Newsletter Archives

• 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

• Core Ultra Series 2 desktop processors

  Posted on October 14, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  INTEL

  

  By Will Fastie

  Once again, new naming conventions make understanding Intel’s processors confusing.

  Late last week, Intel announced a series of new Core Ultra processors for desktop computers. These are designated “S” models. A month ago, Intel announced Core Ultra processors for laptops, designated “V.”

  At least for the moment, this is all very confusing. My big takeaway is that the V models are optimized for AI in the most popular form factor, laptops. The S models are optimized for the desktop gaming market. These initial S models do not perform as well for AI.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.42.0, 2024-10-14).

  Intel AI, Copilot+ PCs, Core Ultra, Intel Processors, Newsletters, NPUs, Performance, TSMC

• Will Intel be a dominant chip company going forward?

  Posted on May 16, 2022 at 02:44 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  SILICON

  

  By Brian Livingston

  All the headlines seem to be bad for Intel lately — poor yields on bleeding-edge technologies, disappointed customers, lagging performance compared with competitors from around the world, and on and on.

  The truth of the matter is a bit more complicated.

  Most of the stories you’ve been reading in the mass media about Intel are telling only half the tale — if that.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.20.0, 2022-05-16).

  Silicon Apple Silicon, Intel, Newsletters, Samsung, Silicon, TSMC

• What technology will run your life a few years from now?

  Posted on April 11, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  SILICON

  

  By Brian Livingston

  “My interest is in the future, because I’m going to spend the rest of my life there,” said Charles Kettering, the head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947.

  I’m sure his statement is true. Time travel into the future isn’t science fiction — we all do it every day at the usual speed. But what kind of a future will it be, and can we head off the worst aspects of it?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.15.0, 2022-04-11).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Silicon Intel, Newsletters, Samsung, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Silicon, TSMC