Intel May Be Struggling To Supply Enough Of Its New Chips

If you’re looking to buy a new laptop to take advantage of Intel’s new Series 3 processors, you might need to practice a little patience. The company is reportedly struggling to get enough of its Core and Core Ultra chips out of the door to suppliers, much to their consternation. The well-connected former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan, writing on his Substack, suggests major PC brands are having to deal with the shortages. It’s a sore subject, given Intel reportedly also urged those same companies to switch over to the new chips as it would quickly stop manufacturing the previous generation of silicon.

The Core / Core Ultra Series 3 chips are the first two made on Intel’s long-gestating 18A process, the first step on its comeback tour. In the last two decades, Intel has seen its technology leadership erode as it was usurped by its Taiwanese rival, TSMC, now the world’s biggest chip manufacturer. According to Culpan, Intel sought to wind down production of its older chips, codenamed Alder Lake and Raptor Lake, because both are manufactured by TSMC.

Given the demands placed on the Taiwanese chip company — it is the single load bearing brick holding up the rest of the technology industry — Intel is likely to not be its highest priority. Especially given that it has little need to offer too much assistance to the company that still has designs on reclaiming its seat at the top of the chip manufacturing hill. Unfortunately for Intel, while manufacturing the 18A chips themselves is done in-house, the new chips still need a lot of additional components made at, you guessed it, TSMC. Culpan added the supply crunch may get worse given Intel has also released its first high-end server chip, Xeon 6+, produced on the same 18A process.

The report quotes an Intel executive admitting there is some shortage, but that the company is working to overcome it. Engadget has contacted Intel for any official comment, and we will update this report if we receive a response.