Citing four sources familiar with the matter, The Information reported on June 8 that Google has officially placed an order with Intel, with Intel expected to produce more than 3 million tensor processing units (TPUs) in 2028. The same report also said Nvidia is testing Intel’s packaging technology. Driven by this news, Intel’s stock surged by about 12% in early trading on Monday.
Confirmed Details of Google’s TPU Order and Nvidia’s Testing
Google TPU order: Google has officially placed an order, with Intel expected to produce more than 3 million TPUs in 2028. Previously, Google had conducted several months of testing of Intel’s advanced packaging technology.
Morgan Stanley estimate: Google’s total TPU production volume for 2027-2028 is expected to exceed 6 million units (for background reference).
Nvidia packaging technology test: Nvidia is testing Intel’s packaging technology to assess whether it can manufacture a high-end processor that “integrates 4 GPUs into a single computing unit.” Nvidia has not yet formally placed an order with Intel.
Nvidia 18A pilot run: Nvidia has carried out trial wafer runs at Intel’s 18A process node through the multi-project wafer (MPW) program.
Nvidia Feynman architecture: Planned for release in 2028; Nvidia’s testing is related to this architecture.
Supply-Chain Background Amid TSMC Capacity Tightness
The core background of the report is that TSMC’s capacity for advanced process wafer lines and advanced packaging is under severe pressure, and major U.S. tech companies are actively seeking a reliable second supplier. Google decided to place the formal order with Intel after “several months of testing Intel’s advanced packaging technology.” Nvidia’s testing of Intel is in an early stage and has not moved into formal procurement.
FAQ
Why did Google choose Intel to manufacture TPUs, rather than continuing to have them produced entirely by TSMC?
According to The Information, with TSMC’s capacity for advanced process and advanced packaging under strain, Google, as a redundancy strategy to ensure supply chain stability, placed the formal order to outsource TPU manufacturing to Intel after conducting several months of testing of Intel’s advanced packaging technology. Morgan Stanley estimates that Google’s TPU demand in 2027-2028 will exceed 6 million units, and Intel taking orders for more than 3 million units is the concrete action to diversify supply sources.
What stage is Nvidia’s testing of Intel in right now?
According to The Information, Nvidia is currently testing Intel’s packaging technology to evaluate whether it can manufacture a high-end processor that “integrates 4 GPUs into a single computing unit,” and it has already conducted trial wafer runs at Intel’s 18A process node (MPW mode). Nvidia has not yet placed any formal mass production orders with Intel.
What is Intel’s 18A process node?
18A is Intel’s most advanced process node currently, representing the top tier of its wafer-fabrication foundry technology product line. Nvidia’s trial wafer runs on this process are an evaluation step to verify whether Intel can meet manufacturing needs related to the Feynman GPU architecture.
