Intel’s 15th Gen Arrow Lake chips with 3nm process might not arrive until 2025

If you were hoping to pick up an Intel computer with 3-nanometer technology this year, you’re likely out of luck.

In a new report from DigiTimes (via Windows Central), Intel has reportedly delayed its order of 3-nanometer chips from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company that are anticipated to be featured in its upcoming 15th-generation Arrow Lake processors. According to the report, the company has held off its order of chips until the fourth quarter of 2024. This could mean we won’t see any computers featuring the next-gen processor until 2025.

Intel’s Arrow Lake processors will likely feature Intel’s 20A node on the CPU side or things and TSMC’s 3nm node for the GPU tile. Arrow Lake CPUs will also use Lion Cove and Skymont cores rather than the Redwood Cove and Crestmont cores that will ship in the 14th Gen Meteor Lake lineup. Core counts are also expected to increase to 8 Performance “P-Cores” and 32 Efficiency E-Cores.

Interestingly, while Intel has delayed the order of 3-nanometer chips until the end of next year, Apple is ordering as many as it can get its hands on. A report from earlier today said that the company has ordered the entire first batch of 3-nanometer processors from TSMC, saying that Apple has “procured 100% of the initial N3 supply, which is said to have a high yield, despite the higher costs involved and the decline in the foundry’s utilization rate in the first half of 2023.”

In addition to building 3-nanometer chips for Apple and Intel, TSMC is already building two new plants in the state of Arizona in the United States that are expected to build 4-nanometer chips for Apple by the end of 2024. The company continues to lead in chip manufacturing and, with the demand it is seeing, that lead seems prime to only extend itself.