Lately uncovered manifests reveal that Intel has begun transport take a look at samples of its next-generation desktop and server processors. Whereas a lot about these upcoming CPUs stays unsure, their eventual launch could possibly be a watershed second for Intel’s 18A course of node and its foundry enterprise.
The shipments reportedly occurred final month, however the manifests have been just lately found by leaker x86deadandback. He suspects that two listings for 500W A0 chips correspond to Clearwater Forest processors. One other cargo from the identical interval is explicitly marked as a Nova Lake CPU destined for R&D, suggesting that each product traces have reached a important improvement milestone.
Clear as water: A0 500W
Huge (SRAM on DIE Base) Boys do not cry 🙂https://t.co/iBQy1vMkcJ pic.twitter.com/GisHMS9fXf
– X86 is useless and again (@x86deadandback) January 20, 2025
Intel unveiled Clearwater Forest final fall, positioning the upcoming Xeon server CPUs as a cornerstone of its technique to compete with AMD and TSMC. Though TSMC has maintained pole place within the semiconductor marketplace for years, Intel hopes to overhaul the Taiwanese large with its subsequent node.
Clearwater Forest and the moveable sector Panther Lake The CPUs mark the debut of Intel’s 18A node. With PowerVia rear energy supply and efficiency enhancements from the integral RibbonFET gate structure, Intel expects the node to compete with TSMC’s 3nm and 2nm chips.
After a turbulent 12 months that pressured the resignation of CEO Pat Gelsinger, the corporate is betting huge on 18A to point out it may keep within the foundry enterprise. Final month, Intel confirmed that third-party prospects have efficiently ignited samples of 18A, suggesting improvement is continuing easily.
Do not cease! 😎 Intel Nova Lake! pic.twitter.com/4EB5xy2BzM
– X86 is useless and again (@x86deadandback) January 21, 2025
Intel has additionally confirmed that Clearwater Forest can have stacked cache know-how much like AMD’s 3D V-Cache. Nonetheless, not like AMD’s implementation, which has considerably elevated gaming efficiency, Intel’s model will likely be unique to server processors. Each Clearwater Forest and Panther Lake are anticipated to launch later this 12 months.
In the meantime, Nova Lake is predicted to observe Panther Lake and probably arrive in 2026. Though particulars on Nova Lake stay scarce, it’s rumored to succeed the just lately launched Arrow Lake desktop processors and should embody laptop computer variants. Particulars concerning the Nova Lake semiconductor node are additionally unclear, but it surely might use 14A from Intel or 2nm from TSMC.
2nm from TSMC The N2 node, like Intel’s 18A, will make use of a full gate structure to considerably enhance efficiency and energy effectivity. Mass manufacturing of TSMC’s 2nm chips will start in late 2025. Different opponents, together with Samsung and Rapidus, are additionally engaged on related applied sciences. Nonetheless, Samsung faces challenges with low returns, whereas Rapidus is predicted to lag TSMC by at the very least two years.
