Rumor
NVIDIA halts development on Intel 18A process following initial testing
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 at 11:44 AM
NVIDIA reportedly conducted testing on Intel's 18A manufacturing process following an initial agreement, but development progress has since been suspended.
Context
Nvidia has reportedly halted testing of Intel's next-generation 18A manufacturing process, a significant blow to Intel’s foundry turnaround strategy. Shares of Intel fell 5% in pre-market trading today following reports that initial evaluations of the 1.8nm-class node failed to lead to production commitments. This is a critical development as Intel has positioned the 18A node as its primary vehicle to achieve technical parity with TSMC by late 2025.
The testing pause occurs despite a high-profile $5 billion partnership announced in late 2024, which aimed to integrate Nvidia’s GPUs with Intel’s infrastructure. While Intel claims its roadmap is "progressing well," the lack of a production commitment from the world’s leading AI chipmaker suggests that 18A may not yet meet the yield and performance requirements for advanced hardware. This reinforces Nvidia’s continued reliance on TSMC and increases financial pressure on Intel, which does not expect foundry profitability until 2027.
Related Companies
Nvidia
NVDA
Intel
INTC