https://www.zdnet.com/article/thanks-to-nvidia-theres-a-new-generation-of-pcs-coming-and-theyll-be-running-linux/

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Thanks to Nvidia, there's a new generation of PCs coming, and
they'll be running Linux

OK, maybe you wouldn't pay three grand for a Project DIGITS PC.
But what about a $1,000 Blackwell PC from Acer, Asus, or Lenovo?
steven-vaughan-nichols
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor Jan.
10, 2025 at 1:27 p.m. PT

  * 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  * 

small-nvidia-project-digits-og-1200x630
Nvidia

I know, I know: "Year of the Linux desktop ... yadda, yadda." You&
apos;ve heard it all before. But now there's a Linux-powered PC
that many people will want: Nvidia's Project Digits, a desktop
with AI supercomputer power that runs DGX OS, a customized Ubuntu
Linux 22.04 distro.

Powered by MediaTek and Nvidia's Grace Blackwell Superchip,
Project DIGITS is a $3,000 personal AI that combines Nvidia's
Blackwell GPU with a 20-core Grace CPU built on the Arm architecture.
It's one impressive chip. It can deliver up to 1 petaflop of AI
performance at FP4 precision and support 200-billion-parameter large
language models.

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At CES, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed plans to make this
technology available to everyone, not just AI developers. "We're
going to make this a mainstream product," Huang said. His statement
suggests that Nvidia and MediaTek are positioning themselves to
challenge established players -- including Intel and AMD -- in the
desktop CPU market.

This move to the desktop and perhaps even laptops has been coming for
a while. As early as 2023, Nvidia was hinting that a consumer desktop
chip would be in its future. 

In an investor presentation, Huang said that while AI developers were
Nvidia's target audience for Project Digits, the company also
plans to market its desktop CPU to mainstream users. Nvidia believes,
he added, that it can bridge the gap between the Linux operating
system that most AI developers use and Microsoft by using the Windows
Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Also: 5 lightweight Linux distributions with very low system
requirements

But why do that? True, with WSL 2.0, you can run Linux graphic
desktops and programs. WSL's performance is also, on x86
hardware, close to native Ubuntu Linux's speeds on the same
platform. But, on ARM, it would be a different story. 

Yes, Microsoft now offers Windows on ARM (WoA). However, WoA is not a
first-class citizen in the Windows world. Many Windows programs won&
apos;t run natively on WoA and require Microsoft's Prism
emulator. Even Windows programs with WoA versions tend to be slow and
have problems. In particular, Windows games run poorly on ARM. 

Besides, why not use native Linux as the primary operating system on
this new chip family? Linux, after all, already runs on the Grace
Blackwell Superchip. Windows doesn't. It's that simple. 

Also: 10 Linux apps I always install first - and you should too

Nowadays, Linux runs well with Nvidia chips. Recent benchmarks show
that open-source Linux graphic drivers work with Nvidia GPUs as well
as its proprietary drivers. 

Even Linus Torvalds thinks Nvidia has gotten its open-source and
Linux act together. In August 2023, Torvalds said, "Nvidia got much
more involved in the kernel. Nvidia went from being on my list of
companies who are not good to my list of companies who are doing
really good work."

Who'd have thought it?

Also: The best mini gaming PCs of 2025: Expert recommended

Canonical, Ubuntu Linux's parent company, has long worked
closely with Nvidia. Ubuntu already provides Blackwell drivers.
Canonical claims, with reason, to offer the best-in-class
integrations with Nvidia hardware. These next-generation PCs will be
built for Linux. 

MediaTek, known for its leadership in smartphone chips, is poised to
play a crucial role in this new venture. The collaboration will allow
MediaTek to sell the desktop CPU PC vendors. Rick Tsai, MediaTek&
apos;s vice chairman and CEO, expressed enthusiasm about the
partnership: "Our collaboration with Nvidia on the GB10 Superchip
aligns with MediaTek's vision of helping make great technology
accessible to anyone."

Even at a price point of $3,000, I can see many more people than data
scientists and AI developers wanting Project DIGITS PCs on their
desktops. I know I do. 

OK, maybe you wouldn't pay three grand for a Project DIGITS PC.
But what about a $1,000 Blackwell PC from Acer, Asus, or Lenovo? All
three of these companies are already selling MediaTek-powered
Chromebooks. 

Also: We have named the 12 winners for the official Best of CES 2025
awards

It sure looks to me that this partnership will lead to a new
generation of AI-powered PCs with significantly enhanced
capabilities. Integrating Nvidia's GPU expertise with MediaTek&
apos;s proficiency in Arm-based architectures promises highly
efficient and powerful processors optimized not just for AI workloads
but for anyone who wants the fastest PCs on the planet. 

The first consumer products featuring this technology are expected to
hit the market later this year. I'm looking forward to running
Linux on it. Come on in! The operating system's fine. 

Linux

 
The best Linux laptops for consumers and developers
 
Want to save your aging computer? Try these 5 Linux distributions
 
The best distros for beginners
 
How to enable Linux on your Chromebook (and why you should)

  *  
    The best Linux laptops for consumers and developers
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