Qualcomm might be Intel’s savior after all

Qualcomm is reportedly considering a strategic acquisition of Intel’s PC client business, marking a significant shift for the ARM chipset maker. If this move materializes, it could reshape the competitive landscape of the PC industry, giving Qualcomm a foothold in the x86-dominated market while allowing Intel to refocus on its broader growth initiatives. According to an exclusive report from Reuters, two anonymous sources hinted at these discussions. However, no formal communication has occurred between Intel and Qualcomm so far. An Intel spokesperson emphasized the company’s “deep commitment” to its PC business, echoing statements made at the recent Core Ultra Series 2 launch in Berlin. Intel has faced significant challenges in recent months. Following its announcement of a 15% workforce reduction ahead of its earnings call, the company reported a historic drop in revenue, leading to a 20% plunge in stock prices and investor lawsuits. Revenue from its PC client business declined by 8% to $29.3 billion last year, reflecting broader challenges in the PC market. Meanwhile, Intel’s 13th- and 14th-generation Raptor Lake desktop processors have been plagued by instability issues attributed to increased operating voltages caused by a microcode bug that results in crashes and system freezes. The potential rationale for Intel considering divesting its PC client division could be to recover costs. Offloading this segment could help the company free up resources to pursue leadership in high-growth areas like artificial intelligence, foundry services, and custom silicon development. Intel’s long-term vision under CEO Pat Gelsinger is to establish itself as a leading chip manufacturer for other companies, and this deal could align with that strategy. For Qualcomm, acquiring parts of Intel’s PC business would likely accelerate the transition to ARM-based computing. The company recently made strides in the Windows PC market, particularly in the mobile segment with its Snapdragon X Elite processors. Last year, the company reported $35.82 billion in overall revenue, and that figure is expected to grow as the AI-powered PC market gains momentum. By leveraging Intel’s x86 expertise, Qualcomm could develop hybrid processors that combine ARM’s energy efficiency with x86 performance, which is ideal for ultrathin laptops and mobile PCs. This could intensify competition in the PC market, challenging both Intel and AMD while providing consumers with more powerful, battery-efficient devices. Intel’s new Core Ultra 9 285K is finally here, promising a boost in performance with a significant reduction in power requirements, at least according to Intel. As you can read in my Core Ultra 9 285K review, Intel’s performance claims aren’t as rosy as reality, especially when stacked up against what is unequivocally the best processor for gaming you can buy: AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D. I threw both processors on the test bench to pit them head-to-head, looking at performance across productivity and gaming apps, as well as thermals and efficiency. These CPUs target different users, but there are still a lot of interesting comparisons we can look at between them.
Specs Qualcomm has been on a tear with its Snapdragon X Elite CPUs in Copilot+ laptops, but the company is struggling to expand beyond the initial lineup. Just days after the first orders arrived, Qualcomm has abruptly canceled its Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows and promised refunds to developers who had ordered the mini PC. We first heard about the Snapdragon Dev Kit in May, when Qualcomm announced it alongside the release of Copilot+ laptops. It was a part of Qualcomm’s ambitions on desktop Windows PCs, and Windows PCs more broadly, as it would allow developers to toy around with the most powerful Snapdragon X Elite CPU available — the X1E-00-1DE, which isn’t available on any consumer device and has over 100 watts of power at its disposal. AMD and Intel are teaming up. Shocking, yes, but the two giants who duke it out over the making the best processors are joining forces as the leaders of the new x86 ecosystem advisory group, the stated mission of which is “bringing together technology leaders to shape the future of the world’s most widely used computing architecture.” For those of you that get sufficient vitamin D, x86 is an instruction set architecture, or ISA. It’s been around for nearly 50 years, and it’s the bedrock of modern computing. An ISA dictates how a CPU reads and executes instructions. AMD and Intel may be fierce rivals, but they are the two major companies producing x86 processors today. Although AMD and Intel are leading the group, an ensemble of massive tech companies have also joined, including Microsoft, Google, HP, Dell, Broadcom, Lenovo, and Oracle.