MediaTek chips may integrate Nvidia GPU in 2024

In the keynote address of GTC 2021, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang confirmed a partnership with MediaTek. The slide presentation at the time revealed that MediaTek would acquire licensing permissions for the GeForce RTX 30 series GPU, integrating Ampere architecture graphics technology into the MT819x SoC. Although no finished product has yet materialized, it does not suggest an absence of progress in this endeavor between the two companies.

According to Digitimes, NVIDIA remains invested in the mobile market, planning to collaborate with MediaTek to develop a mobile platform that enhances the functionality and performance of MediaTek’s chips in gaming and AI applications. The earliest plan to incorporate a GPU with NVIDIA graphics technology into MediaTek’s chips is slated for 2024.

Currently, MediaTek has emerged as one of the leading suppliers of system chips for Chromebook. Many affordable Chromebook models utilize MediaTek’s chips. However, MediaTek harbors greater ambitions, aspiring to penetrate the Windows On Arm ecosystem. To meet the performance expectations of Windows users, MediaTek intends to develop an SoC with superior CPU and GPU performance, where NVIDIA’s robust graphics technology prowess aligns perfectly with MediaTek’s needs. Compared to smartphone chips, these would also more readily meet power consumption requirements.

MediaTek also envisions the application of NVIDIA’s graphics technology in flagship chips targeted at smartphones, with the aim of significantly enhancing graphical performance. Such an approach has precedents. Rival Samsung has already partnered with another GPU giant, AMD, incorporating its graphics technology into phones equipped with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. Although the initial product, Exynos 2200, wasn’t particularly successful, Samsung is certain to persist with this approach and deepen its collaboration with AMD.