One of the most famous engineers in the chip world, Jim Keller, commented on the future of next-generation processors. In an interview, he stated that his company, Tenstorrent, is considering using Intel's production facilities, but noted that the American giant "still has a lot to improve" before it can compete with industry leaders.
According to Keller, Tenstorrent is in talks with TSMC, Samsung, Rapidus, and Intel about manufacturing future processors using the 2nm process. He does not rule out cooperation with Intel, but emphasizes that the company needs to prove that its technologies are reliable and suitable for external customers.
Intel has been trying to regain its position in the contract manufacturing segment for several years and is promoting its 18A and 14A processes. They promise up to 25% higher frequencies at the same power consumption and 36% less energy consumption while maintaining performance. But, as Keller noted, practical confirmation of the stability of these solutions will be decisive.
Keller is known as the creator of the AMD K8 architecture, a participant in the development of Apple A4 and A5, head of the CPU department at Tesla, and a former top manager at Intel (2018–2020). He now heads Tenstorrent, which specializes in AI chips based on RISC-V. His statement shows that the competition for customers in the field of 2nm technologies is entering a decisive phase. If Intel convinces partners of the reliability of its processes, it may regain its place among the leaders of the global market.
