TSMC could be about to replace Intel

according to Bloomberg TSMC’s threat to Intel is a sea change in chipmaking that’s seen one company after another hire TSMC to manufacture the chips they design.

TSMC has shedloads of customers, including Apple and Qualcomm, AMD, and small players such as Ampere Computing. The explosion of components built this way has given TSMC the technical know-how needed to churn out the smallest, most efficient and powerful chips in the highest volumes.

Intel was the first to use 14-nanometer technology at scale in 2013, according to Goldman Sachs. It won’t have 10-nanometer ready for prime time until the end of 2019 -- by far the longest wait in its history. TSMC has gone from 20-nanometer to 7-nanometer production at the same time.

AMD Chief Executive Officer Lisa Su lets TSMC handle the tricky production and thinks that is one of the best decisions the company made.

“It allows us to manage risk and focus on the things that make the product great.”

Su is now telling investors and customers that its new chip designs will surpass those from Intel.