We may not have to wait until NVIDIA’s next architecture (i.e., “Hopper”) for GeForce RTX graphics cards built on a 7 nm process. According to a DIGITIMES article pertaining to the incredible demand for TSMC’s services, green team could be releasing refreshed GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs that leverage the semiconductor manufacturing leader’s 7 nm node.
“…rumors say Nvidia’s previously launched annual masterpiece RTX 30 Series uses Samsung Electronics’ heavily discounted 8nm process, but will switch to TSMC’s 7nm process in 2021,” according to a translation provided by RetiredEngineer (chiakokhua). “Order volume is not small.”
There’s a possibility that the author simply meant that NVIDIA is switching to TSMC in 2021 for a future GPU lineup, but a 7-nm refresh of the GeForce RTX 30 Series doesn’t seem like an impossible idea. We’ve heard a lot of rumors about how Samsung’s 8 nm process failed to live up to expectations, so green team’s eagerness to jump ship sooner rather than later is plausible.
The switch to TSMC’s 7 nm process could also pave the way for even higher-performing GeForce RTX 30 Series SUPER/Ti variants that are easier to market, especially to early adopters.
RetiredEngineer (chiakokhua) has summarized the article’s main points, which you’ll find in his tweet below. TSMC is doing absolutely gangbusters and neck-deep in orders from AMD, Apple, and other giants seeking its unrivaled ability to produce cutting-edge chips.
Summary: pic.twitter.com/p1jLCtChkk
— RetiredEngineer® (@chiakokhua) October 8, 2020