Nvidia slips, Intel wins: N1X delay gives Intel Panther Lake breathing room

It's been a long wait for Nvidia's N1X and N1 CPUs, which have recently been confirmed by CEO Jensen Huang as a joint project with MediaTek. But we may be standing by a while longer until we see these chips finally arrive on PCs.

According to reputable leaker Moore's Law is Dead (MLID), Nvidia's N1X CPUs are suffering from bugs and software issues, leading to a delay in when we'll see Arm-based Windows laptops. Apparently, neither Microsoft nor Nvidia is rushing to make sure the SoCs (System on Chips) are fully supported on Windows.

Last year, rumors pointed to the N1X and N1 chips arriving in early 2026, but the recent development indicates that Team Green's CPUs won't launch on laptops until the second quarter of 2026, or even the summer.

Moreover, a previous leak claimed Microsoft's next-gen OS had caused an N1X CPU delay, so there may be ongoing compatibility issues with Team Green's Arm-based chip and Windows that both tech giants need to solve.

For now, this leak may specify why we haven't seen the launch of Nvidia's next-gen chip yet, especially during CES 2026. Initially, it was believed Team Green and MediaTek would announce the CPUs during Computex 2025. Now, it's looking like the reveal may happen during Computex 2026.

Nvidia N1X laptops are coming

While it's still unconfirmed when Nvidia will finally unveil its N1X and N1 chips in upcoming PCs, we at least have an idea of what laptops will come equipped with the all-new CPUs — if leaks are to be believed.

So far, we've heard that Dell's gaming brand Alienware will be among the first to launch new gaming laptops featuring the Nvidia and MediaTek CPU. The chips are expected to deliver the same performance as an RTX 4070-equipped laptop, after all, and we may see Alienware's new ultra-slim gaming laptop come with an N1-series chip.

According to tipster Huang514613 on X via VideoCardz, we should also see Nvidia N1X and N1 SoCs in upcoming Lenovo laptops, with product coding pointing to the launch of the chips. This includes the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5, Yoga Pro 7, Yoga 9 2-in-1 and Legion 7.

Not only does this indicate Team Green's N1X and N1 chips are both for laptops (previously, the N1X was indicated to be a CPU for desktops), but it also shows Nvidia's SoCs are for gaming and productivity laptops alike.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see when Nvidia and MediaTek's AI chips arrive, and the PCs we can expect them in. In the meantime, it's looking like we'll have to wait until summer before we see Nvidia enter the CPU market for consumers, and that gives more breathing room for Intel's Core Ultra 3 CPUs.

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