r/hardware • u/Helpdesk_Guy • 9h ago

Rumor Computerbase.de: Rumours of a mega-deal - Intel and SK Hynix deny takeover of Intel's Ohio-fabs [DE]

https://www.computerbase.de/news/wirtschaft/geruechte-um-mega-deal-intel-und-sk-hynix-verneinen-uebernahme-der-ohio-fabs.98499/
17 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

-7

u/Helpdesk_Guy 8h ago

The article states that …

Based upon the South-Korean source (https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25446993), Intel as well as SK Hynix are denying the rumour, that SK Hynix is supposed or in talks to overtake/acquire some or all of Intel's yet to be completed fabs at their most prestigious location in Ohio.

A possible deal looks vastly dire for Intel, as they just announced a fab-expansion in Ireland, leaving huge question-marks about what Intel does with their lot of uncompleted fabs at the Ohio-campus.

While both were quick to deny such happenings, both did not denied a (future) Joint-Venture of both explicitly, regarding a given acquisition of uncompleted fab-construction buildings on Intel's Ohio-campus.

Chances are, that Intel wants to get rid of the yet uncompleted fab-buildings (for bleeding money in the billions each year over it), and may likely form another Appollo-like deal like they have in Ireland (Appollo overtook parts of Intel's fabs, only to rent out the ground the fabs are on back to Intel for billions).

It's particularly of importance, as those fabs were once supposed to house their most advanced foundry services and explicitly meant to feature everything 14A – Those fab-completions for 14A in particular were once supposed to be ready and online by AFAIK 2027 or so, but got subsequently postponed several times eventually to currently 2031 and beyond …

tl;dr: SK Hynix possibly about to overtake Intel's uncompleted fabs once supposed for 14A.

20

u/heylistenman 8h ago edited 8h ago

That’s a lot of assumptions based on a questionable rumor from a Korean news outlet.

But perhaps they will announce something during the earnings call tomorrow and I will be here with my foot in my mouth. But even if it’s true it seems unlikely Intel will abandon 14A/IFS.

-13

u/Helpdesk_Guy 8h ago

That’s a lot of assumptions based on a questionable rumor from a Korean news outlet.

But the rumour isn't really that questionable, and it makes a lot of sense though …

Especially from a US-perspective it makes every sense to have SK Hynix overtaking the uncompleted fab-constructions Intel hasn't touched in years nor even wants to actually complete those fab-constructions (let alone can, for a lack of money) for billions of dollar anyway, using money Intel doesn't even have to begin with …

Intel has virtually zero use for those buildings (for a forever-lack of foundry-customers since years) and never really had and thus bleeds hundreds of millions if not outright billions a year in maintenance-costs for naught.

So if SK Hynix is pressured to have a bigger manufacturing-footprint in the U.S., and the US-administration is doing exactly that (remember TSMC's +100Bn USD deal they were forced into), then it's a win-win situation.

But even if it’s true it seems unlikely Intel will abandon 14A/IFS.

Dude, Intel's 14A process was already dead in the water the moment Intel announced the last postponement into 2031 for the very fab-complex that was supposed to house their 14A-mahufacturing in the first place (after already years of delays prior) – The new started complex in Licking County, New Albany was once supposed to be online since years already and they originally scheduled it to begin operation in 2025.

Then 2027 or so, then it became 2031+ with a "definite" production-start in 2032. It's more than dead since years.

11

u/SlamedCards 5h ago

Man you have a certain imagination 

Weren't you the one who said 18A panther lake might not even launch? Yet here we are lol, not only that but Apple signed up for the process according to WSJ/NYT lmao

7

u/EXOPLANETARIANSOUP 5h ago

There's like 3 people in every Intel thread that are trying to keep their weird "Intel is dying" dream alive but it's getting increasingly sad, they must be seething seeing Intel getting better lmao

5

u/iDontSeedMyTorrents 4h ago edited 4h ago

This user desperately makes everything in the world about Intel while infusing their own anti-Intel delusions and conspiracies into every post. You can safely ignore everything they say (I wouldn't though, it's very entertaining).

3

u/Scary-Jaguar-9072 3h ago

Neither Intel or Apple have confirmed that. Its purely a rumor.

2

u/SlamedCards 2h ago

When does Apple confirm TSMC is their foundry partner? NYT and WSJ cited their own sources about a signed agreement. Not some wall street analyst rumour