Intel may score a major foundry customer in the form of Nvidia, one of the biggest semiconductor purchasers in the industry.
Intel has been working overtime to reinvent itself under CEO Pat Gelsinger. Gelsinger is intent on bringing the company back to its roots as a chipmaker, first and foremost. In addition to its own chips, Intel is investing heavily in foundries aimed at manufacturing chips for other companies. Many of the biggest names in tech, including Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and AMD, rely on outside companies to manufacture their semiconductors, making Intel one of the only companies that provides the entire range of services, from design to production.
Nvidia may be interested in diversifying its manufacturing, instead of relying solely on TSMC and Samsung, according to Bloomberg.
“We’re very open-minded to considering Intel,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said. “Foundry discussions take a long time. It’s not just about desire. We’re not buying milk here.”
At the same time, Huang cautioned that Intel had a challenging road ahead of it if it wants to successfully compete with the two Asian firms.
“Being a foundry at the caliber of TSMC is not for the faint-hearted,” he added. “TSMC dances with the operations of 300 companies worldwide.”
Gelsinger has made no secret of his desire to compete at that level, and all indications are that Intel is certainly headed in that direction. Nonetheless, given the company’s recent quality and supply chain issues in recent years, Intel will have to deliver on its promises if it wants to gain serious traction in the market.