Founded in 1968, Intel is a multinational tech company based in the outskirts of Santa Clara, California. The tech giant is acknowledged all over the world for its superior quality and high-end products.
The company has revolutionized the tech world with its innovative microchips and x86 series of microprocessors.
Intel designs and manufactures components that power the cloud and connected world. Its microprocessors power more personal computers than any other processor on the market.
What’s more, the world’s most-renowned tech company introduced 3D chip-stacking technology called Foveros, enabling multiple chips to be stacked on one another. This, in turn, contributed to the dominance of Intel in the tech industry and made it the undisputed king.
With over 110,700 employees, Intel is the 36th largest company in the world, as per the Forbes’ 2000 list for 2021.
Intel deals in several products, including CPUs, microprocessors, system-on-chips, Wi-Fi chipsets, modems, motherboard chipsets, integrated graphics, and plenty more.
Also, the company was ranked 12th most valuable brand globally and generated a revenue of $77.9 billion in 2020.
Moreover, Intel divided its DPG (Data Platform Group) into two groups, DCG (Data Centre Group) and AIG (Artificial Intelligence Group), in June 2020. The division has numerous sub-groups, such as IoT, advanced tech, graphics, and computing systems.
Without a doubt, Intel has always been a leader in the tech industry. Besides this, the IDM 2.0 Hybrid Manufacturing Strategy will give Intel the scalability and flexibility they need to optimize their roadmap for productivity, cost, and supply, offering them a competitive edge in the vertical.
Nonetheless, with time, the emergence of several key players in the tech industry has made the odds even. Intel is competing with big names in the tech industry, including Samsung, AMD, and TMSC.
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Top 10 Alternatives and Competitors to Intel
Intel operates in a fiercely competitive business. Tech giants are putting forth their best effort with high-quality products to capture the largest share in the industry, which is expanding rapidly.
Let’s explore each of them and find out what they have to offer.
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)
- Founded: 1969
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, California.
AMD is one of the most recognized brands all over the world for the production of tech hardware, such as motherboard chipsets, microprocessors, servers, and embedded processors.
Also, AMD is the top competitor to Intel, especially in the motherboards and chipsets segment.
With over 15,450 employees, AMD welcomed a current revenue of almost $14.85 billion as of January 2021.
For many years, Advanced Micro Devices had to play the 2nd fiddle to Intel in the semiconductor segment, but the tables turned in its favor when they introduced the range of Ryzen microprocessors in 2016.
Moreover, the company has a market capitalization of $134.2 billion as of January 2022, making it the 100th most valuable brand by market valuation.
Nonetheless, looking solely at the laptop CPUs segment, Intel is a clear-cut winner, contributing to 75% of laptop test benchmark results in the 4th quarter of 2021.
IBM
- Founded: 1911
- Headquarters: Armonk, New York.
With over 375,000 employees, International Business Machines is one of the largest techs and consulting corporations across the globe.
IBM works on three key business areas, including Cloud & Data Platforms, Transaction Processing Programs, and Cognitive Applications.
Also, in 2019, the company acquired the Artificial Intelligence open-source software Red Hat for $34 billion, positioning IBM as one of the leading hybrid cloud providers.
Did you know that IBM is behind some of the most groundbreaking inventions in the field of tech? Yes, IBM developed Automated Teller Machine (ATMs), Universal Product Code (UPC), Hard Disk Drive, and Dynamic Random-access Memory.
What’s more, IBM is one of the 30 companies on the list of DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) as of January 2022.
IBM continues to innovate and welcomed a revenue of $17.6 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2021.
NVIDIA
- Founded: 1993
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, California.
Nvidia gives Intel a hard time in three areas including, PCs, graphic processing units, and operating segments.
Also, the company has carved out a name for itself in the gaming vertical with its products, such as shield portable, shield android TV, and shield tablet.
In the GPU market, NVIDIA occupied almost 83% market share in the 2nd quarter of 2021, dominating the global GPU market.
What’s more, the company also creates graphic unit processors for artificial intelligence-powered devices and 3D graphics.
In the fiscal year 2021, NVIDIA generated a revenue of $16.68 billion, an increase of 53% from $10.9 billion in FY 2020.
To boost its dominance in the market, NVIDIA is in the process of acquiring ARM limited from Softbank Group Corporation for $40 billion.
ARM limited is a top-notch industry leader in the semiconductor market and one of the strongest competitors to Intel. Albeit the formal approval is still pending, the deal is in jeopardy because of ARM’s unique positioning in the industry.
The majority of NVIDIA’s competitors, including Huawei, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, manufacture their chipsets using ARM’s semiconductor designs. They all filed a lawsuit, claiming that this acquisition might make it harder for them to access ARM’s technology.
Also, if NVIDIA succeeds in acquiring ARM, it will overtake Advanced Micro Devices to become Intel’s 2nd rival.
Samsung
- Founded: 1938
- Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
With over 300,000 employees, Samsung is a global leader in semiconductors, telecommunication, consumer electronics, and digital media technologies.
