Re: Expect chip shortages into mid-2019...
Nope... Intel are selling 100% of what Intel can produce or are contracted to provide. Or very close to it.
Traditionally, Intel have run CPU's on their latest process node/newest fabs (N process node), chipsets on the N-1 process node and embedded systems on N-2 with N-3 being refitted for the N+1 process node or mothballed as it has reached end of operational life.
With N=10nm not producing much and parts on N-2 still moving to N-1, and N-3 parts moving to N-2 to allow N-3 end of operational life, this is causing a noticeable capacity constraint at 14nm.
Intel still have to try and produce a "faster" CPU product and to do that with the same process node, they need to tweak the design (done, done and done again..) and offer new chipset features to make the platform faster instead (hence chipsets moving to 14nm to join the CPU's).
If your 14nm manufacturing processes are running close to capacity/theoretical yield limits, demand for top binned products exceeds supply and you are trying to cover the costs of 10nm fabs that aren't producing anything, do you produce slower chips or just produce the top binned items and let existing inventory cover the remainder of the market?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
