Intel Lands Landmark Contract with Microsoft for 18A Process; Google, NVIDIA & Others Set to Follow

Okay, so here’s the thing: Intel’s got this new 18A process, and people are buzzing like it’s some kinda tech rock concert. It’s supposedly their “iPhone moment.” Weird metaphor, but hey, it works, right?

Right off the bat, you’ve got these big tech players—NVIDIA, Microsoft, Google—sniffing around. Why? ‘Cause Intel’s looking to yank some of that spotlight from TSMC. Imagine the drama—Trump makes a deal, and suddenly everyone’s checking out TSMC’s US digs like they’re the new hot club in town. But Intel’s all like, “Nah, we’ve got this 18A thing.” And yeah, it could be TSMC’s N2 process rival. Big “if,” but you know, fingers crossed.

Anyway—where was I? Oh, yeah, Intel’s been parading this 18A node like it’s the new kid at school with the coolest sneakers. It showed up at Direct Connect 2025—sounds fancy—and they’re saying it’s the top dog in the US. They’re talking SRAM density, performance, efficiency—blah, blah, technical stuff. Point is, it’s better than their old Intel 3 node. Or so they claim. Customers seem to dig it, though.

Random thought, but I saw a picture—maybe related, maybe not. Something about leadership changes at Intel. New CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is apparently steering the ship in a fresh direction. Less of that “IDM 2.0” strategy, whatever that means. They’re focusing on semiconductor design automation and making chips fancier with packaging. Supposedly, this could boost their consumer business too.

Oh, and here’s a nugget of info: TSMC’s production is kinda overloaded. So, folks are giving Intel’s 18A a second look, just in case. Samsung Foundry’s also in the race but doesn’t seem to quite have that lead yet.

So yeah, there’s this swirling pot of tech intrigue. Intel might just have a shot at upstaging TSMC with Team Blue’s new moves. Or, you know, maybe not. Time will tell.