There may be bottlenecks slowing the distribution of Core and Core Ultra Series 3 processors.
If you’re considering purchasing a new laptop to take advantage of Intel’s new 3-series processors, you may need to exercise a little patience. The company is reportedly struggling to get enough of its Core and Core Ultra chips to suppliers, much to their dismay. The old well connected Bloomberg Journalist Tim Culpan, writing on his Substack, suggests that major PC brands are facing shortages. This is a sensitive topic, given that Intel has also reportedly urged these same companies to switch to the new chips, as it would quickly stop making the previous generation of silicon.
The Core/Core Ultra Series 3 chips are the first two manufactured using Intel’s 18A process, the first stop on its comeback tour. Over the past two decades, Intel has seen its technological leadership erode, usurped by its Taiwanese rival, TSMC, now the world’s largest chipmaker. According to Culpan, Intel has sought to reduce production of its older chips, named Alder Lake and Raptor Lake, because both are made by TSMC.
Given the demands placed on the Taiwanese microchip company – it’s the single building block that supports the rest of the tech industry – Intel likely won’t be its top priority. Especially since he doesn’t need to offer too much help to the company that still intends to reclaim its place at the top of the chipmaking hill. Unfortunately for Intel, even though manufacturing of the 18A chips themselves is done in-house, the new chips still require many additional components made at, you guessed it, TSMC. Culpan added that the supply crunch could worsen given that Intel also launched its first high-end server chip, Xeon 6+, produced using the same 18A process.
The report quotes an Intel executive admitting that there is some shortage, but that the company is working to overcome it. Woozad has contacted Intel for any official comment, and we will update this report if we receive a response.
