Intel is once again the leading semiconductor maker

[Redaktion]

Intel used to be the biggest semiconductor maker up until 2017, when Samsung began ramping up the DRAM and NAND memory chip production. Now that memory chip demand is bottoming out and Intel is almost out of the woods with the CPU shortages, Samsung drops to second position again, but things could change by Q4 2019 when the DDR5 memory standard is expected to hit the market.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-is-once-again-the-leading-semiconductor-maker.421251.0.html

[jeremy]

What about the other top 15 semiconductor makers? AMD is not among these, since it contracts TSMC to manufacture all of its chips. Speaking of TSMC, the Taiwanese fabs are currently occupying the third position, with ramping demands for 7 nm mobile SoCs, CPUs, GPUs and memory chips. Trailing behind are SK Hynix and Micron, mainly focused on memory chip production. Other notable makers include Qualcomm placing 7th, Nvidia 11th and Sony 15th.

That section is somewhat misleading.

AMD isn't on there because it's not in the top 15 (by semiconductor sales). Qualcomm and Nvidia are there because the are on the top 15. Has nothing to do with outsourcing manufacturing to TSMC (which all three contract with) or Samsung (which all three contract with - AMD, too).

Some IDMs also use outside fabs. Intel uses TSMC for a number of products, including products developed long after an acquisition. TI has used UMC in the distant past, NXP has used TSMC in the more recent past. Sony makes sensors ("O-S-D") in-house, though has long since outsourced logic to Panasonic, etc.


In the end, all this list represents is how much money each company makes via semiconductor sales. Now, whether or not some sales are counted twice (TSMC supplying to Nvidia, then Nvidia selling the chip), I don't know. One would have to buy and read the report know that.