Intel and AMD have announced they will partner up to create an ‘x86 ecosystem advisory group’ in a move some experts think will help the pair fight off competition from UK chipmaker Arm.
The x86 is a complex instruction set computer (CISC) architecture that powers most of the world’s CPU market - according to Statista, Intel’s x86 processors made up 71% of laptop CPUs in Q3 2024.
Arm, meanwhile, produces a rival CPU architecture with the aim of cutting in on x86’s action in the industry.
Ben Bajarin, CEO and principal analyst at Creative Strategies, told ITPro that while the x86 architecture still dominates the CPU market, this move could help to fight off challenges from the firm.
The new advisory board will bring together several big names in tech as founding members, including Broadcom, Dell, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), HP, Lenovo, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat.
Interoperability is the key focus here, and the group will look to expand the x86 ecosystem through enhanced compatibility across different platforms, simplified software development, and provisions for developers.
The group wants to create a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces to ensure predictability and consistency across x86 products. To do this, the pair will field technical input from x86 hardware and software communities.
For x86 users, the intended benefits are greater levels of customer choice, standardized product interfaces across Intel and AMD x86 offerings, and greater levels of integration with operating systems, frameworks, and applications.
“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades – with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said.
Will x86 stay on top?
At present, x86 commands a 90% share of the data center CPU market and 90% of the client CPU market, according to Bajarin. The advisory group is fighting off Arm in those areas more than anything else, he added, highlighting the necessity of the move.
Arm is a sizable competitor though. The firm has over 90% share of the mobile applications CPU market, according to Statista, and a 65% share of the global Internet of Things (IoT) market.
Bajarin said while the launch of the new advisory group could enable member firms to better shape the future of x86, there are still lingering concerns with regard to intel and AMD.
“This is a welcomed effort, but I'm not sure if it means more consistent and compatible extensions or not, as I expect Intel and AMD to still maintain some degree of differentiation with their versions,” Bajarin said.
There are a lot of underlying architectural characteristics Bajarin expects this move to have an impact on, though, and the deal will likely bolster more consistent software and hardware experiences.
Bajarin questioned how the move would help the x86 fit into the new world of AI, which AMD seemed to suggest it would. The chip maker emphasized the importance of a robust x86 ecosystem, adding that it will be crucial in the current landscape characterized in part by AI workloads.
Seeing as the x86 architecture doesn’t play much of a role outside of host CPUs in data centers, and that most AI workloads run on GPUs or non-x86 AI accelerators, Bajarin remains unconvinced about how the move would fit into plans for AI.
