PC wars: will Arm (finally) give x86 a run for its money?

Catching up to TSMC in process technology, shouldering massive investments in fabs and finding customers for the new foundry business – Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger faces a set of massive challenges. But Arm encroaching on his company’s home turf is not one of them, apparently. “Arm and Windows client alternatives, generally, have been relegated to pretty insignificant roles in the PC business. We don’t see these potentially being all that significant overall,” he told analysts recently. Putting on a brave face comes with the job.

Apple has shown the world what Arm can do beyond the mobile domain. The M series chips in Macbooks and Mac PCs, of which a third generation was recently launched, match the performance of x86 processors in relevant day-to-day tasks while drawing significantly less power. Not bad for a “lifestyle company from Cupertino,” as Gelsinger reportedly once referred to Apple.