It's hard to believe -- I posted this back in 2023:
Original Post
These stories are tracked here: https://themilliondollarway.blogspot.com/2020/11/quick-how-many-transistors-on-new-apple.html.
Link here: https://blockworks.co/news/intel-bitcoin-mining-chip.US tech giant Intel has cooled on bitcoin mining after discontinuing its practically new Blockscale 1000 chip series.
The move comes about a year after Intel announced its standalone crypto mining chip, pegged to be more powerful and energy efficient than top-of-the-line ASICs [application-specific integrated circuit].
“As we prioritize our investments in IDM 2.0, we have end-of-lifed the
Intel Blockscale 1000 Series ASIC while we continue to support our
Blockscale customers,” Intel told Blockworks via email on Wednesday.
IDM 2.0 refers to Intel’s strategy of utilizing third-party foundries to manufacture products including graphics and chipsets.
Intel’s decision to axe its mining chips was first reported by tech
outlet Tom’s Hardware, which noted the company often cites a focus on
IDM 2.0 when it plans to tighten resources or pull out of businesses.
Intel had previously announced its Blockscale ASIC (application-specific
integrated circuit) would ship in the third quarter of 2022, and named Argo Blockchain, Block (formerly Square), GRIID Infrastructure and Hive Blockchain as its first customers.
Hive Blockchain later touted Intel’s chips as playing an important role in improving the efficiency of its ASIC fleet.
But the company now anticipates it will cease taking orders for
Blockscale in another five months and stop shipping the chip by April 20
next year, Reuters reported, citing a document on Intel’s website.
N.B.
When first announcing its energy-efficient computing technology in Feb.
2022, Intel’s former graphics chief Raja Koduri said a custom compute
group would be created within the company’s Accelerated Computing
Systems and Graphics business unit.
N.B.
However, Intel split the unit in December to focus on “critical growth
engines” and Koduri returned to his previous position as Intel’s chief
architect.
N.B. Not long after, Koduri left Intel to create an AI-focused software company, CEO Pat Gelsinger said on Twitter.
Intel signaled that it isn’t completely turning away from the bitcoin
market. “We continue to monitor market opportunities,” the chipmaker
said.
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Update: Posted August 16, 2025
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ASIC
An ASIC, which stands for Application-Specific Integrated Circuit, is a microchip designed for a specific task or application, rather than being a general-purpose processor like a CPU. Essentially, it's a chip optimized for a single, well-defined function, offering high performance and efficiency for that particular task.
ASIC, wiki.
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META
Now, look at this from Beth today.
This is an absolutely awful site with all the ads, but it provides a simplistic update of Meta and ASIC. Link here.
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What Caught My Attention: Cooling.
For my investment purposes, AI runs on:
- concrete;
- cooling;
- natural gas; and,
- copper.
In Beth's note above, the obvious question: who is taking care of / managing the cooling?
Ask ChatGPT:
When it comes to Meta’s cooling infrastructure for its proprietary ASIC-powered server platforms (such as the upcoming “Santa Barbara” AI servers), the company has partnered with SynMing Electronics to deliver specialized water-cooling components. These include highly customized cabinets, sidecars, and liquid-cooling hardware designed to handle the exceptionally high thermal demands (TDP >180 kW) of these next-gen servers.
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META's "Santa Barbara" AI Servers
Holy mackerel!
There are a handful of trillion-dollar companies that have the "hammer" on AI / large data centers. A handful would mean around ten.
META is probably among the top five. Maybe the top three. Maybe number one.
From the link above:
Meta has placed an order for next-generation ASIC-powered AI servers with Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer.
According to a report from Economic Daily News (EDN), Meta has ordered up to 6,000 racks and plans to start deploying the AI servers, code-named Santa Barbara, by the end of 2025.
The Santa Barbara servers will replace Meta’s existing Minerva servers, with the report adding that the next-generation servers will have a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of more than 180kW and require highly customized cabinets, sidecars, and water-cooling components, all of which will be supplied by Chenming Electronic Tech Corp.
The report further claims that Meta has partnered with Broadcom for the supply of the ASIC chips, while Quanta Computer is handling the final assembly of the servers. Citing “supply chain sources,” EDN said the social media firm has finalized design decisions related to two to three new ASIC AI servers, and will decide on the final design this quarter, before starting trial production in Q4 2025.
Since the start of the generative AI boom, Meta has sought to significantly expand its AI server infrastructure and in-house ASIC development. In February 2024, the company was seemingly on the hunt for ASIC engineers, posting job adverts seeking workers with expertise in architecture, design, and testing in Bangalore, India, and Sunnyvale, California.
Although the job adverts didn’t reference any specific project, Meta has its own custom AI chips in development. Dubbed the Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA), the chips have been in development since 2023, with the company hoping to deploy them in its own data centers in an effort to reduce its reliance on Nvidia.
So much more at the link.
Minerva?
Meta develops its Minerva servers internally through their Infrastructure Hardware Design team and partners with external companies for various components and manufacturing.
Specifically, Celestica is mentioned as a Joint Development Manufacturer (JDM) partner in the Minerva project. Additionally, reports indicate that Meta has partnered with Broadcom for the ASIC chips and Quanta Computer for the final assembly of the Minerva servers.
It's important to note that the Minerva servers are being replaced by Meta's next-generation servers, code-named Santa Barbara, with deployment expected to begin in late 2025. The Santa Barbara servers will also feature custom ASIC chips from Broadcom and final assembly by Quanta Computer.
Quanta Computer: dead money the last two years --
Broadcom, this one surprised me ... a market cap of almost $1.5 trillion.
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Disclaimer
Brief
Reminder
Briefly:
- I am
inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front
of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it
comes to the Bakken.
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- I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.
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this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial,
job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read
here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly:
there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.
- If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them.
- Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.
- I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.
- And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution.
- I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom.
- Longer version here.
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Top Five Companies Among Consumer Electronics
The companies:
- Apple
- Samsung Electronics
- Microsoft
- Sony
- Huawei
For me: there are only two for investing.
