On the back of TSMC's first quarter report, news is coming out of Taiwan that the company is expecting to produce as much as a third of its sub 2 nm chips in its US fabs, at some point in the future. This is according to comments made by TSMC's chair and CEO C.C. Wei during its online investors conference. As we've already mentioned, TSMC is looking to expand in Arizona with a further two fabs later this year, both targeting sub 2 nm chip production, but the comments by the CEO suggests that these might be bigger fabs than initially expected, if they're going to be able to produce as much as a third of all of TSMC's sub 2 nm output by some time around the next decade.

Apparently the move to build the new fabs is due to increased demand from TSMC's US customers, which includes AMD, Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Broadcom, to mention its biggest US customers. It seems like those that are planning to produce chips at TSMC's new fabs in the US are accepting an increase in cost, although it has apparently been framed as a value proposition from TSMC's side towards its customers, which have accepted it as such. At the same time Wei once again refuted that TSMC is in any kind of talks with Intel or any other companies about joint ventures, technology licensing or technology transfer. This should put further rumours about any form of joint venture to rest for now.

Sharkoon launched its first three air-cooled CPU coolers: the A40, A50, and A60. All three are tower-style (A40 and A50 are single tower, A60 uses a dual tower design) and are available in three versions: matte black, black RGB, and white RGB. The A40, A50, and A60 use four, five, and six 6 mm diameter heat pipes in direct contact with the CPU. The overall dimensions of the A40 and A50 are the same at 120×72×153 (mm), while the A60, being a dual-fan dual-tower, measures 120×125×156 (mm). The nominal TDPs (Thermal Design Power) are 220 W (A40), 230 W (A50), and 260 W (A60). Another aesthetic difference between the matte black version and the RGB ones is that the latter include "the infinity mirror effect" for the top cooler cover.

The first three air-cooled models of Sharkoon's A series CPU coolers use the same 120 mm fluid dynamic bearing fans with 9 blades working at 500-1,800 rpm, offering 121.55 m³/h maximum airflow, 2.90 mm H₂O max. air pressure, and 30 dB (A) maximum noise level. The RGB fan versions include 12 Addressable RGB LEDs; however, only one fan offers RGB lighting in dual fan configurations (Sharkoon A60 RGB Black/White).

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the ES1686dc R2, a high-performance 16-bay SAS 12 Gb/s enterprise NAS engineered for mission-critical applications. Featuring dual active-active controllers, it ensures High Availability (HA) and delivers uncompromising performance for demanding workloads. Designed for enterprise file and virtualization storage, the ES1686dc R2 minimizes downtime with redundant controllers and power supplies, enabling seamless component replacement. This ensures continuous operations, reliability, and stability for business-critical environments.

"The ES1686dc R2 delivers outstanding performance and a reliable high-availability storage solution," said Waterball Liu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding: "The QES operating system features an intuitive user-friendly interface with enhanced functionality, enabling customers to effortlessly adopt professional-grade dual-controller enterprise storage when high availability is required. Whether deployed as a mission-critical file server, virtualization server, VDI, or for efficient file backup and recovery, the ES1686dc R2 meets service-level agreements for both performance and uptime."

Acer today announced the expansion of its mainstream Nitro gaming line with the launch of the new Acer Nitro AI laptops and the Nitro 20 desktop. The Nitro range brings a full-package gaming experience and great value for gamers and content creators, combining robust processing power, essential computing features, and more without breaking the bank. The addition of slim laptops and a compact Windows PC option also support users with limited space for their gaming set-ups.

The Nitro AI laptops are Copilot+ PCs, powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and equipped with the game-changing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs to make more powerful AI rendering capabilities more accessible. The Nitro 20 desktop also utilizes AI processors and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, focusing on better energy efficiency with a smaller footprint.

Corsair is excited to announce upgraded HX1200i and HX1500i Series fully modular, low-noise power supplies for 2025. These powerful PSUs are Cybenetics Platinum-certified for up to 91% efficiency, delivering clean, reliable power. They now feature updated cables with a debossed design and low-profile cable combs for easy cable management and a sleek appearance. In addition, HXi Series power supplies now include two 12V-2x6 GPU power cables with a new dual-color connector that provides visual confirmation of a secure connection, offering additional peace of mind for PC builders. The HXi Series is built for high-end PCs using the latest, most powerful GPUs, including NVIDIA RTX 50 series and AMD 9070 series graphics cards.

