Intel’s processing issues are likely to impact upon sales of personal computers going forward into the remainder of 2018, according to Digitimes. The report states that the production problems affecting Intel come from ‘unnamed sources’.
Although the personal computer market is far smaller than it was ten years ago (due largely to tablets and smartphones) the sector still accounts for multi-million units, mainly fueled by gaming computers and computers used in businesses.
In the second quarter of 2018, Lenovo produced 13.6 million PCs worldwide, which was ahead of HP’s 13.59 million units. Dell occupies the third place in terms of shipments, with 10.46 million PCs produced.
EE News reports that Intel has recently announced the eighth generation of Intel Core processors. This is with the U- and Y-series (code-named Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake). The latest processors have been developed for optimal connectivity in thinner, lighter laptops and have been produced as part of Intel’s 14nm FinFET processor.
Intel has plans to launch of 10nm processors later in 2019. The launch of these processors has been delayed, which puts Intel at a potential disadvantage to rivals TSMC and Samsung. Both TSMC and Samsung are producing processors using 10nm FinFET processes. Furthermore, both look set to introduce 7nm FinFET processors.
The reference to nanometers (nm) with chips is an indicator of their performance. In general terms the smaller the number, the more transistors can be fit on the die and therefore the more powerful the chip is. In semiconductor fabrication, the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) defines the 10 nanometer (10 nm) node as the technology node following the 14 nm node. The 7nm will be the next iteration of this process.
Despite the delays in introducing the newer generator processor, Intel continues to dominate the PC processor market. Intel’s is also a key supplier to Apple for the MacBook and MacBook Air computers. The main competitor to Intel in this field is with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).
