In 2020, Apple shook up the industry with its M1 chips. In 2025, it's Nvidia's turn to redefine the rules. More than a simple evolution, it is a revolution in the making.
Is history repeating itself? In 2020, Apple shook the industry with its M1 chips, the American firm demonstrated that an ARM architecture could outperform x86 processors on a computer. In 2025, Nvidia seems to be following a similar path with its Project Digits, but with perhaps even greater ambition.
Nvidia's announcement of Project Digits at CES 2025 isn't just a technology demonstration — it's potentially the cornerstone of a quiet revolution in the PC world.
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Under its Mac mini appearance, Project Digits hides an architecture radically different from anything we know.
The Superchip GB10 chip
At the heart of the beast, the Superchip GB10 chip, created with MediaTek, is interesting in more than one way: it combines a high-performance ARM CPU with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capable of managing up to 200 billion data parameters. 'AI. In terms of raw power, we're talking 1 petaflop — imagine processing a million trillion operations in one second. To put that number into perspective, that's about 1000 times more powerful than a current high-end laptop.
The 128 GB unified memory is not chosen at random either. This configuration enables ultra-fast data transfers between the CPU, GPU and NPU, eliminating traditional PC bottlenecks. It is this unified architecture that allows Project Digits to achieve performances impossible with a classic PC architecture.
This minimachine was designed to run large language models (LLM) with up to 200 billion parameters. If you connect two of them, together they can manage up to 405 billion parameters.
To understand the scale of what Nvidia is preparing, let's remember the Apple Silicon earthquake. By switching from Intel to its own ARM chips, Apple hasn't just improved performance — the company has exceeded expectations. The M1 Macs demonstrated that you could have power and energy efficiency. The current M4s take this philosophy even further.
Nvidia's Project Digits shows a similar ambition, but with a fundamental difference: where Apple aimed for generalist excellence, Nvidia is betting everything on AI.
And Windows?
And now you're wondering why we're talking about a machine that costs $3,000? In fact, Nvidia's plans don't stop there.
Qualcomm's exclusivity on Windows ARM, with their Snapdragon Plus chips, is coming to an end, which opens the way for a lot of things. Nvidia, with its Project Digits as a technology showcase, isn't just watching — the company is actively preparing to transform the Windows ecosystem. The founder of Nvidia has confirmed, he will release an ARM chip for the general public.
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Is it on Windows? Already, Project Digits runs on Linux and not Windows. For Nvidia's future ARM chip for PCs, Windows still seems to be the most logical option. The choice of Linux for the current Project Digits meets specific AI development and research needs.
However, the Windows ecosystem is already optimized for Nvidia GPUs. Moreover, the strategic partnership with MediaTek also makes sense in the Windows environment. This alliance would combine MediaTek's expertise in ARM processors and energy efficiency with Nvidia's know-how in GPUs and AI. The result? A machine capable of competing with Macs in terms of performance and autonomy, while retaining the richness of the Windows ecosystem.
From a business perspective, Windows offers a much larger market than Linux. Businesses, creatives, gamers — all of these segments are already rooted in the Windows ecosystem. An Nvidia machine running Windows would immediately benefit from this user base, as well as support from resellers and integrators accustomed to working with the platform.
And Linux?
Despite everything, the example of SteamOS proves to us that a well-thought-out Linux solution can conquer the general public. What seemed unthinkable a few years ago is now becoming a credible option for Nvidia and its future consumer version of Project Digits. After all, why just follow the beaten path when you can forge your own path?
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Imagine for a moment: a machine as efficient as it is compact, powered by a MediaTek-Nvidia chip, running a specially designed Linux distribution.
The interface would be fluid, intuitive, designed for a smooth user experience. More than just an operating system, it would be an entire ecosystem optimized to get the most out of Nvidia hardware. RTX and DLSS technologies would be integrated natively, which would provide good graphics performance without complex configuration.
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The success of the Steam Deck shows us the way. Valve has achieved the unthinkable: getting gamers to adopt Linux without them realizing it. Thanks to Proton, Windows games run like clockwork, and the interface is so intuitive that no one cares about the system running underneath. Nvidia could follow this model while adapting it to its vision: a versatile machine, as comfortable for content creation as for gaming or consumer AI applications.
Freed from the constraints of Windows, Nvidia engineers could optimize every aspect of the system: from drivers to the kernel to power management. This deep integration would make it possible to achieve levels of performance and energy efficiency otherwise impossible. AI, Nvidia's great specialty, could be integrated naturally into every aspect of the system, which would offer a truly new experience.
Perhaps the time has come to shake up the world of personal PCs, to offer an alternative that isn't just “another Windows PC” or “a Mac clone.”
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