the Intel/AMD X86 duopoly forever?

 

[yRaz]

Why? You want to sit in the Intel/AMD X86 duopoly forever?

No, but inviting nVidia to the party isn't the answer. Also, ARM kinda sucks, especially now that SoftBank essentially owns them and can exert their influence over it. While ARM is technically open source, it isn't free source. The efficiency we get comes at a cost and SoftBank enjoys that idea. We might be better off with a new, open standard but no one really cares about this stuff anyway.

 

[airbornex]

Intel and AMD spent 20 years telling everyone that x86 was irreplaceable, then Apple proved otherwise, then Qualcomm tried and stumbled, and now Nvidia is coming back for round two with the most powerful brand name in PC gaming behind it.

I'm paying attention.

 

[Stoly]

Remains to be seen, I'll be happy if they'd manage to make it work as intended - But this is a still a "first gen" product, hope you are correct of course...We need to look at shaking up the core of the PC business a bit, although it being Nvidia isn't that good for "diversifying" the marketshare.

The trillion dollar company which is the dominant player in all the markets it's in, is not good at "diversifying"...

 

[Eldrach]

The trillion dollar company which is the dominant player in all the markets it's in, is not good at "diversifying"...

Hehe, yeah ..well, better than a ramble over «world domination»