Nvidia overtakes Apple as TSMC's top wafer customer, report says

Pcgamer reports that, according to Taiwan-based technology reporter Tim Culpan, Nvidia has overtaken Apple as the primary recipient of TSMC wafers as demand for AI chips has surged.

Culpan notes the meteoric rise in AI demand, backed by "hundreds of billions of dollars," has shifted wafer orders toward Nvidia despite TSMC's long relationship with Apple. The report says Apple still sells hundreds of millions of iPhones each year and remains a large, cash-rich customer, while TSMC also supplies dies for Macs, MacBooks and other devices. It adds that TSMC is favoring high-performance-computing customers such as AMD, Intel and Nvidia because they are collectively spending large sums on the latest nodes, and those customers are being charged more for those wafers.

The report cautions that Nvidia's lead may not be permanent: there is no evidence the current AI demand surge will be sustained and Apple remains a safe, consistent buyer. Culpan also emphasizes that TSMC holds the manufacturing capacity and customers must wait or negotiate if the foundry cannot immediately meet demand.

Key Topics

Tech, Nvidia, Apple, Tsmc, Tim Culpan, Ai Chips