- Nvidia’s N1X-powered laptops rumored to arrive in Q1 2026
- This means that these laptops should debut within the next couple of months
- Other models are expected to follow in the second quarter of 2026, and the next-generation N2 series is expected to launch later in 2027.
Nvidia’s big consumer chips for PCs, the Arm-based N1 and N1X, could finally be on the verge of arriving if a new rumor is accurate.
A report from DigiTimes (hats off to VideoCardz) claims that laptops powered by Nvidia’s N1X chip will launch in the first quarter of 2026. So, within the next couple of months.
These will target the mainstream market and three more variants will go on sale in the second quarter, we’re told. Presumably, this includes the base N1 chip, which is less powerful, but still intended to produce “high-end AI computing platforms” – the N1X is the highest-performance processor that will be aimed at laptops aimed at professionals, the report observes.
There is still some confusion around the naming and exact place of the N1 and N1X in the processor landscape, with some assuming that the N1 will be a desktop chip and the N1X a mobile (laptop) chip. However, DigiTimes makes it clear that the N1 and N1X will appear in laptops (add your own seasoning, naturally). That doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a desktop variant of one of these chips, though, and perhaps that’s still in the plans.
After the N1 series, the next-generation N2 silicon will take over for Nvidia in the third quarter of 2027, according to the report.
Obviously, be skeptical of this particular timeline, because even though Nvidia has plans for these N2 chips, this timeline could end up going awry (silicon is still relatively early in development).
Analysis: a chip to worry AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, and even Apple?
The rumor comes from supply chain sources, we’re informed, and the delay of the N1 series – which was supposed to arrive in late 2025 according to initial speculation about Nvidia’s Arm processor – is due to Team Green’s fine-tuning of those chips and “Microsoft OS delays,” the report states.
The latter likely refers to Windows 11 26H1, which is a new version of the operating system specifically for Snapdragon Non-Arm Windows (AMD and Intel) – makes sense.
Nevertheless, we must be careful, because, as we have already noted. I don’t consider DigiTimes one of the most reliable sources, but it can, on occasion, dig up useful and accurate rumors from the supply chain. The alleged launch timeline seems pretty credible considering what I just described, and we’ve also heard rumors suggesting similar plans in the past – such as an Alienware laptop with an Nvidia processor targeting a Q1 2026 launch.
These past rumors indicate why the N1X is also a chip worth getting excited about, and why not just Qualcomm, but Intel and AMD (as well as Apple) could be very worried here. Remember, the grapevine estimates that the N1X’s integrated graphics are, in terms of raw core count, the equivalent of the RTX 5070 GPU. If you’re expecting RTX 5070-level performance in a laptop, think again – I’ve explained why in the past (it depends on the power envelope and thermals, as well as memory issues). But nonetheless, the N1X is still shaping up to be a very capable chip for laptop gaming (or creative use), make no mistake.
Back to the rumor from DigiTimes itself, and if you want to argue against this report, you could point out that this is a tough climate to launch new laptop silicon, given forecasts of falling PC sales due to rising laptop prices wrapped up in the current RAM (and storage) crisis. However, if Nvidia made the decision to wait, the question is how long would the company have to hold out? The RAM crisis isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future – it could last until 2028 – so Nvidia biding its time until this whole thing blows over isn’t a realistic option.
A better question is if these laptops are so close, why hasn’t Nvidia recently introduced the N1X at CES 2026? I don’t have an answer to that question, except that maybe Team Green wants to do a standalone launch that fully highlights this new Arm-based silicon to make a splash for the entry of these laptops.
The best computers for every budget
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube And TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
