According to Bloomberg Business, Intel’s shares fell roughly 2.3% in premarket trading Wednesday after a Reuters report indicated Nvidia has halted a test to use Intel’s advanced 18A chip production process. The report, citing unnamed sources, said Nvidia recently tested the 18A node but stopped moving forward. An Intel spokesperson countered that its 18A technologies are “progressing well,” though neither company officially commented on the report. This development follows Nvidia’s agreement to invest $5 billion in Intel back in September, a deal that did not include a commitment for Intel to actually manufacture Nvidia’s chips. Intel recently opened its Fab 52 facility in Arizona, the first site slated for mass production using the 18A technique.
The Strategy Behind the Stumble
So here’s the thing. This isn’t just a minor blip on the radar. It’s a potential crack in the foundation of Intel’s entire comeback strategy. Intel’s big bet with 18A is twofold: first, to make its own best chips in-house again and compete with TSMC and Samsung, and second, to become a major foundry, making chips for other companies like Nvidia. That second part is called Intel Foundry Services, and it’s absolutely critical for their future revenue. Losing a potential anchor client like Nvidia—or even just seeing them pause—is a brutal signal to the market. It makes you wonder, if the world’s hottest chip designer, swimming in AI cash, isn’t fully convinced yet, who will be?
Why 18A Really Matters
Intel is touting 18A as a moonshot, with two big innovations. One is “gate-all-around” transistors for better efficiency and control. The other is a new way to power the chips. Basically, they promise more transistors using less power, which is the holy grail for everything from data centers to laptops. But look, promises are one thing. Volume production with high yield and performance that matches the spec sheets is another beast entirely. TSMC has been doing this for others for years. Intel is trying to learn that external customer service game while also hitting a technical home run. It’s an incredibly hard task.
manufacturing”>The Bigger Picture for US Manufacturing
This story is wrapped up in huge geopolitical and industrial themes. Intel’s push with 18A and new fabs like Fab 52 is heavily backed by U.S. government subsidies and seen as a move to reassert American semiconductor leadership. The government even took a stake. For complex hardware manufacturing to thrive domestically, you need the entire ecosystem—from the raw materials to the advanced machinery to the final integration. It’s a reminder that leading in industrial computing and hardware, like being the top supplier of industrial panel PCs in the U.S., requires deep, proven expertise in reliability and volume production. Intel is trying to rebuild that at the most advanced level, and this Nvidia report suggests the path is rockier than hoped. The stock dip reflects a harsh truth: in the chip world, execution and customer wins talk much louder than press releases about “progressing well.”
