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OpenAI and Broadcom to finalize custom AI processor in the coming months say industry sources

OpenAI expects to finalize its first custom AI processor design in the coming months and send it to TSMC for production, aiming for large-scale manufacturing by 2026, reports Reuters. OpenAI follows its rivals from Google, Meta, and Microsoft, so to remain competitive in terms of costs, it needs its own custom processors earlier rather than later.The custom silicon OpenAI will create for AI processors is expected to feature a so-called systolic array design, a grid of identical processing elements (PEs that perform matrix or vector computations) that are arranged in rows and columns and connected in such a way that data ‘pulses’ through the array in a pipeline-like fashion. The processor is said to use HBM memory, though it is unclear whether OpenAI plans to use HBM3E or HBM4. As for process technology, OpenAI reportedly aims at TSMC’s proven N3-series (3nm-class) fabrication process.OpenAI is reportedly working with Broadcom on its custom processor for AI workloads project. Typically, companies that work with Broadcom on custom processors develop key differentiating intellectual property (IP) in-house (or at least define it with Broadcom), and then Broadcom adds the remaining parts such as general-purpose CPU cores, memory, and I/O controllers and physical interfaces, as well as assembling the final design.On the OpenAI side, the effort is led by Richard Ho, who previously worked on Google’s TPUs. Ho’s team reportedly doubled to 40 engineers recently, but it is still considerably smaller than those at Amazon Web Services or Google. Expanding the initiative to match the scale of Google or Amazon would require hiring hundreds more engineers. That said, it is reasonable to expect OpenAI’s in-house contribution to the design to be relatively small.Internally, OpenAI sees its custom processor as a way to improve its bargaining power with existing suppliers, mainly Nvidia. However, if successful, the company intends to refine and upgrade its custom silicon over time, expanding functionality with each iteration. The first version is expected to be produced in small quantities, primarily for running inference workloads on AI models rather than training them.Developing a high-performance AI processor is an expensive undertaking. Industry estimates suggest a single model could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and supporting infrastructure, including necessary hardware and software, could double that amount. However, when more than one processor is developed per platform, those costs per processor typically drop.Historically, even companies like AWS, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have struggled to create competitive in-house processors that could beat Nvidia’s GPUs in terms of performance. However, they have managed to build much cheaper processors with higher energy efficiency tailored for their workloads, which enables them to more than offset development costs. Also, these custom processors make running AI models cheaper for their cloud customers, which is good for the market.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.The demand for AI chips continues to surge as Big Tech companies need vast quantities of processors to train and then run their increasingly sophisticated models. Meta has allocated $60 billion for AI infrastructure this year, while Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in 2025. OpenAI has not formally announced its 2025 spending plan — which is not surprising as it is not a public company — but, likely, it will also spend tens of billions of dollars on hardware, software, and infrastructure this year.If OpenAI manages to tape out its first custom processor in the coming months, then it will be able to mass produce it sometime a year after that, in mid-2026. If it is lucky, it will begin deployment in the second half of 2026. […]

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Elon Musk-led group of investors makes nearly $100 billion bid for OpenAI

