Nvidia and MediaTek Working on Arm-Based SoC with RTX 4070-Level Performance for Laptops and Potential Handhelds

Nvidia and MediaTek are reportedly collaborating on a new gaming laptop System-on-Chip (SoC) that could deliver performance comparable to the RTX 4070 GPU, according to recent rumors from Taiwanese sources. The chip, which is expected to use Nvidia’s Blackwell GPU architecture, was initially believed to have a thermal design power (TDP) between 80W and 120W, but new reports suggest it will be closer to 65W. This change in power consumption could make it a viable option not only for gaming laptops but also for future handheld gaming PCs, although it still exceeds the typical 30W TDP seen in current handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X and MSI Claw 8 AI+.

The SoC is said to be Arm-based, promising improved battery life and efficiency for portable devices. If Nvidia and MediaTek succeed, this could mark Nvidia’s most significant entry into the handheld gaming market, which has seen rapid growth thanks to devices like Valve’s Steam Deck. However, there is skepticism about whether the 65W TDP is low enough for practical handheld use. The article also points out that AMD’s latest APUs, such as the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, have already demonstrated performance that rivals or exceeds discrete GPUs like the RTX 4070 in some games, though their high TDP has so far kept them out of handhelds.

Overall, the rumored chip represents a significant step toward bridging the gap between laptop and handheld gaming performance. If realized, it could intensify competition in the portable gaming sector and push the industry closer to handhelds that rival the power of traditional gaming laptops.