Arm-based PCs to Nearly Double Market Share by 2027, Says Report

[AleksandarK]

Personal computers (PCs) based on Arm architecture will grow in popularity and their market share will almost double from 14% now to 25% by 2027, according to Counterpoint Research's latest projections. The ability of Arm-based hardware to run Mac OS has allowed Apple to capture 90% of the Arm-based notebook computer market. However, the full support of Windows and Office365 and the speed of native Arm-based app adoption are also critical factors in determining the Arm SoC penetration rate in PCs. Once these factors are addressed, Arm-based PCs will become a viable option for both daily users and businesses.

As more existing PC OEMs/ODMs and smartphone manufacturers enter the market, they will bring their expertise in Arm-based hardware and software, which will further boost the popularity of Arm-based PCs. The availability of more native Arm-based apps will also increase user comfort and familiarity with the platform. Overall, the trend towards Arm-based PCs is expected to continue and their market share will likely increase significantly in the coming years.




Arm-based PC SoCs to compete with x86 CPUs

• Arm-based PC SoCs are highly customizable. Unlike x86 CPUs, which are designed to be general-purpose processors, Arm-based SoCs can be tailored to specific use cases. This means that SoCs can be designed with a greater number of high-performance CPU cores and highly integrated memory, enabling them to compete with x86 CPUs. Their custom cores can enable more advanced features that are not possible with off-the-shelf processor cores, and allow for better integration with hardware and the operating system. Furthermore, Arm-based SoCs can incorporate highly integrated memory, resulting in faster and more efficient memory access. This can lead to improved performance in graphics-intensive tasks by enabling faster data access and sharing between the CPU and GPU.
• Arm-based SoCs offer several advantages over x86 CPUs, including lower power consumption and improved thermal efficiency. Additionally, their integrated AI-feature cores make them superior to x86 CPUs. They are designed with power efficiency in mind and can be customized to meet specific power requirements. This makes them ideal for use in mobile devices and laptops, where battery life is crucial. With the increasing demand for AI capabilities, there is a growing need to enhance various multimedia tasks, such as image and video encoding and compression, noise cancellation, vocal enhancement, and style transfer. By integrating AI technology into Arm-based notebooks, these tasks can be performed more efficiently, resulting in improved performance and user experience. Moreover, the integration of GPUs can further enhance the device's overall performance by accelerating computational tasks such as machine learning and image recognition. This allows for faster and more accurate results, making it possible to run more advanced applications and software on Arm-based devices.

Arm-based PCs integrate more components into compact devices, allow multiple form factors

• The size and weight of PCs are expected to decrease with the introduction of Arm-based SoCs. This will result in a smaller size difference between Arm-based PCs and tablets, facilitating easier integration of these two form factors by manufacturers. This is likely to lead to an increase in the production of laptop-tablet hybrids that can seamlessly switch between the two modes. With the growing popularity and affordability of these devices, convergence between laptop and tablet form factors is likely to intensify.

Arm-based PC Potential Applications

• 'Windows on a Stick' or 'Windows To Go' is a portable version of Windows that runs from a USB flash drive and can be used on any compatible x86 PC. Small form-factor devices like this face hardware resource limitations, but Arm-based SoCs offer better performance and integration. This makes them especially useful for small devices like the OS on Stick, providing better performance and more efficient use of space.
• The SoCs being used in VR headsets currently are typically based on smartphone-grade processors, which are designed to balance performance and power efficiency for use in mobile devices. While these SoCs can provide good performance for VR applications, they may not be able to match the performance of high-end PC-based processors in more demanding use cases. However, if Arm-based PC-grade SoCs were used in VR headsets instead, they could allow VR headsets to provide PC-like performance, with the ability to handle more complex and demanding VR applications. In addition to the improved performance, using Arm-based PC-grade SoCs in VR headsets could also enable the use of PC-like applications and provide users with access to a wider range of software and applications, as well as more familiar user interfaces and tools.

Conclusion
Arm-based PC SoCs offer several advantages over x86 CPUs, including customizability, lower power consumption, and integrated AI and GPUs. The rise of Arm-based PCs is expected to continue with the support of Windows and Office365, native apps, and industry experts. This trend is likely to lead to the integration of laptop and tablet form factors and the use of Arm-based SoCs in small devices and VR headsets.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Luke357]

Arm-based PC SoCs offer several advantages over x86 CPUs, including customizability, lower power consumption, and integrated AI and GPUs.

