The Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC will start mass production of Intel CPUs in the second half of this year. It would initially be Core i3 variants on a 5nm node. That is what research agency TrendForce claims on the basis of its own research.
It is not yet clear when the Intel chips produced by TSMC will be available. If mass production starts in the second half of this year, it may still take some time before they reach the market, because, for example, stocks are first built up. It is also not known which Core i3 processors are involved. According to TrendForce, TSMC is also expected to start producing mid-range and high-end processors from Intel on a 3nm node in the second half of 2022.
Intel announced this week that its Alder Lake processors for desktops and laptops will be released in the second half of this year. Intel makes it itself using a 10nm process. In order for these or other Intel CPUs to be made by TSMC on a different process, the design would have to be adapted.
The research firm further states that Intel has already outsourced the production of 15 to 20 percent of its ‘non-cpu chips’ and that the majority of the orders for this go to TSMC and the smaller, also Taiwanese chip manufacturer UMC. Bloomberg also recently released the story that Intel would be in talks with TSMC and Samsung to outsource some of its manufacturing.
Intel has experienced many delays in its new processes in recent years. The 10nm production did not get off the ground and Intel wants to quickly switch to 7nm, but delays have also arisen. Intel will announce news about its 7nm process on January 21 in a presentation to investors.
Intel will release Alder Lake in the second half of 2021, made on its own 10nm process