Friday, April 6th 2012
TSMC Faces Acute 28 nm Capacity Shortage
Taiwan's premier semiconductor foundry, TSMC, is reportedly facing an acute shortage in 28 nm manufacturing capacity. This shortage is expected to relax in Q3, 2012, according to sources. Qualcomm, AMD, and NVIDIA are the three biggest patrons of the 28 nm process, Qualcomm uses it to manufacture performance ARM application processors, while AMD and NVIDIA use it for their new generation GPUs. Although launched at the very end of Q4 2011, AMD's HD 7970 shipped a relatively small volume due to low manufacturing capacity. NVIDIA launched only two 28 nm GPUs, the GTX 680, and GT 640M, and has had to delay launch of more models, due to this reason, according to source. Qualcomm, meanwhile, shifted some of its orders to UMC.
Source:
DigiTimes
32 Comments on TSMC Faces Acute 28 nm Capacity Shortage
A paper launch is not having product after the launch... it doesn't mater if it's that day or the week after, but after the launch a shortage should NOT follow. AMD released the cards on their respective days, availability was dim, same happened a year before, but it gradually improved. Now all GCN lines are available with plenty of inventory. GK104 on the other hand was launched, nv boasted it has product, they did have some, but now newegg is all out of stock, clearly demand in US was high and product was scarce. Here, E-EU, only last two days one supplier reports having plenty in stock, while most are non-existent and some limited. AMD on the other hand has plenty of product here as well. And the new reports of TSMC's capacity shortage is not helping nv's argument of non-papery launch. Well, if you look at the prices, the top cards have always been around these figures. I remember the GTX200 prices, same as now. If they could have been lower... maybe, but if TSMC keeps reporting problems, how can AMD and NV make profit without having sufficient product (in the near future) for a healthy sale? Also, lowering prices would mean sacrificing margins for their older series. Maybe when inventories of those run out, the current generation will see a price reduction.
"tsmc; amd; nvidia cartel for speculate with high prices?"
Whether you believe it to be that way or not that's a paper launch. Scarce availability is scarce availability. Paper launch is paper launch. No one could get an HD7970 when it was reviewed. The GTX680 could be bought the morning that it got reviewed.
I said that I agree in that both situations are just as bad, but one is a paper launch, the other one isn't.
Though, at this point we don't know if there's scarcity of GTX680 because they didn't make enough cards or if it's because demand is much higher than for HD7970. Anywaym you could not get a HD7970 2 weeks after release either.
Both companies suck at the moment.
so the new ipad (ipad 3) was paper launched too :roll:.. (sold approx 3 million) . you had to wait either one or two weeks to get it... (depending wherein the world you were...)
again, the original iphone was "paper launched" had to wait two-three weeks... :laugh:
thus a paper-launch is were you don't have enough product for 80% of those that want it... which is both AMD and Nvidia.