seniorspectrumnewspaper – A Taiwanese media outlet reports that Nvidia might become one of the first companies to use TSMC’s upcoming A16 process node. According to Ctee, Nvidia aims to adopt the A16 node for its Feynman chips planned for launch in 2028. This move could give Nvidia a performance advantage over competitors like AMD. Which is expected to use TSMC’s 2nm technology for its next-generation processors.
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This speculation originated from the YouTube channel Moore’s Law is Dead. Which suggested that some AMD Zen 6 CPU tiles could be produced using TSMC’s N2X process. AMD’s upcoming Epyc Venice CPU has already taped out on an unspecified N2 node, adding some credibility to these rumors. However, Nvidia appears poised to push ahead by leveraging the newer A16 node first.
Historically, Nvidia tends to adopt TSMC’s latest process nodes a generation later than the bleeding edge. For example, the recent RTX 50 series GPUs use a custom 4NP node instead of the TSMC N3 process. This 4NP node was developed for Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin chips, which have already completed the tape-out stage. Additionally, Nvidia’s RTX 60 series GPUs, launching next year, will likely continue using the 3N or 3NP processes.
TSMC’s A16 node is notable for being the first to introduce backside power delivery technology. A feature Intel already uses in its 18A process. This technique moves power delivery lines to the back of the wafer, improving power efficiency and thermal performance. TSMC also claims the A16 node will deliver an 8-10% speed boost, a 15-20% reduction in power consumption at equal speeds, and up to a 1.10x increase in chip density compared to previous nodes.
What Nvidia’s Adoption of TSMC A16 Means for Future Performance and Launch Timeline
According to an earlier product roadmap highlighted by Tom’s Hardware, TSMC expects the A16 node to enter mass production in late 2026. This timeline suggests that any Nvidia product built on A16 technology will likely debut in mid-to-late 2027 or later. The Taiwanese report aligns with Nvidia’s plans to use the node for its 2028 Feynman chips, which were previewed earlier this year.
Adopting the A16 node could help Nvidia achieve greater power efficiency and higher clock speeds in its future GPUs and processors. The backside power delivery technology also offers better thermal management, which is crucial for high-performance computing. This technical edge might allow Nvidia to maintain its competitiveness against AMD, which is pursuing a different advanced node path with TSMC’s 2nm process.
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Nvidia’s strategy to leverage the A16 node earlier than usual marks a shift in its approach to semiconductor manufacturing. It indicates a desire to secure a node advantage and improve performance-per-watt metrics in the long term. However, the actual impact on gaming and professional workloads will depend on how Nvidia integrates these manufacturing benefits into its chip architecture.
As competition intensifies in the semiconductor industry, early adoption of advanced nodes like A16 could be a key differentiator. Nvidia’s move may pressure other chipmakers to accelerate their own manufacturing roadmaps. The coming years will reveal how well Nvidia’s gamble on TSMC’s A16 process pays off in real-world products and performance.
