Intel Beats AMD to 6nm GPUs, Arc "Alchemist" Built on TSMC N6 Process

[btarunr]

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.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[ZoneDymo]

No mentioning of beating Nvidia?

 

[Deleted member 185088]

No mentioning of beating Nvidia?

They have been already beaten by AMD.

 

[thesmokingman]

Yea ok...

I swear the endless FUD by Intel. They are so damn great yet have no product on shelves. And lolz, they beat Red to 6nm... the irony in that is comical.

 

[bug]

And by "beats AMD", you mean "releases marketing slides before AMD", right?

 

[Mescalamba]

Ah, another paper GPU.

Works as fast as you can draw.

 

[btarunr]

No mentioning of beating Nvidia?

NVIDIA isn't doing 6 nm GPUs, so the question of beating isn't applicable.

 

[Cheese_On_tsaot]

Looks like 3DFX won't win this one.

 

[mtcn77]

I think this 7-6(EUV)-5(EUV)nm distinction for "6nm" only happens with the backside of the chip, not the transistor side, but do correct me on this. Full EUV gotta be 5nm, afaik.

 

[ZoneDymo]

NVIDIA isn't doing 6 nm GPUs, so the question of beating isn't applicable.

They are skipping it entirely and just going for 5 or lower?

EDIT: looked it up, seems to be the case for now.

 

[john_]

"Intel Beats AMD to 6nm GPUs" because it doesn't have discrete GPUs at all. A company that is already selling 7nm or 8nm graphics cards in the market faster than it can produce them, doesn't need to rush to 6nm.

 

[HammerOn1024]

One nanometer does NOT a "beat" make.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

What the actual Fffff, Intel haven't released an actual GPU.

You think AMD have not got demo piece's and prototype parts on the way.

I mean Intel May beat AMD to 6Nm in a released to consumer part

But to me they're going to have to actually f#@£@g release a GPU to beat anyone at anything.

enough hype, been four f#@£&g years of check out our Xe, with f all to actually buy.

Tits.

 

[Cheese_On_tsaot]

One nanometer does NOT a "beat" make.

I am sorry but MJ disagree's.

 

[mtcn77]

Technically, they design and TSMC imports to a suitable node. Migration from 7>6nm is free for the licensee to the best of my knowledge.

 

[thesmokingman]

"They'll find a way to make it the best number"

 

[v12dock]

Smoke in mirrors Raja is busy smoking his stogie to put any actual products on the shelf.

 

[Aldain]

Okay this is just a stupid headline..

If we are going by that LOGIC, amd has BEATEN both APPLE,NVIDIA,INTEL at 5NM TSMC since CDNA2 that is built on "ADVANCED NODE" that zen4 uses is already SHIPPING. Now lets say CDNA2 is not on 5 but on 6 if its shipping amd still beat all to the punch..

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

The Blue Slide Team is always there to save the day!

 

[dyonoctis]

I do hope for Intel that they won't suffer the Raja curse (Hyping a product to the moon, only to have the end result being a tad underwhelming)

 

[Mistral]

They can try and say they've "beaten" after they manage to release it....

 

[Rithsom]

They can try and say they've "beaten" after they manage to release it....

Exactly. All of these news pieces of Intel claiming that they "beat" the competition before actually doing so is like me claiming that I'm the pope. It's just cheap and foolish talk, with no merit whatsoever.

 

[mtcn77]

I do hope for Intel that they won't suffer the Raja curse (Hyping a product to the moon, only to have the end result being a tad underwhelming)

I would say that is a match made in heaven, but not considering the fallout which left the company without Eric Demers - who happened to become Qualcomm's VP of Engineering... let that sink in for a moment.

 

[Space Lynx]

"They'll find a way to make it the best number"

Intel does what it has to...

 

[Steevo]

Go home Intel you are drunk!!