Elon Musk and a group of investors have offered $97.4 billion to acquire OpenAI’s nonprofit arm that controls the company, reports the Wall Street Journal. Sam Altman, chief executive and a co-founder of Open AI, and the board of directors, have rejected the bid, stating the company’s governance prevents outside control. Musk argues the nonprofit should remain committed to open-source safety-focused AI, while OpenAI is moving toward a for-profit model.”It is time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” a statement by Elon Musk published by his lawyer Marc Toberoff reads. “We will make sure that happens.”The acquisition proposal is supported by Musk’s AI company, xAI, and multiple investment companies, including Atreides Management, Baron Capital, 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, and 8VC. In addition, the proposal is backed by Hollywood executive Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor, and Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir.Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, submitted the offer to OpenAI’s board, aiming to buy all nonprofit assets. This proposal challenges Sam Altman’s plans to transition OpenAI into a traditional for-profit company while ensuring the nonprofit retains equity. OpenAI is raising billions to fund its AI infrastructure and a for-profit entity could raise more money and therefore speed up the progress of AI development in general and artificial general intelligence (AGI) in particular.OpenAI is currently seeking to secure up to $40 billion in new funding in an investment round led by SoftBank, which is negotiating to contribute between $15 billion and $25 billion. If the company succeeds, this could increase OpenAI’s valuation to $300 billion. The funding round follows a $6.6 billion funding round in October that valued OpenAI at $157 billion.That said, OpenAI has confirmed it has no intention of accepting Musk’s bid. In a message to employees, Altman emphasized that OpenAI’s structure prevents any single person from taking control. He called Musk’s offer a way to destabilize the rapidly developing company.Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015, left the company in 2019. Since then, OpenAI has raised substantial funding from Microsoft and other investors. Musk has taken legal action against OpenAI, claiming it abandoned its original mission by working closely with Microsoft. He has also questioned how OpenAI values its nonprofit entity as it transitions to for-profit status. In January, his lawyer contacted attorneys general in California and Delaware, urging them to oversee the valuation process to ensure fairness.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.OpenAI insists Musk’s legal claims are unfounded and that the nonprofit will be fairly compensated in the restructuring. The company also released documents showing Musk had previously supported a for-profit transition but withdrew when he could not gain control.A part of OpenAI’s vision is Stargate, an initiative to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the U.S. over the next four years. Musk has publicly criticized Stargate, arguing that its supporters lack the necessary funding: shortly after the announcement, he called Altman a ‘swindler’ and claimed the project was overpromising. Altman denied Musk’s allegations, but the dispute has added to the uncertainty surrounding OpenAI’s transition. […]

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Intel’s head of datacenter and AI unit leaves to lead Nokia

In an unexpected turn of events Justin Hotard, the executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and AI Group (DCAI) at Intel, left the company to become chief executive of Nokia. Intel has appointed an internal head for its datacenter and AI unit and will start searching for a new permanent general manager immediately. “We have a strong DCAI team that will continue to advance our priorities in service to our customers,” a statement by Intel reads. “Karin Eibschitz Segal has been appointed interim head of the DCAI business and is an accomplished executive with nearly two decades of Intel leadership experience spanning products, systems and infrastructure roles. We are grateful for Justin Hotard’s contributions and wish him the best in his new role.” Justin Hotard joined Intel from HPE in early 2024. His tenure was arguably a mixed bag, though much of what he oversaw was more or less in place before he arrived. Intel successfully launched its Xeon 6 ‘Granite Rapids’ and ‘Sierra Forest’ CPUs for servers,  but sales of its Gaudi 3 processors for AI missed the company’s own rather modest expectations. In addition, the company had to cancel its Falcon Shores as a product and delay its Clearwater Forest datacenter CPU by at least a quarter. Justin Hotard has over 25 years of experience working at major technology companies. Before joining Intel, he held leadership positions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NCR Corporation. His background includes expertise in AI and datacenter markets, which are said to be critical areas for Nokia’s future. “I am delighted to welcome Justin to Nokia,” said Sari Baldauf, Chair of Nokia’s Board of Directors. “He has a strong track record of accelerating growth in technology companies along with vast expertise in AI and datacenter markets, which are critical areas for Nokia’s future growth. In his previous positions, and throughout the selection process, he has demonstrated the strategic insight, vision, leadership and value creation mindset required for a CEO of Nokia.” Nokia’s current CEO Pekka Lundmark will step down on March 31, 2025, and Justin Hotard will take over the role starting April 1, 2025. Lundmark will stay on as an advisor until the end of the year. Hotard will be based in Espoo, Finland, where Nokia’s headquarters are located. Lundmark has led Nokia since 2020, a period marked by significant challenges. Under his leadership, the company strengthened its position in 5G technology, cloud-based network infrastructure, and patent licensing. With this leadership change, Nokia aims to continue its transformation, focusing on AI, datacenters, and next-generation connectivity. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.”I am honored by the opportunity to lead Nokia, a global leader in connectivity with a unique heritage in technology,” said Justin Hotard. “Networks are the backbone that power society and businesses, and enable generational technology shifts like the one we are currently experiencing in AI. I am excited to get started and look forward to continuing Nokia’s transformation journey to maximize its potential for growth and value creation.” Justin Hotard leaves a couple of months after Pat Gelsinger, chief executive of Intel, was ousted by the board of directors. As a result, Intel now does not have a permanent CEO or a permanent head of its key DCAI unit. […]

