Bad for Intel, fine for AI, and a reminder that the real power still sits with whoever runs the best fabs.
NVIDIA had reportedly tested Intel’s 18A chips following their $5 billion ‘mega-deal,’ according to a new report, but the sampling didn’t yield decisive results for the foundry division.
Intel’s 18A Node May Be an Option, But 14A Process Remains the Primary Goal for External Clients
Intel Foundry is pursuing a breakthrough, and one of the ways the firm is aiming to achieve it is by securing external customers for its chips, such as the 18A and 14A. Earlier reports have suggested that there has been massive interest from companies like Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm; however, each fabless manufacturer is waiting to see how volume ramp-up and Intel’s internal process adoption turn out. Interestingly, a report by Reuters, discussing the backstory of the conflict between Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, and President Trump, reveals that NVIDIA had sampled the 18A process.
https://wccftech.com/nvidia-had-tested-out-intel-18a-process-but-stopped-moving-forward/