Newsletter Archives

• Intel delays manufacturing in Ohio

  Posted on March 1, 2025 at 03:00 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  In a note published yesterday to Intel’s Newsroom, titled Ohio One Construction Timeline Update (recommended reading), the company announced that its construction timeline for its Ohio fabs has been changed. Originally, manufacturing was planned to begin as early as this year. A delay of five years has been introduced, with the first module now scheduled to go online in 2030 and the second a year later.

  Intel’s explanation for the delay is that it is matching demand to manufacturing. I lack any evidence to the contrary, but this seems more a matter of managing cash flow. My interpretation is a reduction in demand, because it suddenly appears that Intel has adequate manufacturing capacity to meet demand for the next few years. Bringing manufacturing onshore no longer seems to be a priority.

  I see no way to spin this as good news for the company, and it’s a blow to Ohio, at least for now.

  Intel Intel, Intel News, National Security, News, Ohio, Silicon

• Intel is on the block

  Posted on February 18, 2025 at 08:46 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  A report ($) from the Wall Street Journal states that Broadcom and TSMC are in independent talks with Intel about splitting the company into two pieces, with Broadcom taking the chip-design business and TSMC taking the manufacturing arm. Intel shares rose on the news, an indicator that the market thinks this is a good idea.

  The news is breaking (this past Friday), so it’s very early in the process. There are some hurdles, especially US government approval. There are some national security implications, and Intel received a large payout from the US CHIPS act, which has strings attached.

  This news suggests that Intel’s run as a standalone company may come to an end after 57 years. There’s no telling what might happen to the brand.

  Intel Broadcom, Intel, Intel News, TSMC

• Intel’s troubles

  Posted on August 19, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by Will Fastie

  FROM THE FORUMS

  

  Will Fastie’s article last week, of the same name, drew quite a few readers to its forum. Contributors homed in on the manufacturing-quality problem with 13th- and 14th-generation Intel processors. In addition to the forum posts, Will received a fair number of emails on the topic.

  As mentioned in the article, Intel has not been transparent about the chip problems, adjusting its story and response several times. It is thus important to follow this matter because these two generations of chips make up the bulk of current PC sales.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.34.0, 2024-08-19).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  From the Forums Core 13900K, Core 14900K, Forums, Intel, Intel News, Newsletters

• Intel’s troubles

  Posted on August 12, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.33 • 2024-08-12

  INTEL

  

  By Will Fastie

  In the nearly 50 years I’ve been following Intel, I’ve never seen the company in such disarray. Things are bad.

  On August 1, Intel released its financial results for its second fiscal quarter ending July 31. Although there was a tiny bright spot in its Client Computing Group (up 9% year over year), net revenue was down 1% and the company recorded a quarterly loss of USD $1.6 billion, nearly $3 billion lower year over year.

  Intel’s stock dropped by over 25% in the two following days. And that’s just one of Intel’s problems.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.33.0, 2024-08-12).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Intel AI, Apple, Core 13900K, Core 14900K, Intel, Intel News, Microsoft, Microsoft Surface, Newsletters, Qualcomm, Silicon, Surface

• 14th Gen processors, and (of course) AI

  Posted on October 30, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.44 • 2023-10-30

  INTEL NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  Intel made some impressive announcements, but Qualcomm may get all the good press.

  You know we’ve been following developments in silicon carefully over the past couple of years. Our focus has been largely on Apple because of its bold initiatives with its M-series of chips.

  That coverage has not been to tout Apple, although it’s abundantly clear that the company’s products, especially Macintosh, have shown market share improvements. Our purpose has been to underscore what we perceived as a lag in Intel’s ongoing development. Windows users don’t gain anything from Apple’s proprietary silicon, but they lose something if Intel can’t keep up.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.44.0, 2023-10-30).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Intel Financial Performance, Intel, Intel News, Intel Processors, News, Newsletters, Qualcomm

• The “Intel Processor”

  Posted on September 26, 2022 at 02:41 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  INTEL NEWS

  

  By Will Fastie

  For two decades, it’s been confusing to figure out what the name of an Intel processor or an Intel processor family meant.

  Now, Intel has thrown a real wrench into the works by announcing the “Intel Processor.”

  Funny — I thought that phrase referred to all Intel processors, not a family or a segment. I thought I could just write, “That PC has an Intel processor inside” and then wait for the inevitable question: “Which one?”

  No longer, apparently.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.39.0, 2022-09-26).

  Intel Intel, Intel News, News, Newsletters, Processors