Monday, January 29th 2024

Intel Reportedly Selects TSMC's 2 Nanometer Process for "Nova Lake" CPU Generation

by
T0@st
 Discuss (23 Comments)
A Taiwan Economic Daily news article proposes that a couple of high profile clients are considering TSMC's 2 nanometer process—Apple is widely believed to be the first customer to join the foundry's queue for cutting edge services. The report posits that Intel is also signed up on the Taiwanese firm's 2 nm reservation list—TSMC is expected to start production in 2025—insiders reckon that Team Blue's "Nova Lake" CPU family is the prime candidate here. Its CPU tile is alleged to utilize TSMC 2 nm node. Intel's recent "Core" processor roadmaps do not display any technologies beyond 2025—many believe that "Nova Lake" is pencilled in for a loose 2026 launch window, perhaps within the second half of the year.

The existence of "Nova Lake" was revealed late last year by HWiNFO patch notes—a short entry mentioned preliminary support for the family's integrated GPU. Intel is engaged in hyping up of its own foundry's 20A and 18A processes, but remain reliant on TSMC plants for various bits of silicon. Industry tipsters reckon that aspects of "Lunar Lake" CPUs are based on the Taiwanese foundry's N3B node. Team Blue Corporation and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) announced a new development partnership last week, but initial offerings will arrive on a relatively passé "12-nanometer semiconductor process platform." TSMC's very advanced foundry services seem to be unmatched at this juncture.
Sources: Taiwan Economic Daily, Extreme Tech, Wccftech

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23 Comments on Intel Reportedly Selects TSMC's 2 Nanometer Process for "Nova Lake" CPU Generation

#2
chris.london
thesmokingmanThe irony...
Nah, it is called unquestioned process leadership.
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#3
Daven
But but Apple is suppose to use Intel’s 20A node but Intel is using TSMC’s 2 nm…oh nevermind. This is all screwed up.
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#4
Wirko
What if that was the plan all along? To resell 2nm as 20A instead of making their own?
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#5
Denver
Good idea to give subsidies for intel to go shopping at TSMC. :p
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#6
marios15
Let's hope intel will use TMSC, maybe they can release some competitive CPUs and help reduce Ryzen prices
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#7
cosminmcm
marios15Let's hope intel will use TMSC, maybe they can release some competitive CPUs and help reduce Ryzen prices
Yep, that's the way!
Posted on Reply
#8
Ravenas
The CHIPs act should have had clauses to block this type of crap if you take our tax payer money. Literally the federal government takes 25% of my earnings, gives subsidies to American corporations, and then they do this.
Posted on Reply
#9
Squared
My guess is Intel's 2026 plan is similar to the 2024 plan. My understanding and guess of the 2024 plan is that Arrow Lake will introduce Lion Cove + Skymont on an Intel 20A CPU tile, but production will be limited and Intel wants to sell to a lot of markets, so the thin and light laptop market will get Lunar Lake, or Lion Cove + Skymont on TSMC N3, which also has the benefit of being a good node for GPUs so the iGPU will be on the CPU tile. But even together Intel 20A and TSMC N3 won't have enough availability, so cheaper consumer chips in the form of Meteor Lake refresh (Redwood Cove + Crestmont) will have CPU tiles built on the tried-and-true Intel 3 node, which will also be used for Sierra Forest (Crestmont CPU core) and Granite Rapids (Redwood Cove) server CPUs.

But what about 2025? Intel has been promising process dominance that year with the Intel 18A node, so maybe all the CPU and GPU parts will be made with it that year. I doubt it though.
Posted on Reply
#10
Wirko
SquaredMy guess is Intel's 2026 plan is similar to the 2024 plan.
= more CHIPS money from governments around the world?
Posted on Reply
#11
Squared
Wirko= more CHIPS money from governments around the world?
Political administrations in the US usually change frequently. Yesteryear's model wanted military chipmakers to check the box that says, "Made in USA". This year's model opens a large moneybag to anyone who checks the box that says, "made some chip in the USA". Who knows what next year's model will do.
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#12
FoulOnWhite
I don't see a problem, AMD CPUs are built by TSMC so why not Intel's. Can't blame them for using the best available
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#13
N/A
The best available would be Panther Lake on intel 18A. And by the time playstation 6 and nvidia 70 series can be expected to use N2 as well, unless they decide to stick to N3/N4 for another year.
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#14
Vayra86
FoulOnWhiteI don't see a problem, AMD CPUs are built by TSMC so why not Intel's. Can't blame them for using the best available
AMD isn't marketing its foundry business though.
Posted on Reply
#15
theouto
Oh, this is not good.

Sidenote, I remember one guy here saying that in the future nvidia and amd might have to come towards intel for chips. Lol, lmao even.
Posted on Reply
#16
AMDK11
SquaredMy guess is Intel's 2026 plan is similar to the 2024 plan. My understanding and guess of the 2024 plan is that Arrow Lake will introduce Lion Cove + Skymont on an Intel 20A CPU tile, but production will be limited and Intel wants to sell to a lot of markets, so the thin and light laptop market will get Lunar Lake, or Lion Cove + Skymont on TSMC N3, which also has the benefit of being a good node for GPUs so the iGPU will be on the CPU tile. But even together Intel 20A and TSMC N3 won't have enough availability, so cheaper consumer chips in the form of Meteor Lake refresh (Redwood Cove + Crestmont) will have CPU tiles built on the tried-and-true Intel 3 node, which will also be used for Sierra Forest (Crestmont CPU core) and Granite Rapids (Redwood Cove) server CPUs.

But what about 2025? Intel has been promising process dominance that year with the Intel 18A node, so maybe all the CPU and GPU parts will be made with it that year. I doubt it though.
I think Intel's reservation of 2N is to expand production capabilities.

Desktop processors will be made in 18A (computing board).
Posted on Reply
#17
Ravenas
Vayra86AMD isn't marketing its foundry business though.
What is there to market?
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#18
R0H1T
DenverGood idea to give subsidies for intel to go shopping at TSMC. :p
RavenasThe CHIPs act should have had clauses to block this type of crap if you take our tax payer money. Literally the federal government takes 25% of my earnings, gives subsidies to American corporations, and then they do this.
Well everyone has a cut in this ~ lobbyists, think(shark?) tanks, bureaucrats, politicians, businesses, suppliers et al. Guess you need to join the gravy train & get elected :pimp:
Posted on Reply
#19
FoulOnWhite
Vayra86AMD isn't marketing its foundry business though.
So. Intel are not allowed to buy wafers from elsewhere just because they have their own fabs.
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#20
Vayra86
FoulOnWhiteSo. Intel are not allowed to buy wafers from elsewhere just because they have their own fabs.
My point was aimed at the 'problem' I see. This isn't good advertising for Intel's own fabs.
Posted on Reply
#21
FoulOnWhite
Vayra86My point was aimed at the 'problem' I see. This isn't good advertising for Intel's own fabs.
Sorry, I guess not though. But I suppose they still have the cash spare to pay for parts from TSMC. They must be hoping they can get their own fabs on track soonish
Posted on Reply
#22
Minus Infinity
FoulOnWhiteI don't see a problem, AMD CPUs are built by TSMC so why not Intel's. Can't blame them for using the best available
Interesting that they will use 18A for parts of the die, but not the actual cpu part. What's wrong with 18A that it isn't up to snuff for the most important part of the array of chips.
Posted on Reply
#23
remixedcat
DavenBut but Apple is suppose to use Intel’s 20A node but Intel is using TSMC’s 2 nm…oh nevermind. This is all screwed up.
pat gelsinger is digging for apples again
Posted on Reply
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