Report suggests Qualcomm’s upcoming Oryon CPUs stirred controversy among PC makers
A requirement by Qualcomm over its Oryon processors for Windows laptops may be causing a problem.
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What you need to know
Qualcomm’s forthcoming Oryon CPUsareclaimed to rival Apple’s M-series chipsand boost Windows thin-and-light laptops. That’s unsurprising, given that Nuvia, the team behind the Oryon CPU, employs former Apple engineers who worked on its A-series chips.
But theremaybe a problem.
According to a report bySemiAccurate, Qualcomm wants to mandate the use of its power management integrated circuits (PMICs) in its next-generation Oryon processors. (According toWikipedia, PMICs have numerous functions in battery-operated devices, including DC-to-DC conversion, battery charging, power-source selection, voltage scaling, and power sequencing.)
The report from SemiAccurate notes Qualcomm’s System-on-Chips (SoCs) require the usage of its exclusive PMIC due to its proprietary power management protocols. This thus forces PC laptop makers to use (and purchase) those PMICs in addition to the Oryon processors.
Traditionally, PC makers could take or leave it for PMICs and source their own, but that is not an option with Oryon.
Qualcomm is trying to sell this idea (literally) to its partners, but it seems it won’t be easy because the PMICs are smartphone-oriented and might not be up to the task for PCs, as spotted byTom’s Hardware.
According to SemiAccurate, the best-case scenario would be to optimize the PMICs, but this would be a capital-intensive venture (meaning it costs more for the OEMs to go this route with Qualcomm). Moreover, it would still require multiple PMICs to handle a PC-class SoC and a printed circuit board (PCB) with a 0.6mm pitch HDI.
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SemiAccurate notes that PC OEMs have threatened to pull the plug on their Oryon projects because of this PMIC mandate, which could drive up costs for the laptop makers.
However, SemiAccurate also claims via multiple sources that Qualcomm has compensated OEMs financially to counter the cost implications of building Windows laptops with the Oryon chipset and mandated PMICs.
Qualcomm Oryon processors revealed in October
Qualcommacquired Nuviain January 2021 for $1.4 billion. It began working on new chips, which Qualcomm officially labeledOryon in late 2022.
The world will get its first peek at Oryon CPUs in just a few weeksat Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. Details about performance, efficiency, and some reference design laptops powered by the next-gen chip will be revealed. However, consumers won’t get onto such PCs until sometime in 2024, when they hit mass production.
A separatereport by SemiAccurateclaims that Oryon CPUs perform “slightly more than the Apple M2 cores,” which is impressive for a Gen 1 product. However, Apple is on track torelease its M3 chips, possibly later this year.
Windows Central will be at the Snapdragon Summit on October 24-26 to cover the unveiling of the new processors.
Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
