Intel is outsourcing 900-series PCH to Samsung Foundry's 8 nm, kicking off with the Z990. Expect lower power and mass production next year ahead of Nova Lake.
© A. Krivonosov
Samsung Foundry, the manufacturing arm of Samsung Electronics, is preparing for a major order from Intel. The Korean outlet Hankyung reports that Samsung has secured a contract to produce 8 nm chips for Intel’s upcoming Platform Controller Hub (PCH).
The partnership between Intel and Samsung appears to be entering a new phase. The 900-series chipsets for the LGA1954 socket, designed to work with Core Ultra 400S processors (codename Nova Lake), are expected to move to Samsung’s 8 nm process. Intel previously fabricated chipsets on 14 nm in Austin, Texas, and now production could partly return to Korea—a notable shift in emphasis for a traditionally in-house operation.
Switching to 8 nm brings several likely advantages for Intel, including potential reductions in power draw and operating temperatures, along with improved chipset characteristics versus AMD’s current 14 nm offerings. Samsung, for its part, has already demonstrated what its 8 nm lines can do through work with Nvidia and by building chips for the Nintendo Switch 2. For high-volume, cost-sensitive silicon like chipsets, that combination of maturity and scale looks especially pragmatic.
Samsung’s capacity is a key part of the equation. The company can turn out up to 40,000 300 mm wafers per month on 8 nm—around 11% of its total output. A broader client roster tends to lift demand for photomasks and strengthens the economics across the supply chain, creating a more favorable backdrop for long-run production.
If the report holds, mass production of Intel’s 8 nm chipsets will begin next year. The premium Z990 chipset is slated to be the first product of the collaboration, while the Nova Lake platform is expected by the end of 2026 or shortly thereafter. The timeline points to a measured ramp that aligns the chipset rollout with Intel’s next-generation platform debut.