TechPowerUp reports that TSMC will produce 1,000 N3 wafers per month in Q4

[JPack]

Yeah I’m really not getting how official statements shouldn’t be believed but an unreliable leaker should.

To be fair, Mobile Chip Expert is saying TSMC abandoned N3 "internally" which probably means TSMC is not looking to start as many N3 wafers as expected, but focus on N3E instead.

This makes sense given what we're hearing about Intel Meteor Lake being postponed and idle N3 capacity.

Chip Expert was the first to say A15 would be used in iPhone 14 because A16 orders were 1/3 of expected.

 

[dgdosen]

To be fair, Mobile Chip Expert is saying TSMC abandoned N3 "internally" which probably means TSMC is not looking to start as many N3 wafers as expected, but focus on N3E instead.

This makes sense given what we're hearing about Intel Meteor Lake being postponed and idle N3 capacity.

Chip Expert was the first to say A15 would be used in iPhone 14 because A16 orders were 1/3 of expected.

Although I have no idea, I could see TSMC and Apple working together to offset disruptions of Intel punting 3nm for at least the short term. Apple, being cost conscious, could have agreed to step in and increase short term purchases, and asked, well why not throw all this at your newer, cheaper, better-yield, now-ready-to-go node?

 

[JPack]

Although I have no idea, I could see TSMC and Apple working together to offset disruptions of Intel punting 3nm for at least the short term. Apple, being cost conscious, could have agreed to step in and increase short term purchases, and asked, well why not throw all this at your newer, cheaper, better-yield, now-ready-to-go node?

I suspect Apple doesn't have any N3-based designs ready for MP. N5/N4 use the same tools, but N3 is a major node which requires redesigning.

 

[dgdosen]

Although I have no idea, I could see TSMC and Apple working together to offset disruptions of Intel punting 3nm for at least the short term. Apple, being cost conscious, could have agreed to step in and increase short term purchases, and asked, well why not throw all this at your newer, cheaper, better-yield, now-ready-to-go node?

In other words:

 

[JPack]

In other words:
View attachment 2049376

Helps make it more clear!

I think the issue would be timing and global economic factors. Intel is a big customer and Apple can't eat all that up. There's talk of AMD and Nvidia decreasing their N3 orders as well.

N3-based A17/M3 has likely taped out by now and undergoing verification and testing. Unless Apple skips that process, there remains much idle capacity.