Samsung takes a scalpel to its 2nm wafer price tag, bringing it down to $20,000 — Korean chipmaker now undercuts rival TSMC by 33%

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Samsung throws the gauntlet to TMSC, which recently rose its pricing thanks to overwhelming demand.

Samsung Taylor Texas fab
(Image credit: Samsung Semiconductor Global)

Worldwide cutting-edge chip production is at capacity everywhere, as high-tech companies like Nvidia can't get nearly enough supply to satisfy their demand. However, even though it's a seller's market, there's still a degree of competition between chip foundries. Samsung has apparently elected to cut its 2nm (SF2, aka SF3P) wafer pricing down to $20,000, undercutting market leader TSMC's purported $30,000 price by a good one-third, according to DigiTimes.

The move is aggressive for Samsung, but likely necessary as to not let its 2nm fab capacity remain unused, and ensure some return on the investment. The company's 2nm initiatives faced significant headwinds, with Samsung reportedly cutting its investment in foundries by half back in January — all while TSMC did the exact opposite — and delaying its mint-fresh Texas chip fab due to a lack of customers.

Bruno Ferreira
Bruno Ferreira
Contributor

Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer. He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves. When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Notton
    The rumor is Exynos 2600 in the Galaxy S26 will be built on Samsung GAAFET 2nm.
    So we don't have to wait that long to see how well Samsung 2nm is.
    Reply
  • JTWrenn
    This is good for everyone. Pricing competition is what we need at this level. Let's hope we get even more from other competitors....or that they actually become competitive again.
    Reply
  • George³
    I'm always am happy when monopoly game is over.
    Reply
  • shady28
    I don't think people will be happy when they see prices of N2 parts when they come out. It looks to be ~2X what we were seeing with N5/N4, and maybe 50% higher than N3.

    The problem here though, is that Samsung's SF2 node is seen as more of a competitor to N3P (TSMC's most advanced, densest N3 node). From what I've read, it's a small bit better than N3P (like 5%), but not really comparable to N2 or 18A for that matter. This price cut makes it an attractive alternative to N3P - not to N2.
    Reply
  • tooltalk01
    why not Buy One, Get One free?
    Reply
  • HyperMatrix
    Logic would dictate that if your node were even remotely competitive with TSMC’s, you wouldn’t need to undercut them by 33% when they’re pretty much already booked solid. Reminds me of when Nvidia broke up with TSMC and tried out Samsung’s “8nm” that one year due to massive incentives given by Samsung. Only to pay even more money than before to get back in with TSMC.
    Reply
  • althuser
    George³ said:
    I'm always am happy when monopoly game is over.
    Just let China get it right, they will flood these markets with good enough. That all we need to get tyevworks done.
    Reply
  • dev1
    althuser said:
    Just let China get it right, they will flood these markets with good enough. That all we need to get tyevworks done.
    Hopefully it will be soon enough, manufacturing wafers is no small feat but they're effectively making more chips per wafer, so it shouldn't be that more expensive.
    Reply
  • LordVile
    HyperMatrix said:
    Logic would dictate that if your node were even remotely competitive with TSMC’s, you wouldn’t need to undercut them by 33% when they’re pretty much already booked solid. Reminds me of when Nvidia broke up with TSMC and tried out Samsung’s “8nm” that one year due to massive incentives given by Samsung. Only to pay even more money than before to get back in with TSMC.
    Especially when Apple had just taken up 50% of all N2 capacity
    Reply