Corsair HXi power supplies are ATX 3.1 certified and PCIe 5.1 compliant, supporting the latest power standards with high reliability and efficiency. They are Modern Standby compatible for extremely fast wake-from-sleep times and excellent low-load efficiency. A resonant LLC topology with DC-to-DC conversion provides clean, consistent power. A 10-year warranty ensures these PSUs will last through several upgrade cycles, delivering reliable power to even the most ambitious builds for years to come.

Intel's "Bartlett Lake-S" architecture, previously only offered for edge and networking deployment, may spawn a 12 P-core variant for gamers that eliminates efficiency cores entirely. This hopeful configuration would specifically target applications that benefit from consistent single-threaded performance and deterministic core behavior, addressing a market segment underserved since Intel's transition to hybrid architectures. Recent software support developments strengthen this speculation, with diagnostic utility AIDA64 explicitly adding "improved support for Intel Bartlett Lake-S CPU" in its 7.65.7404 beta release notes from April 13, 2025. This update precedes any consumer launch announcement, suggesting possible platform expansion. MSI-affiliated overclocker Toppc amplified these rumors by highlighting the AIDA64 changelog while referencing undisclosed developments under NDA, a pattern historically preceding consumer product launches.

The rumored gaming-oriented CPU would leverage the LGA 1700 platform compatibility, enabling drop-in upgrades for existing 600-series and 700-series motherboard owners. Unlike the current flagship Core 7 251E with its 8P+16E configuration, a pure performance-core implementation would eliminate the Windows scheduler complications that sometimes impact frame timing in latency-sensitive games. Current hybrid designs force game engines to navigate complex thread scheduling across heterogeneous cores, with performance-critical threads occasionally migrating to efficiency cores during intensive scenes. A homogeneous 12 P-core architecture would eliminate this behavior, providing stable thread assignment and potentially reducing the 99th percentile frame time variances that affect perceived smoothness in CPU-bound titles.

High‑NA EUV lithography comes with a crazy $380 million price tag, but it can actually cut overall production costs in the right situations. At the SPIE Advanced Lithography and Patterning conference in February 2025, IBM researchers in Veldhoven revealed that one high‑NA exposure runs about 2.5x the cost of a standard low‑NA shot. That seems steep, yet High‑NA's real strength shows up when it replaces complicated multi‑patterning processes. SemiAnalysis had predicted last year that High‑NA would not become cost‑effective until around 2030, largely because higher dose requirements slow down throughput on the trickiest layers. However, after reviewing IBM's new data, the firm adjusted its outlook. Their model confirms that sticking with Low‑NA double patterning for two-mask sequences remains the cheapest path.

On the other hand, once you need three or more Low‑NA masks, switching to a single High‑NA pass starts to pay off. In fact, for a four‑mask self‑aligned litho‑etch flow, High‑NA can reduce total wafer cost by roughly 1.7-2.1x compared to using Low‑NA multi‑patterning. One big reason fabs are interested is that fewer exposures mean simpler process flows. You cut down cycle time and lower the chance of overlay mistakes. Still, SemiAnalysis warns that a simpler flow does not automatically mean lower expense in every case. Looking at Intel 14A, it turns out only a few critical metal layers at the 14A node hit the sweet spot where High‑NA's higher per‑shot cost is outweighed by ditching multiple masks.

ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge computing, proudly announces that its newly released EMP-520 Series industrial compact box PC has been recognized for its excellence, securing the Best-in-Show award in the Computer Boards, Systems, Components & Peripherals category at embedded world 2025. It was selected for its innovative design, user-centric features, and exceptional performance in industrial environments.

Smart, Reliable, and Efficient Industrial Computing Solution
Designed to meet the needs of modern industrial applications, the EMP-520 Series delivers high computing performance with minimal maintenance, helping businesses maximize productivity and reduce downtime. Powered by Intel 14th Gen Core processors, it ensures energy-efficient operation, making it ideal for high-demand environments that require continuous, reliable computing. Supporting four simultaneous 4K video outputs and EDID emulation, users can achieve seamless visual performance. The compact design enables easy integration into space-constrained environments while ensuring reliable operation in mission-critical applications.

