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> 14nm(++++++)

What do you mean by this?



Intel has been repeatedly tuning their 14nm process and adding a plus at the end each time. It's starting to get a bit ridiculous.


For reference, Intel's first 14nm mobile processors were introduced from late 2014 through mid 2015. They've done one major microarchitecture update since then, and the rest of their microarchitecture and fab refinements in the intervening years have been minor updates as they're in a holding pattern waiting for their fabs to deliver a 10nm process that is viable for mass production.

The first 10nm process was such an abject failure that Intel now prefers to pretend it didn't happen. The second 10nm process produced laptop processors that began shipping last fall, but are still mixed in with 14nm processors that are branded as part of the same generation.


Apparently a big chunk of those top-bin 10nm chips ended up going to Apple for the new 2020 Air.


Sure, Intel sold some to Apple, but I’ve been seeing 1/3 to 1/2 of the laptops Costco carries with Ice Lake since before thanksgiving. Warehouse stores, not even premium channels.

They’re not in nearly the short supply that some people like to imply.

AMD is quite late to market with their mobile 7nm products. Their desktop products are far more timely, if their mobile had been launched with the desktop they would have beaten Intel, instead they basically are 6 months late to market.


Late to market, but better performance.


Yes, incrementally better, not drastically, as compared to the 14nm parts.

That’s how generational leaps work. Competitors one-up each other, just like Intel one-upped the 1000 series with Coffee Lake. Time to market lost is time you’re giving your competitor to get their next generation ready.

Intel is now only 6 months away from their next release, Tiger Lake. We are already starting to see a few benchmarks leak out.

I don’t get why people think it’s such a big ask to not release half their lineup 9 months late. For that matter, where are the socketed APUs?


It's probably the same answer to both. Demand is still high but TSMC has finite 7nm fab capacity and the APUs have lower margins. What's the hurry to release lower margin APUs if the fabs are still busy making higher margin CPUs?


It’s also a reference to Intel’s failure to make 10nm work (their equivalent to AMD’a 7nm) and just endlessly flogging slightly updated 14nm




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