Hardware Podcasts

EP 159: MediaTek and the Evolving Custom ASIC Business, More Memory Pain, and More

The Circuit · 6 Apr 2026 · 54m · Episode 162

What this episode covers

Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg analyze MediaTek's strategic shift into the custom ASIC market, highlighting their new aggressive marketing of IP and privileged access to TSMC wafer allocation as key competitive advantages against Broadcom and Marvell. They discuss the persistent memory shortage, noting a disconnect between stock market volatility and the reality of sold-out capacity extending into 2028, driven by HBM demand. The hosts also examine Intel's $14 billion buyback of its Apollo-backed Ireland fab, interpreting it as a move to escape onerous operating metrics rather than just a signal of confidence, while warning of broader supply chain constraints like tungsten and water shortages.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MediaTek, TSMC, Broadcom, Marvell, Intel, Apollo, Brookfield, Google, NVIDIA, Micron
Products
HBM, TPU, Alexa, Amazon Echo

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