Intel is feeling the squeeze from

its ARM rivals, says Matt Hanson

For perhaps too long, Intel dominated the CPU market

for Windows laptops and PCs. If you were buying or

building a new computer, you’d almost certainly be

slotting an Intel chip into the motherboard. But one company

having such dominance isn’t a good thing. It restricts choice for

consumers, and the market leader can get complacent.

Things are changing, however. A resurgent AMD is bringing

the heat back to Intel with its Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs, and

we’re also seeing the rise of non-x86 ARM processors. Usually

found in mobile and embedded devices, a new generation of

ARM processors is now powering laptops, lead by Qualcomm.

With the likes of Microsoft and Lenovo supporting this new

breed of laptop, it looks like the way we use those devices could

change forever, and Intel needs to adapt—or die.

Qualcomm

and the

rise of

non-x86

WindoWs

maximumpc.com aug 2019 MAXIMUMPC 45