ASIC Implementation Co-op

Intel's new 18A-P process enters production to fight TSMC for AI. by Zak Killian - Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 02:50 PM EDT Intel is taking the fight directly to TSMC with its latest foundry milestone, signaling that its aggressive turnaround strategy is bearing real fruit. At the 2026 IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology & Circuits, the company announced that its next-generation Intel 18A-P process node has officially entered the risk production phase. This is the performance-optimized version of Intel's standard 18A node, designed to offer a 9% boost in clocks at the same power, or up to an 18% reduction in power consumption at the same clock rates versus 18A. Crucially, Intel says that its 18A-P process utilizes the exact same design rules as its predecessor, meaning it serves as a seamless drop-in upgrade for companies trying to eke out extra performance without completely re-engineering their blueprints from scratch. That's mostly important for Intel at this stage, but it proves that Intel is capable of smooth transitions to optimized nodes. To achieve these gains, Intel is leaning heavily on structural improvements to the silicon itself. The company introduced a dual-contact transistor option that it calls "Power Boost," which lowers electrical resistance and unlocks higher clock frequencies under heavy loads. Thermal management also sees a major overhaul, with new packaging techniques slashing thermal resistance by up to 40% to keep these high-frequency chips running cooler. Thermal resistance is a major problem with dual-sided chips, which all 18A and 18A-P parts necessarily are due to the implementation of back-side power delivery, known as PowerVia. Of course, PowerVia has many advantages, too, and Intel is capitalizing on its early implementation of backside power delivery. You see, PowerVia moves the power routing wires underneath the transistors to clear up congestion on top. This physical separation has apparently yielded a tenfold reduction in dynamic voltage droop, and cleared out 11% more space on the chip layout, allowing for denser, more efficient chips. This architectural leap arrives at a critical moment as Intel attempts to position itself as the go-to alternative for massive AI and high-performance computing silicon. While TSMC remains the undisputed market leader, Intel's aggressive engineering roadmap has given it an architectural head start in key areas. TSMC's 2nm-class N2 node (currently in volume production, but no products have released with it yet) will debut its version of next-gen GAAFET gate-all-around transistors, but the Taiwanese giant is choosing to play it safe by leaving power delivery on the front of the chip for its entire N2 lifecycle. Backside power delivery isn't coming to TSMC until its 1.6-nanometer A16 node, effectively handing Intel a valuable window of opportunity to pitch its PowerVia-enabled 18A-P process to tech giants seeking maximum AI efficiency right now. Intel is also betting the farm on next-generation manufacturing hardware by heavily adopting ASML's ultra-expensive High-NA EUV lithography machines to print these microscopic features. TSMC, conversely, has publicly committed to stretching its existing, standard EUV machinery all the way through the end of the decade to keep production costs down for clients. For PC enthusiasts and the broader industry, this philosophical split represents the closest competitive race seen decades. Intel's 18A-P node entering risk production proves that the American chipmaker is hitting its strict engineering deadlines and is finally armed with the advanced architecture required to give TSMC a genuine run for its money. The only questions are whether Intel can secure big clients with big orders for chips... and whether Intel can execute well enough to fulfill those orders. A 30-year PC building veteran, Zak is a modern-day Renaissance man who may not be an expert on anything, but knows just a little about nearly everything.

