In its 2021 Architecture Day presentation, Intel revealed that its first performance gaming GPU, the Arc "Alchemist," is built on the TSMC N6 silicon fabrication node (6 nm). A more advanced node than the N7 (7 nm) used by AMD for its current RDNA2 GPUs, TSMC N6 leverages EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography, and offers 18% higher transistor density, besides power improvements. "With N6, TSMC provides an optimal balance of performance, density, and power-efficiency that are ideal for modern GPUs," said Dr Kevin Zhang, SVP of Business Development at TSMC.

With working prototypes of "Alchemist" already internally circulating as the "DG2," Intel has beaten AMD to 6 nm. Team Red is reportedly planning optical-shrinks of its RDNA2-based "Navi 22" and "Navi 23" chips to TSMC N6, and assigning them mid-range SKUs in the Radeon RX 7000 series. The company will build two higher-segment RDNA3 GPUs on the more advanced TSMC N5 (5 nm) process, which will release in 2022, and power successors to the RX 6700 series and RX 6800/6900 series.