Intel has confirmed it’s developing its upcoming Panther Lake mobile CPUs using its new 18A manufacturing process. However, a recent rumor suggests that Intel might turn to TSMC’s 2nm technology for the Nova Lake desktop lineup instead. If true, it would be a surprising move, especially given Intel’s ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on the Taiwanese chipmaking giant through its own Intel Foundry Services.
The rumor originated from the Taiwan Economic Daily, which reportedly contacted TSMC for confirmation. As expected, TSMC declined to comment on any speculation involving its clients.
Nova Lake is set to succeed the Core Ultra 200 “Arrow Lake” processors for desktops, but it’s not expected to launch until 2026. In other words, don’t expect new desktop CPUs from Intel this year—2024’s lineup will remain the latest for a while.
CPUs Nova Lake will have a new socket.
And speaking of Nova Lake, a fresh leak suggests that Intel may already be planning to retire the LGA-1851 socket, which was just introduced with the Arrow Lake lineup. Its successor, the LGA-1954 socket, is expected to launch alongside Nova Lake in 2026. If this turns out to be true, the LGA-1851 will have had a very short lifespan—something that’s becoming more common with Intel’s recent platform shifts.
As for TSMC’s 2nm process, another rumor about a month ago claimed the chipmaker had already begun shipping wafers to early customers this quarter. Intel, for its part, has said that its 18A process is progressing well, and even hinted that its performance could rival or exceed TSMC’s technology.
However, not all reports are positive. Earlier rumors suggested that Intel has struggled with yield and performance issues in its 18A process, potentially slowing its rollout and impacting overall production timelines.
