NVIDIA Reportedly the Only TSMC A16 Node Customer

NVIDIA is reportedly the only customer queued for TSMC’s next-generation A16 process, and the company is lining the node up for its upcoming “Feynman” GPUs. The company is lining up for samples in 2026 with volume ramps following in 2027, timing that would slot “Feynman” after “Rubin”-class products built on refined 3 nm variants. If the reports are accurate, NVIDIA’s commitment would be notable as it would be the only major company opting for the “stopgap” node between N2 and A14. Customers like Apple are reserving TSMC N2 2 nm capacity and plan to transition to A14 as soon as it becomes available, bypassing the A16 node.

TSMC’s A16 node is a nanosheet-focused design featuring enhanced backside power delivery, known as Super Power Rail (SPR). This design separates power routing from signal layers, reducing delivery losses. The process is expected to provide modest single-digit performance improvements, more noticeable power reductions for AI workloads, and slightly higher transistor density compared to the previous generation. For very large dies and high-power cards, these enhancements can lead to cleaner floorplanning, easier thermal management, and increased capacity for memory and interconnect bandwidth. While these improvements are significant for NVIDIA’s datacenter chips, Apple’s mobile and laptop chips may benefit even more from the less expensive N2 node and its variations.

Other chip designers, AMD, Apple, etc., are likely to utilize the N2 node and its…