Nvidia's N1/N1X chips have been leaked again, with a planned release in the first half of 2026. The highly anticipated chips are reportedly set to debut in Dell and Lenovo laptops. The N1 silicon is finally on the horizon.
According to a new report published in The Wall Street Journal, the N1/N1X system-on-chips (SoCs) are slated for release in the first half of 2026. Sources indicate that PC manufacturers like Dell Technologies and Lenovo are working on models that will utilize the Nvidia-MediaTek SoC, which is built on the architecture of UK chip designer Arm. The first computers featuring this chip are expected to go on sale in the first half of 2026.
This timeline aligns with previous reports from DigiTimes, which suggested that N1X-based laptops would be released this quarter. Prior to that, a shipping manifest from November 2025 showed a "Dell 16 Premium" laptop, an engineering sample of the N1X. For context, the N1 and N1X chips are Nvidia's Arm-based SoCs, featuring up to 20 CPU cores (split into two 10-core clusters) and an integrated GPU on par with the RTX 5070. CEO Jensen Huang confirmed that the GB10 Superchip powering the DGX Spark mini-PC is indeed based on N1 silicon, meaning it already exists, but it's not gaming-oriented as we might expect from N1. These SoCs are aimed at consumers looking for thin and light devices that can compete with Apple's MacBook lineup, according to the WSJ. The M-series chips in those MacBooks are also Arm-based, and Microsoft's Windows-on-Arm initiative has yet to offer a worthy competitor. Qualcomm's efforts have fallen short, hampered by both weak GPU drivers and compatibility issues with x86 applications. Nvidia, being a GPU manufacturer, can be expected to focus the N1/N1X chips on gaming, regardless of the Arm CPU cores. The company already supplies chips for the Nintendo Switch 2, but its last public release of a Tegra X1 chip (which also powers the original Switch) was in 2015. Therefore, a return to this segment has been long awaited. Over the past decade, Nvidia has primarily focused its SoC development on the robotics and automotive markets. Aside from N1, Nvidia is also collaborating with Intel to develop "Intel x86 RTX SOCs," which will combine Intel's CPU cores with an Nvidia GPU chip in a single package. Aside from the architectural differences between x86 and Arm, this silicon is expected to be more powerful and likely to be released at least a few years later, though it is still mentioned in the WSJ report.
After several rumors in 2024 touting a 2025 release, we finally learn that the N1/N1X chips have been postponed to 2026. The upcoming Nvidia GTC, scheduled for March 16-19, is a likely candidate for the unveiling of these chips. Pricing will remain a key factor in their adoption; Jason Tsai from DigiTimes stated, "Unless it's around $1500, it might remain a niche luxury product."