AMD pushes back on Arm hype, says x86 processors deliver on battery life and performance

The big picture: At this year’s IFA technology showcase in Berlin, AMD seized the opportunity to address an issue that has repeatedly surfaced in the chip industry: the debate over the efficiency and longevity of x86 processors versus Arm-based designs. During a media roundtable, AMD executives stated that the conventional wisdom that x86 processors fall short in power efficiency is outdated, pointing instead to recent advancements in notebook platforms powered by both AMD and Intel.

AMD’s argument centered on the overall system experience rather than the processor’s instruction set. The company emphasized that factors such as processor design, GPU integration, and memory architecture act together to determine power efficiency and battery life in modern devices. AMD pointed to recent x86-powered laptops running on its own Ryzen line, as well as Intel’s forthcoming Lunar Lake chips, arguing that these platforms not only hold their own in terms of competitive battery life but also maintain widespread compatibility with the complete x86 software ecosystem that has been developed over decades.

The company also discussed its own internal research, revealing that it had explored moving to the Arm instruction set several years ago with the discontinued K12 project. However, AMD ultimately chose to stick with x86, citing the clear advantages of software compatibility and the continuing strength of the x86 market.

Executives at the session noted that while Arm-based PCs – now coming from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X line and the soon-to-launch offerings from Nvidia – are gaining a foothold, these chipsets are dwarfed in volume and market presence by traditional x86 designs. According to AMD, most notebooks and handheld gaming systems continue to ship with x86 processors, contradicting claims that Arm designs are the only path to efficiency.

The remarks came in response to continued coverage and industry speculation about how Arm-based CPUs, known for their role in smartphones and tablets, might upend the established dominance of x86 hardware in PCs and laptops. However, the company’s position was clear at the Berlin event: battery life and efficiency in modern notebooks result from the sum of component design choices, not from the instruction set running under the hood. The company expects competition between x86 and Arm to continue, but is confident in the legacy and capabilities of its own architecture as well as those of its longtime rival Intel.