by We’ve already reported on Qualcomm’s new 12-core uber Arm chip, the Snapdragon But it takes two to tango when it comes to a major transition, like moving from x86 CPUs to Arm chips. Not only do you need hardware, you also need software.
And that, dear PC fans, is where Windows 12 supposedly comes in. Reports indicate that Microsoft plans to add specific support for Snapdragon X Elite in future versions of Windows.
Specifically, Microsoft is said to be working on a new version of Windows, codenamed Germanium, that is compatible with Snapdragon X Elite (via Windows Central). Current Windows-for_arm versions of Microsoft’s operating system are said to be not ready for Snapdragon X Elite. Then the chip will have to wait for the germanium.
Now, the germanium launch is scheduled for April. And laptops with that critical Germanium-Snapdragon X Elite combination will supposedly appear in June. So by mid-2024, we should have an idea of whether 2024 will be the Arm-driven game changer for the PC.
As background, it’s worth remembering why the PC has yet to make a truly substantial transition to Arm CPU architectures, despite that being predicted for years and Apple switching to Arm across its entire product stack.
About a decade ago, Arm was really only supposed to be suitable for low-power applications. You needed x86 for high performance. But Apple’s ‘A’ and ‘M’ chips have proven that’s not true. Apple’s Arm cores now have significantly higher performance per clock cycle than any traditional x86 PC processor.
Without a doubt, the best x86 chips still offer greater CPU performance thanks to higher clocks and core counts. But Apple has shown that Arm can compete and then some in crunching critical numbers.
More recently, the PC-to-Arm transition has been slowed by Qualcomm’s exclusive licensing agreement to provide Arm hardware for supported versions of Windows. That deal expires next year, opening up the market to anyone who might have a chance.
Of course, it’s somewhat ironic that it’s Qualcomm that appears to be the first to come out with what appears to be a chip that could do for the PC what Apple silicon did for Macs.
But Qualcomm is expected to have some pretty serious competition on its hands fairly soon. Nvidia is said to be preparing its own Arm chip for 2025. AMD is also rumored to be working on an Arm CPU, although a release date has not been discussed.
And lest you forget, that trove of leaked data from Microsoft revealed that it’s considering using Arm CPU cores for its upcoming Xbox gaming console. Taking all of this into account, it certainly looks like Arm hardware on the PC will reach critical mass in the coming years.
But what about the software side of the equation? Obviously, Microsoft already offers Arm-compatible versions of Windows. But one critical area where Arm versions of Windows have arguably fallen short is support for legacy x86 code. Over time, hopefully all core software will be ported to Arm. But during any transition phase, compatibility with older x86 software will surely be critical.
Windows 10 for Arm, of course, included emulation technology that allowed existing 32-bit x86 applications to run unmodified on Arm devices. Windows 11 upped the ante to add support for legacy 64-bit apps and software.
But so far performance and stability have been spotty. Simple apps generally work, which may include some older games, but performance and stability on more demanding software is much more hit and miss. And then there’s the annoying issue of driver assistance. Much of the hardware that requires custom drivers simply doesn’t work.
This is exactly where Apple has done a really good job. It’s easier for Apple, of course, because it controls the entire hardware and software stack. It has allowed Apple to incorporate features into its Arm-powered A and M series chips that are specifically designed to accelerate x86 emulation, smoothing its transition from Intel x86 chips to its own Arm designs.
Apple’s old x86 software actually works remarkably well with Apple silicon, and that even includes some games. It’s a useful demonstration of what can be done and what needs to be done to make Arm truly viable on the PC.
Of course, it’s the games that perhaps pose the toughest challenge to any emulation effort. That’s why gaming PCs will likely be the last bastion of x86 PC hardware.
But Apple has shown how well emulation can be done, and both Qualcomm and Nvidia have every reason to strive to make chips that emulate x86 software as best as possible. Neither of them have a license to manufacture x86 CPUs. So if they want to gain ground in the PC processor market, Arm chips that emulate x86 CPU cores well are a must.
Put this way, you know that Nvidia would love to be able to build you a complete PC, controlling both the CPU and GPU and eliminating AMD and Intel entirely. That would put it on equal footing with its main competition on the PC. Thanks to Intel’s push in graphics, both it and AMD can make the two main components, leaving Nvidia swinging in the wind and dependent on platform support from Intel or AMD. You can’t possibly be happy with that situation.
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However, what neither Nvidia nor Qualcomm can do, nor AMD if it’s also in on the Arm action, is make sure Microsoft delivers on its half of the equation. So far, there’s no doubt that Microsoft’s efforts with Windows on Arm have been half-hearted. But if Microsoft is indeed creating a specific version of Windows for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, that implies that Microsoft is also getting its act together.
And of course, if the next Xbox console actually uses Arm cores instead of x86 cores, that will automatically mean that most major games have an Arm code path from the start.
So, yes, we’ve heard it all before. Industry analysts have been predicting that Arm will assimilate the PC for decades. But this time it could be happening, it could really be happening.
