➀ Moore's Law faced collapse in the early 2000s due to planar transistor limitations, including excessive leakage currents and power inefficiency at sub-90nm nodes;

➁ Dr. Chenming Hu invented the 3D FinFET structure, enabling superior electrostatic control and 37-50% efficiency improvements, allowing transistor scaling to 3nm and beyond;

➂ FinFET adoption by Intel (22nm), TSMC (16nm), and Samsung revived Moore's Law, enabling modern AI/5G/HPC chips with densities exceeding 200 million transistors/mm².

➀ The latest Steam survey highlights the ongoing trend of AMD gaining ground on Intel among Steam gamers, with AMD processors now accounting for 41.31% of the market, up 1.15% from the previous month.

➁ Despite the decline, Intel still dominates with a 58.61% share, but it has been steadily decreasing over time.

➂ The survey also shows a rise in Windows 11 adoption, with over 63% of Steam gamers using the operating system, as Windows 10 support comes to an end.

➀ NVIDIA and Intel announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership to co-develop x86 chips integrating RTX GPU tiles using Intel's Foveros/EMIB packaging technologies, targeting premium laptops and AI PCs;

➁ The partnership leverages Intel's advanced packaging to bypass TSMC's CoWoS bottleneck, while NVIDIA gains x86 ecosystem access without developing CPUs;

➂ The move challenges AMD's APU dominance, offering coherent CPU-GPU memory sharing through NVLink (900GB/s bandwidth) and redefining multi-foundry chip integration strategies.

➀ Intel is reportedly in early-stage discussions with AMD to add the Ryzen and Radeon chip designer as a foundry client.

➁ This would be another vote of confidence after a series of major investments into Intel.

➂ The potential deal has implications for AMD's business in the AI market.

➀ Nvidia invests $5 billion in Intel to co-develop x86 server CPUs and client SoCs, marking a strategic shift for both companies;

➀ The deal provides Intel with immediate financial relief but faces skepticism about its ability to revive the struggling chipmaker amid persistent cash burn and delayed 18A node development;

➂ Geopolitical factors, including U.S. government equity stakes and SoftBank's involvement, underscore the deal's alignment with America-First industrial policies and semiconductor supply chain security.

➀ Intel appoints Srini Iyengar to lead its Central Engineering Group, marking a strategic shift toward becoming a contract custom chip designer;

➁ The company secures a multi-year deal to develop custom Xeon CPUs for NVIDIA's AI platforms, a critical milestone in its foundry ambitions;

➂ The semiconductor industry faces rising demand for bespoke chips across AI, automotive, and hyperscaler markets, with Intel positioning itself through IP integration and advanced packaging tech.

➀ Global semiconductor equipment spending reached $33.07 billion in Q2 2025, up 23% YoY, with China ($11.36B) leading but declining 7%, while Taiwan ($8.77B, +125%) surged driven by TSMC;

➁ U.S. fab projects face delays (Intel, Micron, Samsung), contributing to North America's 41% QoQ spending drop;

➂ 2025 global Capex is projected at $160B (+3% YoY), with mixed 2026 forecasts: Intel plans cuts, Micron and TSMC (predicted $45B in 2026) eye expansions amid CHIPS Act policy shifts under Trump's administration.

➀ Intel is in early talks with Apple for a potential investment and collaboration, following recent funding from NVIDIA, SoftBank, and U.S. CHIPS Act equity conversion.

➁ Apple transitioned from Intel CPUs to its own Arm-based chips in 2020 but still uses Intel-related technologies like Thunderbolt and PCIe.

➂ A partnership could boost Intel's public image and align with Apple's $600B U.S. investment pledge, though negotiations remain uncertain.

➀ Global semiconductor equipment spending surged 23% YoY in Q2 2025, reaching $33.07B, with China ($11.36B), Taiwan ($8.77B), and South Korea leading regional investments.

