Intel Quietly Dumps 20A Process for Arrow Lake—What’s Going On? 🤔

[Tony01]

Hey folks,

So, I stumbled upon some news that Intel seems to have quietly pulled the plug on its 20A process for the upcoming Arrow Lake chips. I mean, they didn’t exactly make a big announcement about it, but the word is out now, and it’s got me wondering what the heck is going on over at Intel HQ.

For those who aren’t following every little detail of the chip wars (understandable, lol), Intel’s 20A process was supposed to be their first foray into the “angstrom era” nodes. This was going to be the next big step after the 7nm process, but now, it looks like they’re not gonna use it for Arrow Lake at all. Instead, they’re jumping straight to the 18A process.

This makes me think, is this a sign that Intel is still struggling with their manufacturing tech? Or maybe the 20A process wasn’t delivering the kind of performance or efficiency gains they were hoping for? It’s also possible that they’re just looking to streamline things and focus on getting 18A right. But then, why even talk up the 20A in the first place?

Honestly, this move could mean a few different things for us as consumers. On one hand, it might mean Intel is cutting out some dead weight and focusing on getting better chips out faster, which could be good for competition (and maybe our wallets, fingers crossed). But on the other hand, if they’re having issues getting the process right, it could mean more delays or fewer options for us when it comes time to upgrade.

Looks like Intel has quietly killed the 20A process, announcing that no Arrow Lake chip will use its first Angstron Era node

The Intel 20A process seems like it's going to go down in history as purely a test platform for backside power and GAAFET.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Ryan23]

I get why Intel might’ve dropped 20A, but it still feels like a massive pivot. They likely faced challenges integrating their new tech, and rather than risk more delays, they’re going for 18A. But what’s next? Will Arrow Lake still hit performance benchmarks without it? I’m a little skeptical, but if this means better stability and earlier launches, then maybe it’s a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the broader chip wars, especially with AMD ramping up their own advancements.

 

[Gavin4567]

Maybe the 20A process wasn’t delivering as promised, and Intel decided to go all-in on 18A instead. It could be a smart play if 18A is the future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this causes some instability in their product lineup.