Intel's 18A node isn't all about yields and density (which are still very important factors) but also performance. According to Taiwanese media 3C News, citing TechInsights research and calculations, the new leader of node performance is Intel 18A. On a custom scale used by TechInsights, Intel 18A gets a 2.53 score, while the performance score of TSMC N2 is 2.27, and the performance score of Samsung SF2 is 2.19. This is all among two nm-class nodes, where Intel leads the category. Being the first node with a Backside Power Delivery Network (BSPDN), it will appear in the Panther Lake CPUs in late 2025 for testing and early 2026 for shipments. This new power architecture boosts layout efficiency and component utilization by 5-10%, lowers interconnect resistance, and enhances ISO power performance by up to 4%, thanks to a significant drop in intrinsic resistance versus traditional front‑end power routing. Relative to its predecessor, Intel 3, the 18A process delivers a 15% improvement in performance per watt and packs 30% more transistors into the same area.

Featuring RibbonFET design, it has entered risk production. According to Intel, "This final stage is about stress-testing volume manufacturing before scaling up to high volume in the second half of 2025." When it comes to other aspects like SRAM density, high‑performance SRAM cells shrank from 0.03 µm² in Intel 3 to 0.023 µm² in Intel 18A, while high‑density cells contracted to 0.021 µm², reflecting scaling factors of 0.77 and 0.88 respectively and defying previous assumptions that SRAM scaling had plateaued. Intel's innovative "around‑the‑array" PowerVia approach addresses voltage drops and interference by routing power vias to I/O, control, and decoder circuits, freeing up the bit‑cell area from frontal power supplies. The result is a 38.1 Mbit/mm² macro bit density, positioning Intel to rival TSMC's N2. All this, combined with BSPDN, is shaping up a powerful node. We can't wait to get our hands on some 18A silicon in the future and run it through our labs for testing.

As industrial systems become more interconnected and data-driven, the need for connectivity solutions that offer superior performance, scalability, and flexibility is growing rapidly. Cervoz, a leading provider of industrial embedded modules, is meeting this demand with an expanding portfolio of innovative, real-world expansion solutions.

Seamless Expansion for Future-Ready Performance
Picture a smart logistics hub handling tens of thousands of packages a day, where Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) operates across vast spaces. In such environments, traditional RJ45 connections may initially suffice—but as operation expand and AMRs navigate distances beyond 100 meters, connectivity becomes prone to signal degradation and industrial interference.

The long-promised gaming performance uplift for "Arrow Lake" processors is here, but for now, it is only available in China. Called Intel Performance Optimizations (IPO), this feature aims at system integrators rather than end users and offers a balanced approach between stock settings and full manual overclocking, all while preserving warranty coverage. IPO works by applying optimized profiles that adjust a range of CPU and memory parameters. On the CPU side, it fine‑tunes P‑core and E‑core frequencies, ring‑bus speeds, the UPI interconnect, D2D links between tiles, and both PL1 and PL2 power limits. For RAM, IPO raises transfer rates and tightens timings, pushing modules beyond their factory XMP or EXPO profiles. Early results from Chinese OEM Maxsun show that IPO can boost core clocks by about 200 MHz and elevate DDR5‑8000 kits to DDR5‑8400. In gaming tests provided by Maxsun, this translated to roughly a 10 percent uplift in frame rates, an encouraging figure given Arrow Lake's mild launch performance in gaming.

At debut, some Arrow Lake SKUs trailed their "Raptor Lake" predecessors because the chiplet‑based memory controller introduced extra latency and ring‑bus clocks ran slower. Supply‑chain constraints and tariffs have limited IPO's rollout to China so far, where pre‑built systems from vendors like Maxsun are shipping with the feature enabled. Warranty handling stays with the OEM, so users can enjoy the extra headroom without risking hardware support. Behind the scenes, Intel has been issuing firmware and microcode patches since December, most recently microcode 0x114 paired with CSME firmware 19.0.0.1854v2.2, to improve Arrow Lake's efficiency. IPO represents the next step in that effort and could become a model for global "opt‑in" BIOS presets if the pilot proves successful. For now, China is serving as the testing ground for Intel's latest attempt to squeeze more performance out of Arrow Lake. We have to wait and see if Western markets follow soon.

