Bloomberg reported concerning its own informed sources, specifying that Intel is negotiating with both TSMC and Samsung. However, the capabilities of the former still satisfy the customer to a greater extent. It is expected that TSMC will build an enterprise in Baoshan, China by the end of this year, which, if necessary, will exclusively serve Intel. The first product samples will be manufactured using a 5nm process technology, but 4nm products will be launched into mass production in 2022. The enterprise’s needs will be served by a research centre, capable of employing eight thousand engineers.

The 4nm components produced for Intel by TSMC will be used, the source does not explain. Intel knows from its own presentations that it counts on outsourcing in the creation of GPUs and compute accelerators. At the rumours level, the possibility of launching mass models of consumer processors of the Core i3 class using 5-nm technology was also discussed. Whether a single TSMC enterprise will be able to cover the market needs is a separate question. Most likely, at first, the company will produce more expensive and fewer products for Intel.

For Intel, using TSMC services is nothing new. Previously, the Taiwanese contractor was entrusted with modems, chipsets and parts of mobile processors for special purposes. Still, Intel has always tried to produce central processors in-house. The company does not lose hope of catching up on lost time in the technological field, so it will continue to fund the development of 7nm and 5nm technologies. We will hear fresh official comments on this matter this month.