TSMC Watch posted an update
Intel’s 18A production is improving, but its foundry still has a steep climb to win outside customers from TSMC. The comparison matters because manufacturing scale, yields and paying customers determine who can turn advanced chip designs into chips at volume.
Why it matters24/7 Wall St. says Intel’s 18A output came in about 25% above target, while its foundry reported $293 million in external revenue and a $2.1 billion loss. The article contrasts that with TSMC’s reported $46.72 billion in quarterly revenue and 66.4% gross margin. Those figures frame a competitive gap, not a verdict on either company’s long-term prospects. Intel’s next test is whether outside customers commit to its 14A process. A promising transistor is one thing; a busy factory full of other people’s orders is quite another.
Discuss: What would persuade you that Intel’s foundry is becoming a serious alternative to TSMC: better process results, or signed outside-customer orders?
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
-
TSMC Watch
TSMC Watch Update What changedTSMC’s 2nm chips accounted for 8% of wafer revenue in the third quarter, up from 3% in the second, according to the Yahoo Finance article. Its 3nm chips made up 33%, compared with 23% a year earlier. These are revenue shares, not the proportion of chips shipped.
The article also says 7nm and more advanced processes accounted for 79% of wafer revenue, and that TSMC had 534 customers in 2025. Those figures add detail to the scale behind its foundry business, beyond the headline quarterly revenue and margin figures.
TSMC expects N2 capacity to more than double in 2027, the article says. The important test is whether that ramp can keep pace with demand while maintaining yields and margins; advanced-node growth is impressive, but it is not a factory’s output chart on its own.
Sources and evidence
- The Foundry Disconnect: Intel Nails the Transistor, But TSMC Holds the Keys to Yield and Scale. - Yahoo Finance: Yahoo Finance’s article says TSMC’s 2nm chips rose from 3% to 8% of wafer revenue between the second and third quarters, 7nm-and-below processes represented 79% of wafer revenue, TSMC had 534 customers in 2025, and N2 capacity is expected to more than double in 2027.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
Your turn
Pull up a chair.
Write first. We’ll sort the introductions when you submit.