Framework Laptop 12 pre-orders are now open, with first shipments in June! We're pricing Framework Laptop 12 as low as we can to bring the Framework mission to as many people as possible. DIY Edition starts at €569/£499/$719 CAD and is available in five colorways: Black, Gray, Lavender, Bubblegum, and Sage. If you prefer not to assemble your laptop, we also have pre-built options in Black in some keyboard languages, starting at €849/£749/$1,079 CAD. Pre-orders are open today in all countries we ship to, with the temporary exception of the US. We shared a blog post earlier today detailing how we're handling the impact of tariffs for US customers.

Framework Laptop 12 is a 12.2", 13th Gen Intel Core-powered notebook that is designed to last. We have robust compatibility with both Linux and Windows 11, i3 and i5 Intel Core processor options, support for up to 48 GB of DDR5 and 2 TB of storage, Wi-Fi 6E, an excellent full-size keyboard, a 50Wh battery, a bright 1920x1200 touchscreen, a 1080p webcam, and USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and power input on all four Expansion Card slots. You can check out the full specs on our website. Even though this product is small and fun, it's also a real computer!

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of IPC solutions, motherboards, graphics cards, and PC peripherals, today unveils the MS-X7433RE, a compact, high-performance embedded system purpose-built for modern kiosk applications and edge computing environments. Powered by the Intel Amston Lake X7433RE processor, the MS-X7433RE delivers efficient performance with its quad-core architecture, reaching speeds up to 3.4 GHz while maintaining a low TDP of just 9 W. Integrated Intel UHD Graphics drives both HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4++ outputs, making it an excellent choice for digital displays, payment machines, and access control systems.

Designed for system integrators and developers, the MS-X7433RE combines reliable hardware with flexible expansion options. It supports up to 16 GB of DDR5 4800 MHz memory and includes a SATA III port alongside an M.2 Key-M slot, enabling both traditional and high-speed NVMe storage. A Mini-PCIe slot and M.2 Key-B interface with support for 4G/5G modules make it easy to tailor the system for wireless connectivity and real-time data processing unlocking superior edge computing capability.

Simply NUC, a global leader in customized computing solutions, proudly adds ASUS's NUC 15 Pro Cyber Canyon to its product lineup, setting a new benchmark for AI-optimized performance in a compact form factor. Engineered with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and Intel Arc Graphics, the Cyber Canyon is designed to accelerate AI workloads, empower edge computing, and deliver seamless business productivity.

"The NUC 15 Pro Cyber Canyon is not just a step forward—it's a leap into the future of AI computing," said Ed Barkhuysen, VP of Product at Simply NUC. "With the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and cutting-edge security, Cyber Canyon is built for professionals and businesses looking for a powerful yet compact computing solution."

Intel today released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.6734 WHQL mostly builds on the recent 101.6732 Beta release, with just a couple of changes. To begin with, it introduces a new power management optimization for Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" processors and their iGPUs for handheld gaming consoles, such as the new generation of MSI Claw based on them. Next up, it fixes an issue with Core Ultra series 2 processors ("Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake") where some games don't enumerate all supported display resolutions in the game settings of some notebook devices. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6734 WHQL

From April 6-9th, UGREEN, a global leader in consumer electronics and charging technology, is showcasing its innovative NASync series at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The UGREEN NASync iDX6011 and iDX6011 Pro have been the highlights of the display at Booth SL9210 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. These latest UGREEN NASync iDX models revolutionize data management and security for content creators through advanced AI technology, setting a new standard as the world-first AI-powered NAS.

UGREEN NASync is a series of network-attached storage devices tailored for personal, home, or business use. In March 2024, UGREEN launched a 44-day crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for the NASync DXP series, successfully raising over $6.6 million achieved No.1 in the NAS category. This remarkable support highlights the strong demand for advanced storage solutions.

ASUS today announced its participation in the NAB Show 2025. Visitors to the ASUS booth will have the opportunity to experience the future of content creation with live demonstrations of the latest ASUS ProArt offerings. The showcase includes the debut of the ProArt Cinema PQ09 monitor, featuring the largest-ever ASUS microLED display. The ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV and the ProArt CaliContrO MCA02 three-in-one calibrator will also be showcased. Also on show will be the 16-inch ProArt P16, a creative powerhouse laptop equipped with a 50 TOPS NPU, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. In addition, the NAB Show 2025 will feature the latest installment of the ProArt Masters' Talks series, with renowned creatives sharing their perspectives on current trends.