➁ North America’s spending declined due to wafer fab delays (Intel, Micron, Samsung) amid administration policy shifts, while TSMC drove Taiwan’s 125% growth through aggressive CapEx.

➂ 2025 global CapEx is projected at $160B (+3% YoY), but 2026 forecasts vary; concerns grow over U.S. CHIPS Act implementation under Trump’s equity-focused strategy.

➀ Intel's stock value stagnated over 25 years, with $10,000 invested in 2000 now equivalent to $18,651 after inflation;

➁ Intel spent $133.86 billion on stock buybacks from 2000-2021, raising questions about prioritizing financial maneuvering over process technology R&D;

➂ Former CEO Paul Otellini’s 2008 dismissal of Arm’s potential in smartphones highlights strategic missteps and managerial hubris.

➀ Microsoft developed a new cooling technology by etching microfluidic channels directly into silicon chips, aiming to improve heat dissipation for high-power AI accelerators and future 3D-IC designs;

➁ The prototype used a 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor (likely Ice Lake) with DDR4 RDIMMs, demonstrating leak-proof packaging and structural integrity challenges in channel depth optimization;

➂ This approach reduces thermal interface layers and increases surface contact, potentially revolutionizing liquid cooling for advanced chip packaging architectures.

➀ NVIDIA invests $5B in Intel to leverage its advanced Foveros 3D packaging and EMIB bridge technology for next-gen AI SoCs;

➁ Intel's stacking solutions enable hybrid chiplet designs, boosting interconnect bandwidth by 3-10x compared to planar layouts;

➂ The partnership grants NVIDIA domestic US packaging capacity, reducing reliance on TSMC while accelerating time-to-market for complex AI systems.

➀ NVIDIA plans to invest $5 billion in Intel stock, pending regulatory approval, boosting Intel's share price significantly.

➁ Intel will manufacture custom x86 CPUs for NVIDIA's AI infrastructure and data centers, potentially integrating NVLink technology, impacting AMD's market position.

➂ Intel will also develop x86 SoCs with NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplets for consumer PCs, positioning NVIDIA to expand into both x86 and Arm-based consumer devices.

➀ NVIDIA announced a $5 billion investment in Intel, acquiring a 4–5% stake at $23.28 per share, marking a historic partnership between the longtime rivals;

➁ The collaboration aims to jointly reshape the future of AI and advanced computing architectures, signaling a strategic alignment in semiconductor innovation;

➂ Analysts suggest the deal could redefine competitive dynamics in the chip industry while accelerating breakthroughs in AI-driven technologies.

➀ Mouser is now stocking Intel's E610-IT4 Ethernet network adapter compliant with OCP 3.0 specifications, featuring quad-port configuration and support for 10GBASE-T/5G/2.5G speeds for data center and edge applications;

➁ The adapter integrates Intel's hardware-based traffic steering, virtualization enhancements, security features (including hardware Root of Trust), and intelligent offloads to reduce I/O bottlenecks;

➂ Designed in OCP NIC 3.0 SFF format with 16 PCIe lanes, it offers flexible purchasing options in individual or multi-unit packaging for server/workstation upgrades.

➀ The U.S. CHIPS Act aimed to revive leading-edge logic chip manufacturing, driven by both commercial value and geopolitical security concerns over Taiwan's dominance;

➁ Intel, the primary recipient of funding, failed to achieve timely 2nm (18A) process development due to mismanagement and lack of focus, leading to declining margins and lost foundry opportunities;

➂ CHIPS Act funds were misallocated to non-critical projects, resulting in a failure to establish advanced U.S. chipmaking capabilities and exposing systemic mismanagement.

➀ Intel's Foveros 2.5D uses 3D die stacking with a 36μm microbump pitch for high-density chiplet integration;

➁ The technology reduces latency by 50% vs traditional packaging and aligns with UCIe for multi-vendor interoperability;

➂ Variants like Foveros-S/R/B enable tailored solutions from HPC to cost-sensitive IoT applications