Rumor: Intel will release three 10nm generations of processors

Intel is rumored to release a third chip generation at 10nm, after Cannonlake and Icelake. It may be released in the second half of 2019. The rumor comes when TSMC announces that it will produce the first 7nm chips in early 2018.

The third generation would be called Tigerlake. If the rumor of The Motley Fool is true, then there will be a second tock in Intel’s tick-tock cadence at 10nm. It wouldn’t be the first time Intel has let go of this release schedule; this year Intel will release the Kaby Lake family of processors, which, like the ‘tick’ Broadwell and the ‘tock’ Skylake, are produced at 14nm. The ‘tock’ means that Intel will not switch to a new production node, but will make architectural adjustments.

Last week, in announcing its quarterly results, Intel said it aims to restore its two-year cycle, but if the rumor is true, the company appears to be failing. If Cannonlake appears in the second half of 2017 and Icelake follows a year later, Tigerlake would appear in the second half of 2019 and the first 7nm chips would be released in 2020, although this is speculation.

The rumor comes at a time when TSMC is speaking positively about its roadmap. According to Digitimes, Intel’s competitor expects to produce the first 7nm chips in the first half of 2018, although it seems likely that these are samples. Two years later, according to the company’s expectations, the first 5nm chips can be produced. The company says it is likely that the EUV technology will be used in 5nm production.