NVIDIA/Intel partnership could see an x86 processor paired with RTX graphics released by 2028. June 16, 2026 The FPS Review may receive a commission if you purchase something after clicking a link in this article. A new rumor states that NVIDIA and Intel could be working together to develop a new type of x86 CPU with integrated RTX graphics. At one point, the thought of this would've seem far fetched given NVIDIA's oft one -sided competitive strategies when it comes to hardware, but the PC and enterprise ecosystem has changed drastically in recent years. In addition, Intel has gone through major restructuring in an effort to regain its position as a leading chip manufacturer, which has involved a partnership with NVIDIA. That being said, this latest rumor has significant potential for being based on something truly in progress. According to Turkish YouTube tech reporter Erdi Özüağ (via VideoCardz), the two chip manufacturers are collaborating to develop an x86 processor that will incorporate RTX graphics. This could be akin to a similar partnership between NVIDIA and Mediatek, which resulted in the RTX Spark, an ARM-based processor also paired with RTX graphics that was just launched this month. Another detail that lends credence to this rumor is that NVIDIA announced last year that it was investing $5 billion into Intel as part of a collaboration agreement where the two chip manufacturers will partner to develop products for personal and enterprise/data-center solutions. "Exclusive Report: According to Intel's current roadmap, the target date for the next generation of processors with NVIDIA graphics units is the first quarter of 2028, and if plans remain unchanged, the launch event could be CES 2028." - Erdi Özüağ Per this rumor, the new package would arrive sometime in the early part of 2028 with a possible reveal at CES 2028, although the latter is somewhat doubtful since NVIDIA, at least in recent years, has steered away from announcing anything that didn't involve its AI ventures at any major electronics event. However, it could change tactics since the AI train is expected to slow down slightly by 2028, so The FPS Review might perhaps see a return to consumer product announcements then. It's also been speculated that this processor could be a part of Intel's Serpent Lake family, which has been spotted on roadmaps for that year. As a child of the 70's I was part of the many who became enthralled by the video arcade invasion of the 1980's. Saving money from various odd jobs I purchased my first computer from a friend of my dad, a used Atari 400, around 1982. Eventually it would end up being a lifelong passion of upgrading and modifying equipment that, of course, led into a career in IT support.

Intel gets a packaging bump. Intel shares jumped more than 12 per cent after Chipzilla signed the company which sounds like a sneeze Hitachi for advanced packaging work aimed at AI and data centres. Intel announced a partnership with Hitachi to co-develop and produce advanced semiconductor packaging technologies. The deal focuses on high-performance kit for data centres, artificial intelligence systems and high-end computing. Chipzilla has been under pressure from investors and customers after manufacturing delays and rising competition from TSMC and Samsung Electronics. The Hitachi deal gives it another way to talk about progress without waving another delayed node roadmap around. The two companies will work on technologies that stack multiple chips together to improve speed and cut energy use. Hitachi brings materials science and precision manufacturing experience, which Chipzilla clearly thinks it could use. The collaboration will focus on hybrid bonding and other next-generation packaging methods. These techniques allow finer connections between silicon components, boosting bandwidth between processors, memory and accelerators while reducing latency and power draw. Chipzilla has pushed advanced packaging as one of its key weapons against foundry rivals. Its EMIB and Foveros technologies already appear in products including some Xeon processors and the Ponte Vecchio data centre GPU. Working with Hitachi could speed development of more sophisticated stacking methods for future products. The Japanese industrial giant has long supplied critical materials and equipment to the global semiconductor industry. The share jump reflected investor relief after Chipzilla's market value took a kicking for three years. Shares had fallen more than 60 per cent from their 2021 peak before the announcement. The Hitachi pact is part of a wider supply-chain strategy. Chipzilla has been expanding its foundry services business to attract customers that might otherwise hand everything to TSMC. The company has broken ground on new fabs in Ohio, Arizona and Germany as it tries to rebuild manufacturing capacity in the US and Europe. Support from the CHIPS and Science Act has brought billions in grants and loans to offset the eye-watering capital costs. Hitachi sees the deal as a way to expand in advanced packaging. The company already makes specialised materials used in semiconductor assembly and has invested in thermal management and high-density interconnects. Analysts reckon the collaboration could help both companies tackle technical problems slowing progress across the sector. As transistors hit atomic-scale dimensions, raw processing gains from lithography alone are getting harder to find. Chiplet architectures have already shown their worth in graphics processors and server CPUs from AMD and Nvidia. That makes packaging less of a back-room engineering detail and more of a frontline fight. Industry observers expect initial prototypes within 12 to 18 months, followed by possible commercialisation if big customers approve. The technologies could support server processors, AI accelerators, networking chips and scientific computing systems. Chipzilla has picked up design wins for its upcoming Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake consumer processors. The Hitachi partnership gives investors another reason to believe the turnaround story is not entirely held together with tape. Jun 12, 2026