Nvidia’s N1X processor for laptops could be right around the corner

Lenovo has accidentally confirmed it is working on laptops powered by Nvidia’s yet-to-be-announced N1X chip. The confirmation comes from Lenovo’s own ADFS authentication system, which referenced an “Nvidia N1x Portal” in its internal login page, as first spotted by the folks at VideoCardz. 

Earlier support page leaks also listed several unreleased Lenovo systems with N1 and N1X labels, including the Legion 7 15N1X11, which points to a Legion 7 gaming laptop built around the N1X chip. 

So what exactly is the Nvidia N1X?

According to leaks, the N1X is Nvidia’s upcoming ARM-based chip that combines a 20-core CPU with a Blackwell GPU in a single package. The CPU uses a hybrid design with 10 performance cores and 10 efficiency cores, and the GPU packs 6,144 CUDA cores, which is the same core count as the desktop RTX 5070. The chip is built on a 3nm process and supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory. 

The N1X is probably the same chip powering Nvidia’s DGX Spark compact AI computer, which runs at 120W. The laptop version will likely ship at a lower power target, which means slightly dialed-back performance, but still a massive leap over anything currently available in a Windows ARM laptop.

Could this change Windows gaming laptops?

If the chip turns out to be as good as it seems on paper, for the first time, a Windows ARM laptop could realistically handle gaming, video editing, and AI workloads without needing a separate graphics card. 

The big caveat is software. Windows on ARM has improved a lot, but game compatibility and driver support are still works in progress. If Nvidia can sort that out, the Legion 7 N1X could be a genuinely exciting laptop.

I have been waiting for a Windows on ARM laptop that can genuinely compete with Apple’s MacBook Pros, and it seems the upcoming Nvidia N1X-powered laptop will finally deliver it.