The ProArt Cinema PQ09 is the latest addition to the ProArt Cinema microLED display lineup. This 162-inch 4K HDR monitor features advanced panel technologies, ultrasmall 0.93 mm pixel pitch, 1200nits peak brightness, high 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and 97% DCI-P3 color gamut. Compared to conventional microLED displays with a 1.2 or 1.5 mm pixel pitch, ProArt Cinema PQ09 delivers smoother and more vibrant visuals, making it the perfect large-screen display for home cinema, broadcasting or other uses.

Following the successful launch of our AMD-powered AI-PC NA10H7, Shuttle is proud to announce the release of two new additions to our compact XPC nano family: NT10H5 and NT10H9. Designed in the same ultra-compact 1-liter chassis, both newcomers offer powerful AI-acceleration and multitasking capabilities - now based on Intel's cutting-edge Core Ultra processors.

Compact Yet Powerful: The New NT10H Series
The NT10H5 and NT10H9 mini-PCs carry the same DNA as the NA10H7, delivering high-performance computing in a nano-sized footprint (132 x 143 x 55 mm). They are equipped with Intel Core Ultra 5-125H and Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processors respectively, featuring integrated Intel Arc graphics and the dedicated Intel AI Boost NPU. These systems reach up to 34 TOPS of AI performance, making them ideal for machine learning, content creation, and real-time data processing in modern business or creative environments.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to announce a new high-speed memory overclock DDR5 specification with an ultra-high kit capacity - DDR5-8000 CL44 with 128 GB (64 GB x2) kit capacity. This is the world's first DDR5 memory kit with 64 GB high-capacity modules to reach the extreme overclock level of DDR5-8000, setting a new milestone for high-performance computing, content creation, AI applications, and advanced workstation workloads.

New Era of Overclocking High-Capacity DDR5 64 GB Modules
Engineered for high-capacity overclocked performance, the DDR5-8000 128 GB (64 GB x2) combines ultra-high memory speed with massive memory kit capacity, surpassing the previous module capacity maximum at 48 GB per module. At last, power users and content creators who seek overclock performance memory for capacity-hungry applications will have the ideal DDR5 memory solution. Refer to the validation screenshot below to see DDR5-8000 CL44-58-58 128 GB (64 GB x2) tested on the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX motherboard with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X desktop processor.

CPU-Z's Q1 2025 validation data indicates a new trend in CPU core count preferences among PC users. Eight-core processors now account for 24.7% of all validations, a significant increase of 32.6% compared to previous data. In contrast, six-core processors have declined to 22.5% of validations, down by 6.9%. The higher core count of eight-core CPUs aligns with the increasing demand for multithreaded performance in various computing environments, from professional workstations to high-end gaming systems. Market share figures also reveal adjustments in consumer preferences regarding CPU manufacturers. Intel retains a majority of presence with 56.3% of the market. However, AMD's share has risen notably at 43.7%, representing a 16.6% increase from the previous year.

The shift in market shares suggests that users are increasingly drawn to AMD's offerings, which include competitive eight-core processors. A key contributor to the trend toward eight-core CPUs is the rising popularity of specific models. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, for example, has significantly impacted this new statistic, becoming the most popular CPU according to the CPU-Z validations. This indicates that users are interested in eight-core offerings with 3D V-Cache technology for increased gaming performance. The shift away from six-core configurations, which now represent a smaller portion of the validation data, shows that eight cores are now a sweet spot for many gamers. For multitasking and gaming, it seems like a perfect choice.

Intel and TSMC are reportedly locked in talks to form a semiconductor foundry joint-venture (JV). This sensational piece of news comes from Reuters, which says that the two companies have reached a preliminary agreement to form the JV. Apparently, the move saves TSMC from building any hard infrastructure on U.S. soil, and instead use Intel's semiconductor foundry facilities. This would hence bring TSMC's semiconductor manufacturing IP and workforce to the U.S., however it remains to be seen if the very latest foundry technology would be handed over to the JV. TSMC would hold a 20% stake in the venture, and Intel the rest. Investors of Intel and TSMC reacted very differently to the news, with the TSMC stock falling 6% and Intel gaining 5%. Reuters also reports that it was the Trump Administration that negotiated this joint-venture between TSMC and Intel in a bid to "revitalize Intel."

