NVIDIA is claimed to be TSMC's first A16 node customer, and this move marks a unique shift in the firm's approach, since it had tended to rely on older processes from the Taiwan giant.
NVIDIA's Pivot Towards TSMC's Latest Processes Comes After Two Decades, Amid Huge Competition In The AI Space
Well, it seems that NVIDIA plans to improve the performance of its future AI architectures, and the firm will depend on TSMC to achieve this goal. Traditionally, NVIDIA wasn't one of the first customers to use cutting-edge nodes from the Taiwan giant, and instead, firms like Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm relied on TSMC's most recent nodes. But, based on a report by Ctee, it is claimed that there's going to be a massive shift in approach from Team Green, as it will be the first to utilize the A16 process, which is set to feature huge performance uplifts, and of course, comply with Moore's Law fundamentals.
It is claimed that since 110nm, NVIDIA hasn't been the first to rely on TSMC's cutting-edge nodes, and instead, the firm has focused on architectural advancements to scale up performance. It seems like the A16 process will pan out to be a 'momentual' release by TSMC, mainly driven by how the Taiwan giant will introduce technologies such as Gate-All-Around FETs (GAAFET) and Super Power Rail (SPR) backside power delivery. The more important factor here is SFR over all other advancements, but we'll talk about this sometime later.
NVIDIA's pivot towards the A16 node could come in late 2027 or early 2028, considering that TSMC plans HVM by late 2026. Based on the firm's roadmap, we could see the technology's debut either with Rubin Ultra or Feynman GPUs, but the latter lineup is a higher possibility, considering that Feynman will feature several other advancements as well. For TSMC, this is indeed great news, since every mainstream AI hardware manufacturer will employ the company's high-end nodes, which will ultimately contribute to the revenue from the process generation.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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