This line makes no sense "customizability" ??? "lower power consumption" that is fair not going to argue. "intergrated AI" AMD will have that very soon and Intel will probably have AI accelerators in 15th gen it so won't be an advantage for much longer (if it even is an advantage because I've yet to see any killer app that really utilizes AI cores on the PC side other than some Nvidia/Intel specific stuff that is). "GPUs" what does that mean??? Most CPUs today whether it be x86, ARM or even RISC-V have GPUs

 

[Denver]

In terms of efficiency, AMD APUs are able to match or exceed ARM CPUs in a comparable process, however, x86 CPUs hold a notable advantage in software compatibility that ARM CPUs cannot match natively...

 

[maxfly]

Reads as a sales pitch.

 

[Garrus]

A little premature here. Apple is not making good laptops. Sure their chips are good, but they can't seem to make a decent laptop. Standard IPS 16" 16:10 120hz, no notch, no webcam, M2 Pro, 16GB/512GB. $1200-1500 or so. That's what people want, not what they get. Apple's sales dropped 40 percent in the last year because their laptop designs and pricing sucks, not because the M2 pro isn't great.

As for non Apple products, we don't even have an ARM cpu yet worth buying.

Graph is premature.

Reads as a sales pitch.

I don't see ARM having any advantages over the Ryzen 7940HS for example. GPU and AI features included unlike the article's suggestion. Also low power. Stick that in my dream laptop. 2 x USB-A on one side, 16" 120hz no notch no webcam body, lightweight.

 

[jrocket]

Stop trying to make ARM a thing on PCs. It's not going to happen.

 

[enb141]

Stop trying to make ARM a thing on PCs. It's not going to happen.

Yep, that's very unlikely, specially in gamers PCs, in where you need a dedicated video card.

A little premature here. Apple is not making good laptops. Sure their chips are good, but they can't seem to make a decent laptop. Standard IPS 16" 16:10 120hz, no notch, no webcam, M2 Pro, 16GB/512GB. $1200-1500 or so. That's what people want, not what they get. Apple's sales dropped 40 percent in the last year because their laptop designs and pricing sucks, not because the M2 pro isn't great.

As for non Apple products, we don't even have an ARM cpu yet worth buying.

Graph is premature.

And uberly expensive upgrades, from 8 GB to 16 GB in ram $200, same for 256 GB SSD to 512 GB SSD.

I don't see ARM having any advantages over the Ryzen 7940HS for example. GPU and AI features included unlike the article's suggestion. Also low power. Stick that in my dream laptop. 2 x USB-A on one side, 16" 120hz no notch no webcam body, lightweight.

ARM on mobile have better battery and that's all, on desktop I don't see the benefit of using ARM.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

the PC category here is all inclusive(any portable) and not a threat to the desktop PCs space, imo.

 

[bonehead123]

Arm is great for certain things, not so much for others, namely windows DESKTOP PC's.....

We've been hearing the "this is the year of ARM" thing for so long I can't even remember when it started anymore, and yet it STILL hasn't happened in any meaningful way...doesn't mean it won't, just not TODAY

So for now, howzabout a big, collective Y/A/W/N, hehehe

 

[Mac the Geek]

The excerpt above doesn't provide a link to the source. Here it is.

From the word choices and the graph, it's clear that the focus is on the low end of computing power. Mainstream desktop PCs aren't threatened; the described "opportunity" is in phones and tablets and super-cheap laptops.

Reading the article, I wondered: who is Counterpoint Research? Their LinkedIn page sums it up in one sentence: "Counterpoint is a market research company dedicated to delivering in-depth intelligence of the technology markets to the C-levels of the mobile industry." Market research, C-levels, mobile industry. Yeah, the threat to desktop computing is just a liiiiiittle overstated.

 

[phanbuey]

my kid has one of these laptops for kindergarten :/

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

my kid has one of these laptops for kindergarten :/

speak-n-spell?

 

[neblogai]

Sure, ARM market share in desktops sure could grow during the pandemic, when demand for laptops was higher than supply, and anything went. With the prices of normal x86 increased, ARM laptops did not look as bad both at the premium segment (making Apple laptops comparativelly well priced). And at the low end, ARM laptops were 'a choice' in a market short on stock too. However, now that the demand has dropped, and x86 is more than sufficient, we already see Apple having the biggest drop in laptop sales among the big OEMs. Budget market is likely to follow, with Alder Lake N and Mendocino now offering quite high performance for basic laptops, and also better compatibility.