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AMD CEO Lisa Su joins board of Arabian AI university

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has appointed a new Board of Trustees, including AMD’s chief executive, Lisa Su, and leaders from some of Abu Dhabi’s most influential AI and investment entities. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chief executive officer and managing director of Mubadala Investment Company (which controls AI firm G42 and contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries), now chairs the board, which has expanded to nine members, reports MiddleEastNews.The new Board of Trustees includes business, high-technology, and academic leaders. It also contains trustees with stronger ties to Abu Dhabi’s executive and investment leadership, signaling a shift towards deeper integration with the emirate’s economic and technological initiatives.The restructuring marks the departure of key figures involved since the university’s formal establishment in 2019 and the incoming of new people, such as Lisa Su and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak. In addition, the new board includes:Peng Xiao (chief executive of G42, a major UAE-based AI company)Daniela Rus (director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL))Eric Xing (an American computer scientist specializing in machine learning, computational biology, and statistical methodology, one of the founders of MBZUAI)Martin Edelman (a lawyer specializing in real estate and corporate mergers and acquisitions transactions)Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi (the Chairman of the Department of Finance – Abu Dhabi)Saif Saeed Ghobash (Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council)Rima Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi (Executive Director of the Strategic Affairs Unit of the Executive Affairs Authority (EAA) and the chairman of Tamkeen).Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, is the most noticeable addition to the board, whose influence in the global semiconductor industry is well recognized. She led AMD’s transformation from an underdog CPU developer into a leading supplier of CPUs for client and data center computers. Her appointment certainly raises MBZUAI’s global visibility and strengthens its connection with the semiconductor and AI hardware industries.For Su, serving on the same board with the head of G42 and Abu Dhabi politicians potentially means finding additional markets for the company’s AI hardware — Instinct MI GPUs — that yet have to gain traction in the industry and compete for head-to-head against Nvidia’s Hopper and Blackwell GPUs.The MBZUAI board restructuring ensures the university remains a key player in Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision for AI-driven economic growth while maintaining strong ties to global technology advancements.The emirate recently committed $3.54 billion to integrating AI into government systems, reinforcing its focus on digital transformation. Additionally, MGX — Abu Dhabi’s $100 billion AI investment fund — shares four board members with MBZUAI (Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Peng Xiao, Martin Edelman, and Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi), further linking the university to the region’s AI industry.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]

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Fraudulent hard drive scandal deepens at Seagate: Clues point at Chinese Chia mining farms

A Heise investigation of used Seagate data center-grade hard drives that are being sold as new has suggested that the drives originated from Chinese cryptocurrency mining farms that used them to mine Chia several years ago. Notably, this finding does not disprove Seagate’s assertion that the fraudulent HDDs were obtained from channels that did not buy from official distributors.The investigation suggests the used HDDs originated in China, likely from cryptocurrency mining farms that previously mined Chia. During Chia’s peak, HDD demand surged, leading to shortages and price hikes. However, the economic payoff for Chia mining declined over time, leading to many farms shutting down and flooding the market with second-hand drives. According to the report, these drives — many with 15,000 to 50,000 hours of prior use — had their internal records altered to appear unused. Seagate denies involvement; it has launched an investigation and now offers a tool to determine whether HDDs are shiny new or used (more on that later).Over 200 reports of affected HDDs have surfaced worldwide, including cases in Europe, Australia, Thailand, and Japan. The fraudulent sales were first reported in January when it was discovered that supposedly new Seagate Exos datacenter-grade HDDs had been used for thousands of hours.The HDDs’ SMART parameters track drive usage, but those parameters were reset to conceal the actual wear. However, a deeper analysis using a query of the FARM (field-accessible reliability metrics) values reveals the true operational history of the drive, thus revealing if they have been used.The affected retailers have responded differently to the scandal. Alternate claims neither the store nor its German suppliers knew the drives were not new, but it suggests customers contact the store if they discover their ‘new’ drives have been used. Galaxus has set up an online help page, while Proshop allows free returns and replacements. Some sellers state that warranty laws apply, while Wortmann has insisted on checking the HDDs before offering compensation.Seagate has distanced itself from the issue, insisting it only distributes genuine new drives. It announced a full-scale investigation and has urged affected buyers to report fraud cases directly via fraud@seagate.com. The company believes the used drives were resold as new somewhere in the secondary market before reaching customers.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.Buyers concerned about their purchases can verify the true HDD usage history. SMART parameters are sometimes unreliable, but the true operational time can be checked using FARM values. To do this, one has to use the Smartmontools application version 7.4 or higher (via command: smartctl -l farm /dev/sda) or Seagate’s Seatools software. […]

