[mlsu]

That would be an argument for splitting Intel into two, the contract fab business and the design business. It's tough to make a partnership with Intel to fab your chip design if their other arm is competing with you on the same thing. Intel's process is tailored to their own designs which make it hard for outsiders to optimize. So, it's not only risky from a business perspective to make Intel your manufacturing partner, it's also more difficult than the alternatives.

Imho it's pretty likely that this will happen. Intel's IP will be sold off, while their manufacturing business remain, both due to the geopolitical situation and because although they have seen setbacks in recent years, they are still damn good at making chips.

[osnium123]

But their struggles on 10nm and the fact that Lunar Lake is on TSMC tells me that they are not good at making chips.

[mlsu]

They are not _the best_ at making chips -- sure. But don't get it twisted, they are damn good at making chips. There are only 3 companies out there who are even in this race; Intel is still one of them.