Following the recent launch of the Arm-based PC platform processor Snapdragon X Elite, which received high market acclaim, Qualcomm is reportedly doubling down by venturing into server processors. This expansion is expected to further intensify the competition amid traditional server processor giants Intel and AMD.

According to a report from the global tech media Android Authority, following the launch of the Snapdragon X Elite/Plus processors, Qualcomm is internally developing a server processor with the codename SD1, featuring their custom Oryon cores.

Reportedly, Qualcomm’s next-generation server processor will be manufactured using TSMC’s 5-nanometer process (N5P), featuring 80 Oryon cores with a maximum clock speed of 3.8GHz, 16-channel DDR5 memory with a maximum transfer rate of 5600MHz, 70 PCIe 5.0 interface links, and support for CXL v1.1. It will use a 9470-pin LGA socket and support dual-socket server configurations.

Furthermore, the status of this project is currently unconfirmed, but Qualcomm partners reportedly received briefings about it at the end of 2021 and early 2022, aligning with previous rumors. This isn’t Qualcomm’s first foray into server processors; they previously launched the Arm-based Centriq series in 2017, which was discontinued a year later.

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(Photo credit: Qualcomm)

According to a report from WeChat account “Chip_Inside,” Allen Wu (Wu Xiong’ang), the former CEO of Arm China, has returned to the chip industry and set his sights on the “archrival” of his former employer’s technology – RISC-V. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that many former Arm employees have joined his new company.

Industry sources cited in the same report revealed that a company named “Zhongzhi Chip (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd.” is actively recruiting RISC-V professionals, and it is being spearheaded behind the scenes by Wu.

Related information indicates, founded on September 11, 2023, the company is a technology innovation company focusing on RISC-V processor IP and computing platform solutions. With a global team led by world-class chip experts, the company possesses top-tier IP technology development and commercialization experiences.

The industry media has not yet obtained accurate information about whether this new company is planning for independent research and development or acting as the Chinese agent for Tenstorrent, the company where Jim Keller serves as CEO. However, given the recruitment information released by the company, the latter situation is more likely to happen, despite no confirmation.

Said to be backed by abundant resources and shareholders with strong competence, the company has partnered with several stellar global RISC-V chip companies in technology, and works closely with numerous domestic industry leaders, which enable it to rapidly achieve scale growth in revenue and market cap.

The company insists on being a neutral IP company to empower the development of domestic technology applications and will make unremitting efforts to become an international benchmark in the processor IP industry.

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1. (Photo credit: d1net)

According to a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Arm, the semiconductor company, made its debut on the U.S. stock market with its stock price surging nearly 25% on the first day. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) participated in Arm’s initial public offering (IPO), potentially yielding over 7 billion New Taiwan Dollars in returns. However, industry experts assert that TSMC’s primary focus is not on stock gains; rather, their strategic investment aims to elevate the cost and barriers for clients seeking to transition their semiconductor manufacturing to other foundries.

TSMC’s strategic investments are not unprecedented. In the past, TSMC collaborated with Intel and Samsung to jointly invest in ASML to facilitate the development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, enabling TSMC to advance to an enhanced 7-nanometer manufacturing process.

Arm has been a long-term partner of TSMC, with cumulative shipments of Arm architecture chips exceeding 250 billion units and commanding a market share of over 99% in the smartphone industry.

Industry analysts speculate that if TSMC and Arm strategically collaborate, offering integrated services that allow customers to utilize Arm’s IP-designed products in conjunction with TSMC’s process IP, it would enhance customer service and simultaneously increase the cost and barriers for customers looking to switch to other semiconductor foundries, thereby improving customer stickiness.

Currently, Arm’s applications span across cloud infrastructure, automotive, IoT, and artificial intelligence (AI), and industry experts contend that, apart from traditional CPU leaders like Intel, Arm provides the most comprehensive and robust semiconductor intellectual property (IP) design solutions for chip designers.

(Photo credit: TSMC)

According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu stated on 9/6 that semiconductor technology development “has reached the exit of the tunnel, and there are more possibilities beyond the tunnel; we are no longer bound by the tunnel.”

Regarding TSMC’s progress in establishing a factory in the United States, Liu mentioned that this project has received support from the local government and has made significant progress in recent months. He added, “We will certainly make it very successful.”

As for the recent shortage of chips caused by generative AI, Liu noted that it is not due to TSMC’s manufacturing capacity but rather the sudden threefold increase in CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) demand. TSMC will continue to support the demand in the short term but cannot immediately ramp up production. Liu estimated that TSMC’s capacity will catch up with customer demand in about a year and a half, considering the capacity bottleneck as a short-term phenomenon.

Regarding SoftBank Group’s subsidiary, Arm, planning an initial public offering (IPO) to raise funds, Liu also revealed that they are evaluating whether to become an investor in Arm, with a decision expected in the next one or two weeks. He emphasized Arm’s importance within the semiconductor ecosystem, expressing TSMC’s desire for a successful Arm IPO.

According to the latest report from TrendForce, the primary factors influencing the global market share of notebook CPUs in 2024 can be categorized into “Architectural Design” and “Economic Factors.”

“Architectural Design” as a long-term factor affecting market share:

(1) Both AMD (AMD 3D V-Cache) and Intel (Intel Foveros Direct) may potentially integrate 3D packaging technology into notebook computers in the future.

(2) Apple’s M-series processors, using the Arm core architecture, as well as Intel processors, have adopted a big/little core hybrid design. AMD might also introduce this in the Ryzen 8000 series.

(3) Despite further advancements in processor technology by 2024, the notebook computer market remains highly sensitive to the cost for IT equipment.

“Economic Factors” as more immediate influencers of market share:

(1) Until 2024, a return to lower interest rates in the global economic environment could favor corporate expansion of capital expenditure. This could result in increased procurement of business-oriented notebook models, potentially allowing Intel to further expand its CPU market share beyond 70% in the business sector.

(2) Concerns about economic prospects among global citizens until 2024 could have significant negative implications for the consumer notebook computer market. With the restart of physical economic activities, the demand for consumer-oriented notebook models has declined from the high levels seen during the pandemic. Consequently, the consumer market demand outlook for 2024 remains uncertain. For AMD, which relies more on consumer market demand, changes in market share may be harder to predict compared to Intel.

In the post-pandemic era, AMD, Arm/Apple, and Intel are pursuing distinct technological competition strategies to capture market share in the personal computing market.

AMD:

(1) The Socket AM5 platform is poised to aid AMD CPUs in achieving substantial performance and efficiency gains.

(2) The AMD Ryzen 7040 incorporates an artificial intelligence engine to emphasize AI computing performance’s importance in the thin and light notebook market.

Arm/Apple:

(1) The M2 Ultra processor heralds Apple’s complete transition of personal computing products to the Arm core. Apple Mac computer products will no longer be sold with Intel processor.

(2) The Apple M-series processors, built on the Arm core architecture, facilitate a “fanless design” to maintain MacBook’s slim profile. This feature highlights its irreplaceable positioning in the portable notebook computer market, emphasizing portability.

Intel:

(1) With the waning trend of the “hybrid work mode,” Intel is optimistic about diversified development in the post-pandemic era for desktop computer products. This includes microcomputers, micro workstations, and general workstations. Due to the characteristic of continuous operation for 24 hours, desktop computers still possess unique attributes that cannot be replaced by notebook computers.

(Photo credit: Intel)