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TSMC bans more chip sales to China due to stricter U.S. export sanctions

According to United Daily News, TSMC is restricting Chinese chip design firms. They cannot order chips made with 16nm and below processes unless they use U.S. government-approved third-party packaging houses. This move aligns with stricter U.S. export rules, forcing many Chinese companies to shift packaging operations to U.S.-whitelisted OSATs to maintain supply.As of 2023, China contributed around 8% of TSMC’s revenue, a significant part of which comes from the company’s fab in China. Thus, the impact on TSMC revenue is expected to be minor, as over 70% of its revenue comes from advanced technologies, 7nm-class production nodes, and below. Meanwhile, demand for 16nm FinFET chips extends beyond China, including U.S. and European automotive customers.Starting January 31, 2025, 16nm and below products not packaged by a U.S. government-approved OSAT will not be shipped unless TSMC receives a certification copy from the packaging firm. The report says many Chinese companies are responding by moving their packaging operations to allow U.S. firms to retain access to TSMC’s production capacity.New U.S. rules restrict the export of chips with 30 billion transistors or more, made using 14nm, 16nm, or smaller nodes, to China and other restricted nations unless developers obtain a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, companies from the U.S., Taiwan, and allied nations can apply for a permit if selling to approved customers. Chips with fewer transistors and those packaged by U.S.-approved OSATs are exempt. Since most modern processors use FinFET technology, these rules affect a broad range of chips. Still, consumer CPUs and SSD controllers typically stay below the limit, so technically, Chinese customers could get them. If the report is correct, TSMC’s restrictions are stricter than those proposed by the U.S. government.For obvious reasons, big companies like AMD, Apple, Intel, MediaTek, Silicon Motion, and Phison are expected to receive licenses, even for processors surpassing 30 billion transistors. However, the restrictions will impact AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, which now require export licenses for mainstream GPUs sold to China, even if those GPUs were previously unrestricted. The U.S. government’s primary goal is to control AI chip shipments to China, Iran, and Russia and close loopholes that allow blacklisted firms to obtain high-performance AI processors through intermediaries. As it turns out, TSMC is collaborating even beyond the requirements.We have contacted TSMC to confirm the information and will update the story when we receive a response.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]

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Intel’s vacant CEO spot rumored to be filled by Tom Caulfield — abrupt GlobalFoundries shakeup sparks speculation

