Intel has announced they’ve finally designed some x86 chips that meet Apple Silicon level performance per watt. I’ve been beating the drum for years about the existential threat advanced ARM chips represent to Intels PC and Server business, and finally it looks like they’ve responded.
ARSTechnica is reporting the performance claims for the new Intel Core Ultra 200V and it looks very impressive, catching up to latest Apple and Qualcomm chips. But a few caveats. One, Intel is famous for making benchmark claims that later turn out to be misleading, even rigged. Until we can see actual laptops being sold with the new processors and benchmark them, we won’t know how accurate these claims are.
Second, they are targeting already shipping processors with a new design that won’t be shipped in volume before 2025, where it will be competing with the next generation of ARM processors, including the Apple M4.
Second, to make these processors they are being forced to fab with TSMC and on one of its latest processes. This implies that their pivot to fabs is already failing if they can’t fab their most critical processors in house. It appears they still can’t produce at the latest process sizes yet, or not at sufficient volumes. We know they already will have trouble getting top customers because they directly compete with the largest fab customers (Apple, nVidia, Qualcomm, Samsung, AMD, etc) but if they can’t offer leading edge process sizes in volume they will be relegated to second tier status even for customers they don’t compete with.
Looking forward to the rollout of these new laptops in 2025(?).
Intel had already contracted fab capacity with TSMC even before Pat joined as CEO. They're likely just using up contracted capacity.