Microsoft is introducing live patch updates for Windows 11 Enterprise, version 24H2, that allow critical security fixes to be applied without interrupting users. These updates, known as hotpatches, are available for x64 devices running on AMD or Intel CPUs. Hotpatch updates are designed to install quickly and take effect immediately. Unlike standard monthly security updates that require a system restart, hotpatch updates provide instant protection against vulnerabilities while allowing users to continue working. This new process can reduce the number of restarts from twelve per year to just four. The update schedule follows a quarterly cycle. In January, April, July, and October, devices install a complete security update with new features and fixes that do require a restart. In the two months that follow each of these baseline updates, devices receive hotpatch updates that only include security fixes and do not need a reboot. This approach ensures that essential protections are applied quickly without impacting daily work.

To use hotpatch updates, organizations need a Microsoft subscription that includes Windows 11 Enterprise (or Windows 365 Enterprise) and devices running build 26100.2033 or later. These devices must also be managed using Microsoft Intune, where IT administrators can set up a hotpatch-enabled quality update policy. The Intune admin center automatically detects eligible devices and manages the update process. Hotpatch updates are currently available on Intel and AMD-powered devices. For Arm64 devices, hotpatch updates are still in public preview and require an extra configuration step: disabling CHPE support via a registry key or the upcoming DisableCHPE CSP. This update system represents a more efficient way to secure Windows client devices. By minimizing the need for restarts and delivering updates in a predictable, quarterly cycle, Microsoft aims to help organizations protect their systems with minimal disruption. We expect these live patches to trickle down to more Windows 11 versions, like Home and Pro editions.

Intel today released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.6732 Beta comes with optimization for The Last of Us Part II Remastered. It also comes with a performance enhancement for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with up to 15% performance increases to be had with "balanced" settings at 1080p. Among the issues fixed with this release are lower than expected performance with Returnal in Arc A-series and B-series discrete GPUs; a game corruption seen with FragPunk on Core Ultra Series 2 integrated graphics; a display corruption seen with Plants vs. Zombies GOTY Edition in windowed mode; and intermittent game crashes seen with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6732 Beta

Intel's Vision 2025 conference ended yesterday—since then, media outlets have spent time poring over a multitude of announcements made during the two-day Las Vegas, Nevada event. Notably, Team Blue leadership confirmed that their Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake" processor series is built to scale (on) 18A, and is on track for production later this year." Prominently-displayed presentation material indicated a roadmapped 2026 launch of "Panther Lake" client chips. The success of this next-gen mobile processor family is intertwined with Intel's Foundry service making marked progress. As summarized by the company's social media account, production teams are celebrating another milestone: "Intel 18A has entered risk production. This final stage is about stress-testing volume manufacturing before scaling up to high volume in the second half of 2025."

Under Pat Gelsinger's command, Team Blue set off on a "five nodes in four years" (5N4Y) adventure around mid-2021. This plan is set to conclude with the finalization of 18A, at some point this year, under a newly refreshed regime—with Lip-Bu Tan recently established as CEO. During an on-stage Intel Vision 2025 session, Kevin O'Buckley—Senior VP of Foundry Services—explained the meaning of: "risk production, while it sounds scary, is actually an industry standard terminology, and the importance of risk production is we've gotten the technology to a point where we're freezing it...Our customers have validated that; 'Yep, 18A is good enough for my product.' And we have to now do the 'risk' part, which is to scale it from making hundreds of units per day to thousands, tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands. So risk production..is scaling our manufacturing up and ensuring that we can meet not just the capabilities of the technology, but the capabilities at scale." By original "5N4Y" decree, top brass demanded that process nodes be (fully) available for production, rather than be stuck in a (not quite there) final high volume manufacturing (HVM) phase.

Today, MLCommons released its latest MLPerf Inference v5.0 benchmarks, showcasing Intel Xeon 6 with Performance-cores (P-cores) across six key benchmarks. The results reveal a remarkable 1.9x boost in AI performance over the previous generation of processors, affirming Xeon 6 as a top solution for modern AI systems.

"The latest MLPerf results demonstrate Intel Xeon 6 as the ideal CPU for AI workloads, offering a perfect balance of performance and energy efficiency. Intel Xeon remains the leading CPU for AI systems, with consistent gen-over-gen performance improvements across a variety of AI benchmarks." - Karin Eibschitz Segal, Intel corporate vice president and interim general manager of the Data Center and AI Group