If AMD ryzen wasn't enough of a problem.... The 1-2 punch comes from Windows/ARM and Qualcomm
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3178387/servers/microsoft-ports-windows-server-os-to-arm-with-help-from-qualcomm.html
Microsoft has warmed up to Qualcomm to make a Windows 10 PC based on its ARM chip, and now the companies are bringing Windows Server OS to ARM.
For the first time ever, Microsoft is expected to show the Windows Server OS running on an ARM server. The server runs on Qualcomm’s Centriq 2400, an ARM-based chip designed for cloud servers.
The server is being shown at the Open Project Compute Summit being held in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday and Thursday.The ARM-based Windows Server hardware is for Microsoft’s internal use. No information was shared on when Windows Server would be available for ARM servers.
The ARM-based Windows Server hardware is for Microsoft’s internal use. The company didn’t share information about when Windows Server would be available for ARM servers.
Putting Windows Server on ARM is a big deal. Way back in 2011, Microsoft said it had no interest in putting the Windows Server OS on ARM servers. Since then, rumors have surfaced that Windows Server 2016 was being ported to ARM, but this is the first time the OS is being shown working on the hardware.
Like with PCs, current editions of Windows Server only run on systems with x86 chips from Intel and AMD. But Microsoft has been warming up to ARM on laptops and now servers. The company’s Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 Mobile already work on ARM chips.
Microsoft and Qualcomm worked for many years to bring Windows Server to Centriq 2400. The collaboration will continue for future generations of server hardware and software, the companies said.
The goal with Windows Server on ARM is to run next-generation Microsoft cloud services on servers with Qualcomm’s Centriq 2400 chips, the companies said in a statement.