Intel's 14A process, representing 1.4 nm technology, will deliver performance within 5% of TSMC's A14 process, according to Naga Chandrasekaran, head of Intel Foundry. This comparison accounts for potential variations in both directions.
Intel expects its 14A process to offer a 15–20% performance boost at the same power level or a 25–35% reduction in power consumption compared to its 18A process. In contrast, TSMC projects its A14 will provide a 10–15% speed increase or a 25–30% power reduction over its N2 process.
The current 18A process is already competitive, with the Core Ultra X9 388H chip reaching clock speeds of 5.1 GHz. This compares to the 5.0 GHz frequency of the AMD EPYC 9586F, which utilizes TSMC's 2 nm technology.
TSMC plans to initiate trial production of its A14 chips in the second quarter of 2027, while Intel aims to start trial production of its 14A process in the second half of 2027. Both companies intend to reach mass production in 2028.
