As incredible as it seems, Intel and AMD have decided to unite by creating an alliance with other major IT players. Objective: save the x86 platform in the face of the rise in power of the ARM architecture.
The news seems incredible, especially for those who have followed the world of tech for years: Intel and AMD have just joined forces in a consortium bringing together several big names in the IT sector. The two major historical competitors – enemies – who have been waging a fierce war for ages in the world of PC processors have in fact decided to make common cause against an increasingly dangerous rival: ARM. To make a political parallel, it’s a bit as if Russia and the United States joined forces against China.
In recent years, the ARM architecture, historically used in smartphones, has established itself in new sectors such as laptops and servers. With companies like Apple, Qualcomm, Amazon, and even Nvidia embracing the technology, x86 architecture giants Intel and AMD are finding themselves under pressure. In response to this rise in power of ARM, Intel and AMD announced a historic alliance to strengthen their position in the market and guarantee the sustainability of the x86 architecture, as they explain in their joint press releases (see Intel press release And AMD press release).
This collaboration marks a turning point in the semiconductor industry. For a long time, Intel and AMD have been fierce competitors, fighting for supremacy in the design of processors for personal computers and servers. But market developments and growing competition have pushed these two rivals to join forces in a strategic alliance aimed at countering ARM’s rapid rise.
ARM: the architecture that is gaining momentum
The ARM architecture originated in the 1980s, but it’s only in the last decade that it has really taken off. It is widely used in mobile, for smartphones and tablets, but also in the audio-video world, with media players and connected TVs.
But it is mainly thanks to Apple that it recently took a major step forward, by showing that it could also serve as a basis for computer processors. The Cupertino company has abandoned Intel processors in favor of its own ARM chips, the M1, M2, M3 and M4, used in its Macs. This transition showed the world that ARM chips could rival, or even surpass, x86 processors in some areas, both in terms of pure performance and power efficiency. Other major players, like Qualcomm, have also adopted ARM for their Snapdragon X processors, used in Windows laptops.
Additionally, cloud computing giants, such as Amazon with its Graviton processors and Google with its Axion chips, have chosen ARM to design their own solutions, better suited to their specific needs. These developments show a clear trend: more and more companies prefer ARM for its customization capabilities, flexibility and energy efficiency.
x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group: the sacred union
Faced with this situation, Intel and AMD decided to react by creating the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group. This consortium brings together not only the two processor giants, but also heavyweights in the technology industry, such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Oracle, and even iconic figures like Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, and Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux. This group’s mission is to modernize and strengthen the x86 ecosystem, which remains the most widely used architecture in personal computers and servers today.
The objective of this alliance is multiple. Firstly, it is about ensuring better compatibility between the different hardware and software platforms based on the x86 architecture. This will simplify software development and ensure seamless interoperability between different devices and applications. Second, the alliance seeks to identify and meet future user needs, particularly in terms of performance, security and artificial intelligence.
Intel and AMD are no longer content to develop instruction set extensions on their own, as they did in the past. Now, they are collaborating across the industry to ensure that new technologies, like artificial intelligence algorithms, can be seamlessly integrated into operating systems, firmware, and applications. This collaborative approach aims to strengthen the x86 ecosystem in the face of ARM’s rapid advancements.
Alliance x86: major challenges
The x86 alliance is seen by its members as a crucial step for the future of architecture. Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, said: “We are on the cusp of one of the most significant changes to the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades.” This collaboration allows the two historic rivals to put aside their differences to focus on a common goal: maintaining the dominance of x86 in the face of the rise of ARM.
Of course, both companies rely first on their heritage, including compatibility with Windows and the immense collection of professional software that comes with it. Because if Microsoft has well adapted Windows to the ARM architecture, the same is not true with most applications which are designed for x86 and which must use some sort of emulation to run on computers with an ARM chip. This is not without problems in certain areas, and in particular games, which crash or simply refuse to run, or for specialized software which intensively and directly exploits certain hardware components or software libraries in critical processes. . In fact, most companies are still very hesitant about switching their PC fleet to models based on ARM chips with the risk of seeing drops in performance or, worse, incompatibilities with their business software.
One of the major challenges facing the alliance is ARM’s ability to adapt to new markets. For example, Microsoft, which is nevertheless a member of the x86 alliance, is increasingly pushing Windows towards the ARM architecture, in particular thanks to its partnerships with Qualcomm for Snapdragon chips. Nvidia, meanwhile, also plans to support Windows on ARM with its own solutions. This situation demonstrates that even within companies that traditionally support x86, interest in ARM is constantly increasing.
However, Intel and AMD do not remain totally opposed to the ARM architecture. Intel, through its Intel Foundry Services division, plans to produce ARM chips for third-party customers. AMD, for its part, has relaunched projects around the design of ARM processors, which could see the light of day by 2025.
x86 vs ARM: competition conducive to progress?
The alliance between Intel and AMD shows how the semiconductor industry is undergoing transformation. The fact that these two historic rivals are collaborating to counter the threat of ARM underlines the importance of this new dynamic in the sector. However, the battle between x86 and ARM is far from over.
The ARM architecture has demonstrated its effectiveness, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency and customization. However, the x86 ecosystem remains dominant in the PC and server industries, markets where raw performance and software compatibility are paramount. Through this alliance, Intel and AMD hope to not only maintain their leadership, but also innovate to meet the future needs of the industry, particularly with the advent of artificial intelligence and new workloads.
The question that now arises is whether the x86 architecture, with its heavy legacy, will be able to evolve quickly enough to meet the challenges imposed by ARM, or whether the latter will end up establishing itself as the standard in the years to come . One thing is certain: competition between these two architectures should boost innovation in the world of processors. And it’s not the users who will complain about it!