In a report published by TrendForce, we get a second confirmation that Intel tGPU for the 14th generation Meteor Lake CPU, which is expected to use TSMC's 3nm process node, has been delayed to mass production until the end of 2023 . Earlier, there were rumors that Intel might push its 14th-gen Meteor Lake CPUs to the end of 2023, and now we have a similar report from Trendforce sources close to Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC.
According to reports, Intel initially planned to begin mass production of tGPU (tiled GPU) on 14th-generation Meteor Lake CPUs in the second half of 2022. That plan was later pushed back to the first half of 2023 due to product design and process validation issues, but now, we may need to anticipate even further delays.
According to TrendForce research, Intel plans to outsource the production of tGPU chipsets in Meteor Lake to TSMC. Mass production of this product was initially planned for the second half of 2022, but was later postponed to the first half of 23 due to product design and process verification issues. Recently, the mass production plan of this product was postponed again to the end of 2023 for some reason, almost completely canceling the 3-nanometer production capacity originally scheduled for 2023, leaving only a small amount of wafer invested for engineering verification.
However, the development status of Intel's own Intel 4 process and the accompanying outsourcing situation remain important potential growth drivers for TSMC. If Intel's Process 4 fails to reach mass production as scheduled, Intel may outsource its computing tiles to TSMC and give its growth in 2024 a strong boost. However, if Intel's process develops smoothly, the company may still choose to produce related products on its own, thereby canceling orders from TSMC.
According to the latest data, TSMC may not start mass production of Intel's 3nm tGPU before the end of 2023. A Digitimes report last month had similar content. It is said that Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger will personally visit TSMC to correct its outsourcing plan with TSMC. Since Intel is a major 3nm customer, delays will likely hurt and drag down TSMC's performance. While there are other major 3nm suppliers, such as Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm, their products are not expected to begin production until 2024.
Some people also emphasized that Intel's "Intel 4" process node may have some problems. If it cannot produce effective quantities for Meteor Lake CPU, Intel may also reconsider outsourcing other IP such as Compte Tile to TSMC. This could help TSMC boost revenue further, but based on recent statements from Intel, it looks like their internal process nodes are making progress and showing good results, but as we move into 2023, we'll see where that ends .
Intel will launch Raptor Lake in the second half of this year based on Alder Lake, and Meteor Lake in 2023. The first Meteor Lake built on Intel 4 will be delivered in 2023. Sources say that it is currently in Intel’s labs. Here, they all show good health. The
t GPU will be one of the main components of the 14th generation Meteor Lake CPUs, powered by the Arc graphics architecture, pitting Intel against on-chip GPU solutions from AMD and Apple. This is all just a rumor for now, but recently leaked platform details for the Meteor Lake CPU confirm that it's expected to launch sometime in the second half of 2023.
