NVIDIA
The AI chip we didn’t see coming
Nvidia is moving further into the consumer PC market with a new chip built for AI-powered devices.
The company announced its RTX Spark chip ahead of the Computex tech show in Taipei.
CEO Jensen Huang said the shift could be as important as the move from mobile phones to smartphones.
Nvidia says the chip is designed for personal AI agents, which are AI tools that can act more like assistants than basic software.
The RTX Spark will be used in new Windows PCs from Lenovo, HP, Dell, Microsoft Surface, Asus and MSI, with the first models expected in the autumn.
Acer and Gigabyte are expected to follow.
The move puts Nvidia in closer competition with major PC and chip companies, including Apple, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm.
Analysts said it shows Nvidia moving beyond supplying chips and taking a bigger role in how AI PCs are built.
However, the new devices are likely to be aimed at users who need high-end performance, so they may come with a higher price tag.
The announcement also includes a partnership with Microsoft to support AI agents on Windows.
The main points:
Nvidia wants to bring its AI hardware into everyday PCs.
The chip could add pressure on Apple, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm.
The first RTX Spark-powered Windows PCs are expected in the autumn.
That’s a lot of chips
The launch comes as Nvidia continues to benefit from rising demand for AI data centres. The company is now valued at more than $5tn.
Separately, the US has tightened rules on selling advanced AI chips to Chinese firms.
New guidance says companies need a licence to export the most advanced AI chips to subsidiaries of Chinese firms based outside China.
But what does it actually do? - MV