AMD and Intel formed a coalition to fight off Qualcomm

AMD and Intel are teaming up. Shocking, yes, but the two giants who duke it out over the making the best processors are joining forces as the leaders of the new x86 ecosystem advisory group, the stated mission of which is “bringing together technology leaders to shape the future of the world’s most widely used computing architecture.”

For those of you that get sufficient vitamin D, x86 is an instruction set architecture, or ISA. It’s been around for nearly 50 years, and it’s the bedrock of modern computing. An ISA dictates how a CPU reads and executes instructions. AMD and Intel may be fierce rivals, but they are the two major companies producing x86 processors today. Although AMD and Intel are leading the group, an ensemble of massive tech companies have also joined, including Microsoft, Google, HP, Dell, Broadcom, Lenovo, and Oracle.

Unsurprisingly absent from the list is Qualcomm, which is probably the reason this group was formed in the first place. Qualcomm’s chips use the Arm ISA, which is the current frontrunner for an ISA rivaling x86. Although Qualcomm’s roots are in mobile devices, the company has made inroads into PCs with the launch of Copilot+ laptops and the Snapdragon X Elite CPU. Some projections say that Arm CPUs could represent 40% of laptop sold by 2029, and 20% of laptops just next year.

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Big day! @Intel & @AMD launched an x86 advisory group to drive the customization, compatibility, and scalability customers need to evolve and keep pace with increasing compute workloads.

We’ve always championed ecosystem engagement, and we’re proud to work with @LisaSu and AMD… pic.twitter.com/O1TSoxBddg

— Pat Gelsinger (@PGelsinger) October 15, 2024

This unlikely team up between AMD and Intel seems like a way to stave off the threat of Arm processors in desktops and laptops. According to AMD, the goal of the group is to “enhance compatibility, predictability, and consistency across x86 product offerings.” AMD and Intel will still be “vigorous competitors,” as AMD puts it, but they’ll be working together to drive new features and innovations for x86 PCs, and ensuring broad compatibility outside of the traditional Windows ecosystem.

It’s no secret that Qualcomm has big ambitions in PCs, and Arm has already worked its way into other areas of computing. Apple’s PCs all use M-series chips that use the Arm ISA, and Nvidia’s Grace CPU in the data center uses Arm as well. Although it’s not clear yet what kind of innovations the x86 advisory group will bring, it’s clear that the coalition is an effort to keep the Arm threat at bay.