The company’s market share in the semiconductor segment was 13% worldwide in 2021. It is one of the largest smartphone and memory chip makers all over the world and controls about 5% of the microprocessor market.
Also, Samsung generated a revenue of 279 trillion won in 2021, thanks to the demand for its memory chips.
Samsung’s principal competitive advantage over Intel is its enormous financial resources. The company is about to start a new venture, planning to build an advanced logic semiconductor plant in Taylor near Austin, Texas, for $17 billion. Construction of the plant will commence in the first half of 2022 and begin operations in the second half of 2024.
Plus, Samsung plans to invest $116 billion in the chip design division. It can use its massive financial resources to overtake Intel and become the king in the chip industry.
Micron Technology
- Founded: 1978
- Headquarters: Boise, Idaho.
Micron makes one of the best memory chips globally and is a top competitor to Intel in the memory chip segment. The company manufactures NAND flash, DRAM, ROM, NOR flash, SSD, and other memory devices.
Also, the company’s memory chips have been providing the optimal memory and storage systems for consumer and industrial applications for over 43 years.
In 2021, Micron’s share in the semiconductor market was 4.9% globally and generated a revenue of $28.45 billion.
Micron’s revenue growth in 2021 is higher than the last ten years, making it one of the best alternatives to Intel for dynamic random access memory chips.
Qualcomm
- Founded: 1985
- Headquarters: San Diego, California.
Qualcomm is the strongest competitor to Intel in the chip-making arena. The company is the leading patent holder in 5G mobile technologies, which significantly contributes to its revenue.
Qualcomm’s chipsets connect broadband devices, networking equipment, and mobile phones to wireless data networks.
Also, most of the consumer electronics in the Android market run on Qualcomm’s software and integrated circuits.
In 2021, the company generated $27 billion in total chip sales, making it one of the top Intel alternatives for 5G chips.
With over 41,000 employees, Qualcomm reported revenue of $33.57 billion as of 2021. It derives a large chunk of revenue from patent licensing and chip-making business.
Microchip Technology
- Founded: 1989
- Headquarters: Chandler, Arizona.
It is an American tech corporation that manufactures and commercializes integrated circuits, microcontrollers, and semiconductors to over 120,000 customers within the industrial, automotive, aerospace, and consumer industries.
Microchip technology generated $5.44 billion in revenue in 2021, an increase of almost 2% from the previous year. The company is indeed the best alternative to Intel for industrial manufacturers.
Texas Instruments
- Founded: 1951
- Headquarters: Dallas, Texas.
Texas Instruments designs and manufactures integrated circuits and semiconductors. The company sells its products to electronic manufacturers globally.
The company’s revenue increased by 19% to $4.83 billion in the 4th quarter of 2021.
Also, Texas Instruments develops analog and embedded processor chips that are used in goods that cater to a broader market, reducing its dependency on a single customer sector.
The company has clients from different industries, including automotive, communications, industrial, etc.
TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company)
- Founded: 1987
- Headquarters: Hsinchu, Taiwan.
TSMC is one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductors. Also, it develops advanced semiconductors using 3-nanometer technology.
With over 56,800 employees, TSMC, on a consolidated basis, generated net revenue of $155,382 million as of December 2021, an increase 0f 4.8% from November 2021.
TSMC dominates the semiconductor market as some of the top competitors to Intel, such as AMD, Qualcomm rely on TSMC for production.
What’s more, the company is building a chip plant in Arizona for $12 billion and will begin operation by 2024. With this facility, both the companies (TSMC & Intel) will go head-to-head on American soil.
Broadcom
- Founded: 1961
- Headquarters: San Jose, California
Broadcom is one of the fastest-growing chipmakers for 5G smartphones. Broadcom manufactures processors, semiconductors, and controllers.
The company’s primary competitive advantage is its long-standing supply relationship with two tech behemoths, including Samsung and Apple.
It has a better chance of capitalizing on the ever-growing 5G industry than other Intel competitors. Also, the company generated a revenue of $27.45 billion in FY 2021.
Broadcom also creates chips for the 5G base stations of Nokia, providing it access to the 5G industry.
Apart from these, ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), NXP, Marvell Technology Group, Maxim Integrated, and Applied Materials are a few key players in the chip-making industry.
The Takeaway
Intel is a name synonymous with computer chips. Undoubtedly, Intel is one of the best chipmakers worldwide. Also, Intel’s tech has evolved from traditional PCs and is now found in several products/components that power the whole network.
From creating the first commercial microprocessor to today’s smartphones, and future computers, Intel has earned a name for itself in the tech industry.
However, in recent times, other tech giants, such as AMD, Samsung, Nvidia, and Qualcomm, are now investing in blueprints of semiconductors that might make it difficult for Intel to retain its complete dominance in the marketplace.
So, have you ever used any of Intel’s products? Do share your experience with us by commenting below!
