Intel is allowing AMD to take the lead in certain areas.
Intel is allowing AMD to take the lead in certain areas.
Intel's 10 nm process is quite similar to TSMC's 7 nm process. The use of nanometer measurements has turned into a marketing concept over time, making direct comparisons between manufacturers difficult. It’s unclear if they’ll attempt another transition before resolving existing challenges. I don’t recall specifics, but it seems Intel was aiming for both advanced nodes and EUV technology while experimenting with new materials like InGaAs alongside the shift from 14nm to 10nm, which didn’t go as planned. Essentially, they placed significant confidence in their approach, only to face unexpected difficulties. It’s reasonable to say they remain competitive. Their technical documentation for CPUs appears thorough, likely due to their larger enterprise presence and greater resources.
Interesting observations here... Apple relies heavily on TSMC, which likely consumes much of their production slots. It seems AMD is actively seeking a dedicated facility amid supply constraints, while Intel has established its own manufacturing presence. It's impressive how each company is adapting to challenges. I appreciate the detailed approach—digging into specs really adds value. Thanks!
The current understanding is that 10nm is so delayed, basically if they were to ramp it up it'll conflict with the 7 nm introduction which is a separate development project, and not tied to 10nm working. So they just need 10nm working enough to help them out until 7nm comes online. News earlier this year was that 7nm is also delayed, but it is hard to tell if it is just something relatively minor, or if it is 10nm all over again. Intel 5nm hasn't been openly discussed as far as I'm aware, but they'll surely be working on it in some way already so that it will be ready when the time comes in future years. Keep in mind it will be the process going against what will be TSMC 3nm due to their naming differences.
You can be sure they're doing what they can in a way that makes sense. There's an old joke about that kinda applies here: if a woman takes 9 months to produce a baby, how long does it take 9 women? Not that I'm saying making silicon is like making babies, but there are things that simply can't be done faster by throwing more money at it.
This topic really excites me as a computer engineering student. It connects with my interests in gaming and PC hardware. Where do you usually stay informed about these things?
Intel's 2022 CPU collection appears to lead in performance, offering strong capabilities compared to AMD offerings.
Alder Lake will support up to 16 processing units. It combines Golden Cove and Gracemont designs. The eight bigger Golden Cove cores are expected to handle Hyper Threading, while the Gracemont cores won't. This gives a total of 24 threads. The chip will use LGA 1700 socket. When Intel rolls out 7nm superFin in 2022-2023, AMD will likely be at 5nm by then. We can't predict who will have the faster processor next year until official data arrives. (Currently, AMD appears stronger)
I often come across articles in tech publications like ArsTechnica and TechPowerUp. When something catches my attention, I explore related links or search online for more details. On some platforms it's engaging to read discussions, while on others—like TPU—it tends to focus more on heated debates. Still, there are knowledgeable contributors, including scientists and engineers, who provide insightful perspectives.
I don't aim to foresee events with precision. We can be confident AMD will aim to maintain their progress, while Intel will act realistically within its capabilities to either catch up or surpass AMD eventually. Either side might perform better or worse than anticipated. My current estimate is that Alder Lake could launch before Zen 4, possibly taking the lead over Zen 3 for some time, though Intel won't replace overall single socket performance just because AMD has more large cores. For any demanding tasks, it's probably wiser to overlook the smaller cores—it's still an 8-core processor. What will be more intriguing is when they introduce new HEDT options to increase core counts. Since Ice Lake Server seems likely to be released a year behind its initial announcement (Intel mentioned early 2020), it may not be timely to base expectations on that timeline. They don't appear to have other notable developments in that space at the moment.