Intel delays its 7nm CPUs by six months due, likely won’t arrive until 2022

Intel announced that it’s having issues with its upcoming 7nm process that will delay its next-gen CPU chips.

The news comes as part of Intel’s Q2 2020 earnings notes, where it warns of a six-month delay for 7nm-based CPU products. That pushes the release of Intel’s 7nm products back from late 2021 to 2022, if not further.

Tom’s Hardware reports that Intel CEO Bob Swan referred to the issues as a “defect mode” in the 7nm process.

Interestingly, Intel says the issues mean the company is a year behind its internal roadmap, although somehow that translates to only a six-month delay to market.

To make matters worse for Intel, AMD has churned out 7nm chips using its Zen 2 architecture for months, including for desktop PCs.

Although Intel’s struggling with 7nm, it seems the company has finally got its 10nm architecture going strong. The company is expected to launch its Tiger Lake chips based on its third-gen 10nm++ processor later this year. Tiger Lake will replace its 10th Gen Ice Lake laptop chips. Plus, Tiger Lake will bring the company’s much-anticipated Xe graphics.

Intel could also launch its first 12th Gen Alder Lake processors soon, which include the company’s long-awaited 10nm desktop CPUs.

Still, the looming delay of 7nm will prove an ongoing problem for Intel. The company struggled with 10nm for years. During that time, it released several ‘refinements’ of its 14nm architecture. It seems likely we could be in store for a similar series of 10nm refinements while Intel figures out 7nm.

Source: The Verge