The new generation of gaming consoles has only just begun but as always, both console makers are already preparing for the future. This week, supply chain sources claim that Sony is already planning its PS5 refresh, which will move to a 6nm APU. Citing supply chain sources, DigiTimes reports that …
Read More »TSMC now uses AMD EPYC-powered machines to make chips
In what seems to be the “silicon cycle,” TSMC announced that it's now using AMD-powered servers to manage and control the machines responsible for manufacturing processors for AMD and the rest of its clientele. Until recently, Intel Xeon processors have been known for being the go-to-choice for mission-critical workloads, but …
Read More »Apple Silicon M2 processor reportedly already in production
Apple embarked on a journey to create its own processors several years ago, which culminated in the launch of the M1, an ARM-based chip that now powers Macs and iPads. A successor is already in the works though and according to sources this week, Apple's M2 chip is already in …
Read More »TSMC sees growth in Q1 but warns chip shortages could last into 2022
There is good news and bad news from TSMC this week. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has seen a rise in revenue and profits in Q1, but unfortunately, we are no closer to the current chip shortage being over. TSMC revealed this week that it saw a 19.4 percent rise …
Read More »TSMC reportedly investing $100 billion to expand chip making capacity
Late last month, Intel announced plans to invest $20 billion to build new foundries to produce chips for other companies and compete with the likes of TSMC. It seems that TSMC has some major plans of its own, with the semiconductor company reportedly set to invest $100 billion in expanding …
Read More »TSMC to begin producing Apple A15 chips based on enhanced 5nm process
Apple is making progress on this year's iPhone, with the latest reports indicating that the company will once again work with TSMC to build the SoC. This year's iPhone will be powered by the A15 chip, based on TSMC's 5nm process technology and mass production is kicking off soon. According …
Read More »Intel invests $20 billion in new foundry business to compete with the likes of TSMC and Samsung
While the announcement of 7nm Intel CPUs stole headlines last night following Intel's 'Engineering the Future' event last night, the bigger announcement is arguably Intel's decision to set up its own foundry business. Intel has used its own foundry facilities to produce chips for years now and soon, Intel will be opening up its doors to fabricate chips for other companies too.
Read More »AMD rumoured to tap Samsung for additional chip production
AMD has been working with TSMC for a number of years now, for both its Ryzen CPUs and Radeon GPUs. The relationship has been fruitful for both sides, however, having a second source for chip manufacturing can be very handy, particularly when combatting stock shortages. According to new reports, AMD …
Read More »Intel reportedly set to outsource 3nm CPU production to TSMC
While Intel's CEO recently stated that he was confident that future CPUs would continue to be manufactured internally, a contradictory report has surfaced this week. Sources seem to be suggesting that Intel is planning on outsourcing 3nm CPU production to TSMC. According to the report shared and translated by Retired …
Read More »Sony targets 18m PlayStation 5 sales in 2021 following increased TSMC production
While sales of Sony’s brand new PS5 console have been hampered by significant chip supply issues, the Japanese giant is looking forward to a much better year in 2021 with PS5 shipments targeting 18 million units. As partners like TSMC make promises to allocate much more 7nm wafer capacity, the …
Read More »Luke and Leo Get Technical (Ep7) – AMD & Nvidia Supply Problems
Leo is loving life with his AMD RX 6800 XT graphics card to go alongside his liquid cooled Nvidia RTX 3080. Is he the luckiest graphics card enthusiast around by having managed to bag both cards? And what is exactly is going on with supply? Let's have a discussion...
Read More »AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Zen 3 CPU Review
AMD's Ryzen 9 5900X is here - how does it stack up against the competition?
