Competitors' 14A Microchips Potentially offering Equivalent Performance to Apple's In-house Technology
Intel's Foundry Division is making significant strides in the semiconductor industry, potentially closed the gap with Apple Silicon in 2025. While Intel has been striving to match the performance and power efficiency of Apple's M4 chip, its upcoming chips may achieve this soon.
Beginning this fall, Intel is expected to launch its first chips using the 18A process, also known as Panther Lake. By 2027, Intel will introduce the 14A process, which promises increased power efficiency and improved performance.
During the Intel Foundry Direct Connect event in San Jose earlier this week, Intel announced performance metrics for its 14A silicon process node. But what is Intel 14A, and what does it mean for the tech industry?
Intel 14A is a silicon wafer process node that will operate at 1.4 nanometers (nm) for its smallest component (typically the width of a transistor). Smaller transistors on a wafer mean faster chips can be produced. The current generation of computer hardware generally uses 3nm to 5nm wafers. A chip made using a 1.4nm wafer should, therefore, be significantly faster than a 3nm chip.
According to Intel's current testing and projections, the 14A process will be 25-35% better in terms of power consumption over the upcoming 18A (1.8nm) process node that will be used in Panther Lake. Intel also claims that 14A chips will see a 15-20% performance per watt increase over 18A. This improvement is due to some new features packed into the 14A node, including a wider threshold voltage range and the introduction of turbo cells.
Expected to hit full production in 2027, Intel's 14A process node chips could significantly improve Intel's competitive standing against Apple Silicon, potentially without any significant trade-offs.
In the meantime, Apple is expected to release its latest silicon, the M5 series, this year. Apple’s M5 chips will be built on a similar TSMC 3nm process node as the M3 and M4 generations. Intel, in response, plans to debut its first 18A (1.8nm) chips this fall, starting with laptops using the Panther Lake mobile CPU.
According to Intel's announcements, the 18A node is expected to deliver 25% more performance than the current Intel 3 node, while using 36% less power. This improvement in power and performance makes the upcoming Intel chips a promising competitor for Apple’s M5 series.
However, some have questioned whether the comparison between Apple Silicon and Windows systems is genuinely fair. Despite the efforts of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Apple’s hardware remains the benchmark to beat in terms of laptop performance and battery life.
Intel's latest efforts may help close the battery life gap and deliver surprisingly good graphics performance. Still, these ultra-efficient CPUs have been falling short in terms of raw computing power. It remains to be seen whether Intel's 14A process node, expected in 2027, will significantly bridge these gaps.
Although the competition between Intel and Apple is fierce, all signs point to better things for laptop buyers. Intel's continued focus on performance, power efficiency, and AI technology may eventually help Intel to surpass Apple, at least in some areas.
In the meantime, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite remains the only Windows chipset that can come close to touching Apple's proprietary silicon in terms of performance and battery efficiency. Yet, it still lags behind other Windows chips due to a smaller app library and lackluster gaming support.
Despite the challenges, there is a glimmer of hope for PC manufacturers and laptop buyers. The future looks bright for more powerful and efficient laptops, regardless of whether you choose an Apple or a Windows device. It's possible that Intel could overtake Apple by leveraging its 14A process node in the coming years, especially if it can deliver on the promises made about its performance and efficiency.
- The upcoming Intel chips, like the one using the 18A process this fall, are anticipated to rival the performance of Apple Silicon.
- Intel 14A, a silicon wafer process node operating at 1.4nm, promises faster chips and increased power efficiency.
- By 2027, Intel will introduce the 14A process, which may significantly improve their competitive standing against Apple Silicon.
- Intel's 14A chips are projected to be 25-35% more power-efficient and see a 15-20% performance per watt increase over the current generation.
- The upcoming Intel chips, such as those using the 18A process, are expected to deliver 25% more performance and use 36% less power compared to the current Intel 3 node.
- Apple, in response to Intel's progress, is expected to release the M5 series this year, built on TSMC's 3nm process node.
- The competition between Intel and Apple is intense, but it may result in more powerful and efficient laptops for buyers in the coming years.
- The Snapdragon X Elite from Qualcomm remains a strong competitor in terms of performance and battery efficiency among Windows chipsets, but still lags behind Apple's proprietary silicon.
- The future of laptop technology looks bright, as both Apple and Intel continue to focus on performance, power efficiency, AI technology, and closing the battery life gap.
