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Nvidia could survive if TSMC is shut down

by on12 September 2024


But it would not be as good

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said his outfit’s GPU production could continue without TSMC in Taiwan, but it would not be so good.

Huang said Nvidia owns "enough intellectual property" that "if we have to shift from one fab to another, we can do it."

For those who came in late, there is some concern that TSMC could go dark if the Chinese suddenly decide to invade Taiwan in a bid to recover what it calls a “rogue province.”

Huang has always said he felt "perfectly safe" relying on manufacturing in Taiwan.

"Maybe the process technology is not as great. Maybe we won't be able to get the same level of outperformance or cost, but we will be able to provide the supply," the Nvidia CEO explained.

"If anything were to happen, we should be able to pick up and fab it somewhere else."

Huang added that TSMC is the best chip manufacturer in the world by an "incredible margin."

There aren't many other options for Nvidia in terms of manufacturing partners. Samsung and Intel are some of the only other companies capable of making the most powerful chips, and Intel's manufacturing prowess has been questioned intensely in recent years.

TSMC is responsible for the most advanced manufacturing involved in Nvidia's newest Blackwell chips, the delay of which has caused much market consternation.

TSMC is building a chip factory in Arizona as part of an effort to diversify its global footprint away from China-Taiwan tension. However, this facility is not expected to produce the most cutting-edge semiconductors, especially at first. Building chip fabs takes years and billions of dollars.

Huang praised TSMC for scaling up to meet the demand that created Nvidia's "hockey stick" earnings in recent years.

"We use them because they're great, but if necessary, we can always bring up others," Huang said.

Last modified on 12 September 2024
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