Intel is urging leading PC makers to accelerate their adoption of chips produced with its most advanced manufacturing process as demand for artificial intelligence computing power puts pressure on supply chains, according to industry reports.
The chipmaker has been communicating with major notebook and personal computer partners in the United States, China and Taiwan, requesting a greater share of central processing units be sourced from its 18A production process, which became available late last year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Intel has told those partners that supply of its cutting-edge CPUs - specifically the Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake product lines - is in a stronger position than supply of processors built on older fabrication technologies, the report said. The company is therefore encouraging customers to shift toward the newer nodes to ease shortages.
The push comes as Intel seeks to leverage the burgeoning market for AI computing to reclaim momentum in advanced chipmaking. The company has acknowledged that it lagged a major competitor in taking full advantage of the AI-driven surge in demand, and the current initiative to promote 18A-based CPUs is being framed as part of a broader effort to close that gap.
Separately, Intel has been moving to strengthen its foundry operations by working with several large technology firms. The company has announced partnerships that include collaborations with firms such as Tesla and SpaceX's Terrafab project as part of efforts to produce advanced chips and reinvigorate the business of manufacturing chips for external customers.
Industry sources cite the combination of rising AI compute requirements and constrained component availability as the immediate backdrop for Intel’s outreach to PC manufacturers. The company’s messaging to partners emphasizes that its newest process and associated CPU families can provide a more reliable supply of advanced processors compared with some older-node offerings.
While Intel is encouraging customers to make the transition, the broader aim articulated in the company’s strategy is to use the AI market opportunity to accelerate recovery and expansion in advanced-node production and third-party foundry work through strategic alliances and increased internal capacity.