Intel and AMD unite to form a group amid rising popularity of ARM chips

Intel and AMD have announced the formation of an x86 ecosystem advisory group to compete with ARM chips. The alliance includes founding members such as Lenovo, Microsoft, Google, and Meta

Intel and AMD have announced the creation of an x86 ecosystem advisory group. Intel and AMD are the leading members of this new x86 Advisory Group, which includes founding members such as Lenovo, Microsoft, Google, and Meta. The announcement was hosted by Lenovo at the Tech World 2024 conference in Washington, where presentations were made by AMD CEO Lisa Su and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, who remarked that the x86 architecture is “alive and well.”

“The group will focus on identifying new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem by enabling compatibility across platforms, simplifying software development, and providing developers with a platform to identify architectural needs and features to create innovative and scalable solutions for the future,” stated the press release regarding the formation of the group.

This development appears to be an attempt by the makers of x86 chips, who are also competitors, to assure customers and investors that they are addressing the rise of chips based on ARM architecture.

ARM architecture has traditionally been used in smartphones and portable mobile devices. However, there has been a recent shift, with more laptops and desktop PCs that have historically relied on x86 architecture now being equipped with ARM chips. Apple has completely transitioned from Intel chips to ARM-based Apple silicon, while Qualcomm is producing ARM chips for Windows machines.

What is an ARM processor

ARM processors are system-in-package units featuring central processing units (CPUs) based on the “Reduced Instruction Set Computing” (RISC) architecture created by Arm Holdings, a British semiconductor design firm.

The RISC architecture focuses on executing a limited set of simplified instructions, enabling faster operation and a higher rate of millions of instructions per second (MIPS).

The key distinction between ARM and x86 processors lies in their instruction set architectures (ISA). ARM processors utilise RISC architecture, which streamlines the computing process by employing a smaller number of simpler instructions, often leading to improved energy efficiency.