Read More »TSMC has shipped over one billion 7nm chips so far
This week, TSMC announced a very significant milestone – the semiconductor officially shipped one billion 7nm chips as of July 2020. That number doesn't include any chips that had to be thrown out due to defects, it is a cool one billion, functional and defect-free 7nm chips. According to TSMC, …
Read More »TSMC and Foxconn reportedly interested in acquiring ARM
We've recently heard a lot about Nvidia's interest in acquiring ARM, but it was only a matter of time before other suitors began popping up. This week, reports indicate that TSMC and Foxconn are also interested in buying the British chip developer. A couple of weeks ago we reported that Nvidia …
Read More »AMD and Intel expected to compete over TSMC production capacity
The competition between Intel and AMD has heated up significantly as of late and now the two tech giants may also be butting heads for production capacity. According to reports, AMD and Intel are vying for more of TSMC's business. Last week AMD was able to overtake Intel in share price …
Read More »TSMC becomes highest valued semiconductor manufacturer in the world
TSMC is now officially the biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the world. This week, the company's market cap grew once again, hitting a total value of $313 billion USD. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC, has passed its competition and grabbed the number one spot in the world as …
Read More »TSMC to stop Huawei shipments in September
A couple of months ago, it was reported that TSMC would soon stop shipping wafers to Huawei following new rule changes in the US. New orders were halted at the time and now, new information indicates that Huawei will no longer receive shipments from TSMC in September. Back in May …
Read More »TSMC expected to manufacture Apple Silicon chips for future Macs
There has been plenty of discussion around Apple's move to ARM-based Macs over the last couple of months, but we haven't heard much about who Apple will partner with for manufacturing. Now, we have a better idea, as TSMC is said to be set to build Apple Silicon chips moving …
Read More »Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 goes into production at TSMC facility
TSMC is reported to have scaled up its production capacity of 5nm and is said to have started production of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 875 SoC as well as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 5G modem. According to the Chinese tech website 快科技 (meaning ‘fast technology') TSMC has officially started production of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 875. This means …
Read More »TSMC expected to grow in 2021 even after losing Huawei’s orders
Major semiconductor companies spend billions upon billions of dollars each year and are dependent on massive orders to stay profitable. With that in mind, the halting of all new orders from Huawei, one of the world's biggest smartphone companies, could have had an impact on TSMC's bottom line. As it turns out …
Read More »Report: TSMC halts new orders from Huawei as US rules change
The trade dispute between the US and China is continuing this week, with reports saying that TSMC has stopped taking new orders from Huawei as the US attempts to limit chip supplies. The US government announced last Friday that semiconductors making chips abroad with U.S. technology would require licenses for …
Read More »TSMC to build and operate a fab in the United States
Things change fast in the world of technology. On May 11 it was reported that the Trump administration had reached out to several semiconductor manufacturers to discuss the possibility of building a chip plant in the US. Now, just four days later, TSMC has announced that it's planning to build and …
Read More »TSMC has begun development of a 2nm node
TSMC is expected to start volume production of its 5nm process nodes later this year, and to follow that up with 3nm during 2022. Now the hunt for ever smaller node sizes continues as TSMC is reported to have started R&D for its 2nm process nodes. The reports come from …
Read More »More sources point to ARM-powered Macs in 2021
Another round of sources have come to light, claiming that Apple will design its own CPUs for future Macs beginning in 2021.
Read More »Luke and Leo Get Technical (Ep5) – Zen 3 Rumours and Speculation
Zen 3 is still likely to be many months away, but the rumour mill has certainly begun churning. Keeping up with AMD's release cadence from Zen, Zen+, and Zen 2, we initially expected to see Zen 3 around Q4 2020. Will this still be the case?...
Read More »TSMC’s 5nm expected to offer 80% higher transistor density vs 7nm
TSMC is investing heavily in its step down to 5nm manufacturing technology, with volume production set to start in April this year. A step down in node size usually bring the benefits of better performance, cheaper production costs, lower power consumption and a higher transistor density. Currently, TSMC's 5nm node …
Read More »Leo Says 47 – March 2020 – AMD is Upbeat
As the Human Malware spreads around Planet Earth, Leo is doing his best to remain chirpy. Thankfully we can turn to news from AMD for a healthy portion of sunshine and happiness that will keep us all sane in these dark times.
Read More »TSMC expected to begin volume production of 5nm in April
The strive for ever smaller processor nodes continues as TSMC is expected to begin volume production of 5nm A14 chips for Apple next month. The semiconductor manufacturer TSMC is now looking to scale up its production of 5nm chips, with volume production set to start in April according to industry …
Read More »TSMC’s 3nm investment may exceed £18 billion
Leaps in manufacturing technology don't come cheap. For the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC this isn't new information, as the company has already invested heavily in an effort to shrink nodes over the last few years. For the leap down to 3nm, it is reported the company is investing upwards of £18 …
Read More »AMD reportedly set to double TSMC 7nm wafer order in 2020
AMD had the jump on the 7nm generation, pushing out several 7nm-based GPUs and CPUs. In 2020, AMD is expected to push its 7nm product line further, with expectations that the company will become TSMC's biggest 7nm customer for the year, edging out the likes of Apple, Qualcomm and Nvidia. …
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