NVIDIA throws Intel a $5 billion lifeline to build PC and data center CPUs

NVIDIA has today announced it will invest $5 billion in Intel as part of a new collaboration between the two companies. In a statement, NVIDIA said it would work with its ailing rival to “jointly develop multiple generations of custom data center and PC products.” The partnership will focus on "seamlessly integrating" NVIDIA's class-leading GPUs and AI chips with Intel's ailing x86 CPUs. Some of that work will be based on harnessing NVLink, NVIDIA's existing system to marry-up x86 CPUs with its own silicon in big data center setups. And Intel will also be tasked with building “NVIDIA-custom x86 CPUs” for integration with the latter company’s AI products.

More interestingly for consumers, however, is the news Intel will "build" what's being described as "x86 system-on-chips (SOCs) that integrate NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplets." The quote says these "RTX SOXs will power a wide range ...