Intel has been speaking numbers this week with the announcement of some moderately optimistic financials for the ultimate quarter of 2024 (you may learn the total transcript right here). With that comes the same old chat round product and official affirmation that the Panther Lake cell CPU continues to be due within the second half of 2024 utilizing Intel’s all-important new 18A silicon node.
But Intel stated 18A would not essentially win all future CPU designs and likewise revealed how slowly the corporate’s transition to superior silicon has been. In 2024, simply over 5% of Intel’s inner chip manufacturing was on its newest EUV-based nodes.
“Looking forward to the remainder of the yr, we’ll strengthen our consumer street map with the launch of Panther Lake, our lead product on Intel 18A within the second half of 2025,” Intel’s new interim co-CEO Michelle Holthaus stated on the most recent earnings calls with the same old cash males and spreadsheet soothsayers.
However, Holthaus additionally implied that Panther Lake utilizing Intel’s new 18A node would not robotically imply that the entire firm’s future CPUs will likely be coming again in home. For its next-gen desktop CPU Nova Lake, it appears Intel is planning to separate manufacturing between its personal 18A silicon and sure a TSMC node, maybe N2.
“We have a look at every era of merchandise based mostly on what’s the fitting product, what’s the fitting course of, what’s the fitting market window and what permits our clients to win. So, for Panther Lake, that was 18A,” Holthaus explains.
“Then as you look ahead, to our next-generation product for consumer after that, Nova Lake will even have die each inside and outdoors [Intel Foundry] for that course of. So, you may really see compute tiles inside and outdoors,” she stated.
During the decision, Holthaus made typically optimistic noises in regards to the 18A node which is important to Intel’s future, not just for its personal chips but in addition as a foundry service providing to clients in competitors to Taiwanese megafoundry TSMC. But the truth that Intel would not plan to make Nova Lake solely on 18A is, maybe, revealing.
It will not be, nevertheless, totally stunning. Despite plans to start promoting Panther Lake chips constructed on 18A later this yr, by Intel’s personal admission it has barely begun scaling up manufacturing of chips on its newest Intel 4 and Intel 3 nodes.
“EUV wafer income grew from 1% of whole income in 2023 to larger than 5% in 2024,” revealed Intel’s CFO David Zinsner. Intel 4 is corporate’s first commercially obtainable node to make use of EUV or excessive ultraviolet lithography and is used for the Meteor Lake household of Laptop CPUs.
However, the comply with as much as Meteor Lake, Lunar Lake, considerably surprisingly reverted to TSMC for manufacturing, as did the Arrow Lake desktop household together with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.
In different phrases, Intel is planning on cranking out 18A chips shortly regardless of having barely begun the transition to Intel 4 (or Intel 3, which is a derivation of Intel 4). Given that earlier CES, Pat Gelsinger, admitted to betting the corporate on 18A it is wanted to maintain the brand new node on monitor and get product really constructed on it no matter state the manufacturing is in with the Intel 4/3 nodes.
With all that in thoughts, it stays a really blended image at Intel. Even if the corporate does handle to launch some Panther Lake chips on 18A later this yr, questions will stay in regards to the viability of its manufacturing know-how.
Intel would not appear to have been in a position to ramp Intel 4 and Intel 3, regardless of releasing Meteor Lake effectively over a yr in the past. So, who is aware of what’s going to occur with 18A.
