Dec. 24, 2025 –
Nvidia stock tumbled nearly 1% on Wednesday after reports surfaced that the AI chipmaker has paused testing of Intel’s ambitious 18A manufacturing process.
The move marks a significant setback for Intel’s foundry revival strategy and reinforces questions about whether the chip giant can compete with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Both Nvidia and Broadcom had been evaluating Intel’s 18A node over recent months, but the tests have stalled as performance and yield targets fell short of expectations.â
What the 18A pause means for Nvidia’s supply chain
Intel’s 18A process promised significant improvements over its previous generation: 30% higher transistor density, 25% faster performance at the same voltage, and up to 36% lower power consumption for equivalent throughput.
These specs matter because every watt saved translates to lower data center cooling bills, and every percentage point of density improvement means more AI compute per chip die.
Broadcom and Nvidia spent months running qualification tests, essentially manufacturing small batches of experimental chips to see how the new process would perform in the real world.â
The pause signals that those prototype runs didn’t deliver the goods.
When chip designers pull back from testing, it rarely means outright rejection.
Instead, it reflects either yield problems, performance shortfalls, or architectural mismatches that require more development time.
Broadcom had already flagged concerns, reportedly telling Intel engineers that 18A was “not currently viable for high-volume production” back in September.
Nvidia’s pause suggests similar issues remain unresolved.
For Nvidia, this is especially notable because the company operates on razor-thin timelines; new AI accelerators must launch on schedule or risk losing market share to competitors.