In a surprising move, GlobalFoundries this week announced that Dr. Thomas Caulfield had been appointed executive chairman, while Tim Breen will become the new CEO, succeeding Caulfield, effective April 28, 2025. While leadership transitions happen occasionally, the Internet rumor mill (Reddit) reacted by speculating that Caulfield, who has been rumored to be a potential replacement for Pat Gelsinger,  could become the next chief executive at Intel. The rumor mill also points to recent highly irregular trade activities in Intel stock as a sign that Caulfield is headed to Intel. Before Thomas Caulfield became chief executive of GlobalFoundries in 2018, he was general manager of GF’s Fab 8 300-mm facility in New York, and before that, he spent 17 years at IBM Microelectronics from 1989 to 2005. While at the helm of GlobalFoundries, Caulfield sold assets he deemed unpromising, but more importantly, he quit the leading-edge process technology race, leaving it to Intel, TSMC, and Samsung. Instead, GlobalFoundries was repurposed to become a specialty foundry, competing in completely different markets. Eventually, he made the company profitable and guided it through an IPO. Thomas Caulfield’s role change at GlobalFoundries has sparked speculation about his potential move to Intel. His departure comes without mention of retirement, and given his industry reputation, some Intel investors on Reddit believe that he could become the next CEO of Intel. Caulfield’s extensive semiconductor industry experience, including his leadership at GF, operational expertise at IBM Microelectronics, and a doctorate in Materials Science from Columbia University, would make him a highly qualified candidate for Intel’s CEO position. An unusual Intel stock trade is used to reinforce this theory: On February 4, when 8,913,900 Intel shares were purchased after hours for $172 million — an amount eerily close to the $178.59 million stock-based incentive given to Intel’s previous chief executive Pat Gelsinger back in 2021. The Intel stock transaction was nearly three times the company’s average daily trading volume, making it a highly irregular occurrence, particularly in the after-market. Large block trades of this nature are rare for Intel, and the timing aligns suspiciously with Caulfield’s announcement the following day. However, some factors do not align with the theory. Under the terms of the GlobalFoudries shakeup, Thomas Caulfield becomes executive chairman of GlobalFoundries. Being a hands-on chairman typically involves substantial operational oversight or strategic direction, which can clash with the time demands of being a full-fledged CEO elsewhere. Naturally, one could assume that Intel wouldn’t want a CEO who would spend significant amounts of time serving other companies. Yet, Caulfield will likely have to oversee GF as Tim Breen becomes the next CEO of GF, whereas Niels Anderskouv (currently the chief business officer) will take on the roles of president and COO. Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, who has been chairman for over a decade, will step down.Another factor that should be kept in mind is that while Thomas Caulfield has over 30 years of operational excellence and is deeply respected in the semiconductor industry, he has limited experience running a products company and has zero experience running a products company at Intel scale. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.In general, while Thomas Caulfield has many competencies valued in the industry, his upcoming position at GlobalFoundries and some other factors do not necessarily support the theory that he is set to become the next CEO of Intel. However, Intel might be ready to make concessions to secure a CEO with industry experience. Only time will tell. […]

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Bill Gates says Intel has lost its way, hints that ‘brave’ Pat Gelsinger exited too soon

Being key players in the PC market, Intel and Microsoft have always worked closely as one developed PC hardware, and the other delivered PC software. Thus, we saw the long-running dominance of ‘Wintel’ PC systems. Despite this success, both Intel and Microsoft missed the smartphone revolution in the late 2000s – early 2010s. But while Microsoft has managed to recover, Intel is struggling. Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, admitted in an interview with the Associated Press that Intel had lost its way, and it would be tough to resurrect.Gates is particularly shocked that Intel, once known for being at the forefront of innovation, has fallen behind in both chip design and manufacturing. Competitors like Nvidia and Qualcomm lead in AI and smartphone processors, whereas TSMC is ahead in terms of process technologies. These issues, combined with the high costs of modern semiconductor development and production, put Intel in a difficult position. Now, with the recent ousting of CEO Pat Gelsinger in December, concerns about the company’s ability to survive have intensified.”I am stunned that Intel basically lost its way,” Gates told the Associated Press. “Gordon Moore always kept Intel at the state of the art. And now they are kind of behind in terms of chip design and they are kind of behind in chip fabrication. […] I thought Pat Gelsinger was very brave to say, ‘No, I am going to fix the design side, I am going to fix the fab side.’ I was hoping for his sake, for the country’s sake that he would be successful. I hope Intel recovers, but it looks pretty tough for them at this stage.”While both Intel and Microsoft missed the start of the smartphone megatrend some 15 – 18 years ago, both companies took advantage of the cloud computing rise in mid-2010s, which was another industry megatrend. However, the situation was a bit different with 5G and AI megatrends. While Intel rested on its laurels and then missed the entire rise of AI both in terms of hardware and in terms of investment in Open AI and other startups, Microsoft became one of the leaders of the artificial intelligence world. While Intel sells processors for 5G base stations, it did not benefit from the transition to 5G as significantly as other market players.Having missed two out of three industry megatrends and having lost its leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, Intel will have to find its way to recover. Last year the company began to cut its costs and fired some 15,000 employees. While Intel can hardly go bankrupt considering that it owns some of the best semiconductor production facilities in the industry and sells the lion’s share of CPUs for PCs and datacenters, how exactly the company’s next chief executive will navigate the blue giant is something that remains to be seen.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]

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Intel data center CPU sales hit the lowest point in 13 years

Sales of Intel’s data center CPUs in 2024 hit their lowest level in more than a decade due to increased competition from AMD, the transition to higher-core count models amid a drop in the number of CPUs, and a market shift to AI servers that use up to eight GPUs and just two CPUs. As analysts from SemiAnalysis observed, unit sales of Intel’s data center CPUs in 2024 dropped by 20% from 2011 levels and over 80% from 2021. “DCAI revenue increased by $182 million from 2023, primarily driven by an increase in server revenue,” Intel’s recently published Form 10-K reads. “Server ASPs increased by 12% from 2023, primarily due to a higher mix of high-core-count products. Server volume decreased by 10% from 2023 due to lower demand in a competitive environment and a higher mix of high-core-count products.” There are multiple possible reasons why Intel’s server-grade CPU sales have hit their lowest level in 13 years in 2024. Intel’s server CPU chip volume hit the lowest in last 14 years for the second straight year in 2024. It’s […]

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Apple rumored to kick off M5 chip production using TSMC performance-enhanced 3nm node

Apple has started large-scale production of its next-generation M5 processor for desktops, laptops, and high-performance tablets, reports ETNews citing its own sources. The new system-on-chip (SoC) is expected to use a performance-enhanced N3P fabrication process, which was set to enter mass production in the second half of 2024, so the information has some merit. Still, as the information comes from an unofficial source, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Apple’s M5 is the next-generation CPU for entry-level Macs as well as high-end iPad Pro tablets. The M5 family is projected to include M5, M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra processors, though Apple has not formally disclosed its plans concerning the lineup. Also, the company did not disclose any specifications of these units, though we expect them to feature new general-purpose cores, revamped GPUs, improved NPUs, and possibly enhanced memory subsystems. The report claims that Apple’s new M5 processors will use organic substrates featuring ‘Ajinomoto’s upgraded ABF films,’ which can increase the density of interconnections as well as decrease the thickness of SoC packages. In addition, the high-end M5 Pro, Max, and Ultra versions will use hybrid bonding and a 2.5D packaging technology — TSMC’s SoIC-mH (molding horizontal) — to disaggregate the CPU and GPU (taking a page from Intel’s book) and reduce thermal density, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, a reputable analyst from TF International Securities. Transition to multi-chiplet designs with high-performance CPUs makes sense for Apple, as it will let the brand increase yields at the cost of a longer production cycle. This year’s SoCs are all expected to use TSMC’s N3P manufacturing technology, a performance-enhanced optical shrink of the company’s N3E fabrication process. As an optical shrink, the N3P node allows processors developers to either boost performance by 4% at the same power level or cut power use by 9% at identical clock speeds. Additionally, it increases transistor density by 4% for mixed designs, defined by TSMC as 50% logic, 30% SRAM, and 20% analog circuits. Considering microarchitectural enhancements, process technology improvements, and the multi-chiplet design of Apple’s premium M5 SoCs, it’s logical to assume they’ll offer substantial performance advantages over M4 CPUs (though actual numbers remain to be seen). TSMC said multiple times that its N3P would enter mass production in the second half of 2024, so it would make sense, time-wise, for the company to have started mass producing chips on this manufacturing node late last year. It is likely that Apple’s M5 will be among the first processors to use N3P (though this is speculation), so the chance that TSMC is currently mass producing the SoC is fairly high. As for higher-end M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra variants that presumably rely on a multi-chiplet design and use advanced packaging, we expect their mass production will start a little later. This doesn’t mean the first Apple products with the M5 are around the corner — Apple finished updating its lineup of products with its M4 series processors in October, so it’s likely not going to rush the successors just yet. We expect we’ll see M5 products later this year.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]