October 8, 2025 09:56 PM GMT Asia-Pacific Technology | Asia Pacific AI Supply Chain: TSMC CoWoS, Meta ASIC, and China GPU The 2026 CoWoS capacity plan is under supplying, if key customers' demand is real. On the other hand, NVIDIA's RTX Pro 6000 (B40) forecast appears still on track from Chinese customers, suggesting inference demand is strong in China. TSMC's CoWoS demand upside: We sensed even stronger demand from AI semis at TSMC, for example for 3nm wafer demand from NVIDIA's Rubin GPU in 2H26 (see also ...

Summary of Key Points from TSMC 2Q25 Earnings Call Company Overview - **Company**: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) - **Industry**: Semiconductors Core Financial Results - **2Q25 Revenue**: NT$933.792 million, representing an increase of 11.3% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and 38.6% year-over-year (YoY) [7] - **Operating Expenses (Opex)**: NT$83.946 million, a decrease of 2.7% QoQ and an increase of 17.3% YoY [7] - **Earnings Per Share (EPS)**: NT$15.36, up 10.2% QoQ and 60.7% YoY, exceeding Morgan Stanley's estimate of NT$14.60 [7] - **Gross Margin (GM)**: 58.6%, a slight decrease of 17 basis points (bps) QoQ but an increase of 545 bps YoY [7] - **Operating Margin (OPM)**: 49.6%, up 112 bps QoQ and 708 bps YoY [7] 3Q25 Guidance - **Expected Revenue**: Between US$31.8 billion and US$33.0 billion, indicating an 8% increase at the mid-point QoQ [10] - **Expected EPS**: NT$13.33, a decrease of 13.2% QoQ but an increase of 6.3% YoY [10] - **Gross Margin Guidance**: Expected to be between 55.5% and 57.5% [10] Strategic Insights - **Wafer Pricing**: TSMC is expected to achieve its goal of over 53% gross margin, supported by strong execution and potential wafer price hikes [12][14] - **AI Revenue Growth**: TSMC's AI semiconductor revenue is projected to account for approximately 34% of its revenue by 2027 [22] - **Chip Production**: TSMC is expected to produce 5.1 million chips in 2025, with full-year GB200 NVL72 shipments expected to reach 30,000 [24] Market Dynamics - **Demand for Advanced Nodes**: There is strong demand for TSMC's 2nm and 3nm nodes, driven by smartphone and high-performance computing (HPC) applications [27][29] - **China's AI Semiconductor Demand**: The demand for AI semiconductors in China is expected to grow significantly, with the total addressable market (TAM) for cloud AI projected to reach US$48 billion by 2027 [44] Risks and Considerations - **FX Impact**: The potential foreign exchange impact on TSMC's financials could be offset by strong operational execution and pricing strategies [12] - **Geopolitical Risks**: Ongoing geopolitical tensions and US restrictions on China may pose risks to TSMC's operations and market access [84] Conclusion - TSMC's strong financial performance in 2Q25 and optimistic guidance for 3Q25 reflect robust demand in the semiconductor market, particularly in AI and advanced technology nodes. The company is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities while navigating potential risks associated with geopolitical factors and market dynamics.

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - **Industry**: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Semiconductor Industry in China - **Key Players**: NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, TSMC, Samsung, Huawei, SMIC, Chinese Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) Core Insights and Arguments 1. **US Export Restrictions Lifted**: The lifting of US export restrictions on NVIDIA's H20 chips to China is a significant development, facilitating faster development of consumer and enterprise AI applications in China [1][2][3] 2. **China's AI Capex Projections**: Major Chinese CSPs are projected to have a capital expenditure (capex) of Rmb380 billion in 2025, closely aligning with NVIDIA's estimated US$50 billion revenue opportunity for AI accelerators in the same year [3][4][38] 3. **Impact on US Semiconductor Companies**: US companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom are expected to receive licenses to ship to China, which is a positive indicator for their stock performance in 2026 [4][42] 4. **TSMC's Growth Potential**: TSMC is expected to meet or exceed its target of a 45% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for AI semiconductor revenue over the next five years due to the resumption of H20 shipments [5][33] 5. **Samsung's Recovery**: Samsung is positioned to recover from a W1.5 trillion write-off in preliminary earnings due to the previous H20 shipment ban, benefiting from the resumption of H20 shipments [5][33] 6. **Chinese GPU Market Dynamics**: The resumption of H20 shipments may negatively impact local GPU makers like SMIC, as domestic vendors may lose market share to foreign suppliers [11][12][30] Additional Important Insights 1. **Self-Sufficiency in GPU Production**: Despite the resumption of H20 shipments, China's efforts towards self-sufficiency in GPU production are expected to continue, with local GPU self-sufficiency projected to reach only 39% by 2027 [12][30] 2. **Market Demand vs. Supply**: There is strong demand for AI computing in China, but hardware supply constraints are causing delays in the deployment of next-generation models [49][68] 3. **Potential Risks**: The timing of license grants for chip shipments remains uncertain, and there are concerns about the availability of H20 chips and the competitive positioning of RTX chips [42][50] 4. **AI Adoption Strategy**: China's strategy focuses on creating an ecosystem for AI adoption across industries rather than solely competing on advanced computing capabilities [53] Conclusion The developments surrounding the H20 chip availability and the lifting of export restrictions are pivotal for the growth of AI applications in China, impacting both local and international semiconductor companies. The projected capex from Chinese CSPs and the anticipated recovery of companies like Samsung and TSMC highlight the significant market opportunities ahead. However, challenges remain regarding local GPU production and the overall supply chain dynamics.

Summary of Key Points from TSMC 2Q25 Earnings Call Company Overview - **Company**: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) - **Industry**: Semiconductors Core Financial Results - **2Q25 Revenue**: NT$933.792 million, representing an increase of 11.3% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and 38.6% year-over-year (YoY) [7] - **Operating Expenses (Opex)**: NT$83.946 million, a decrease of 2.7% QoQ and an increase of 17.3% YoY [7] - **Earnings Per Share (EPS)**: NT$15.36, up 10.2% QoQ and 60.7% YoY, exceeding Morgan Stanley's estimate of NT$14.60 [7] - **Gross Margin (GM)**: 58.6%, a slight decrease of 17 basis points (bps) QoQ but an increase of 545 bps YoY [7] - **Operating Margin (OPM)**: 49.6%, up 112 bps QoQ and 708 bps YoY [7] 3Q25 Guidance - **Revenue Guidance**: Expected to be between US$31.8 billion and US$33.0 billion, indicating an 8% increase at the mid-point QoQ [10] - **EPS Guidance**: Projected at NT$13.33, down 13.2% QoQ but up 6.3% YoY [10] - **Gross Margin Guidance**: Expected to be between 55.5% and 57.5% [10] Strategic Insights - **Wafer Pricing**: TSMC is expected to achieve its goal of over 53% gross margin, supported by strong execution and potential wafer price hikes [12][14] - **AI Revenue Growth**: TSMC's AI semiconductor revenue is projected to account for approximately 34% of its revenue by 2027 [22] - **Chip Production**: TSMC is expected to produce 5.1 million chips in 2025, with full-year GB200 NVL72 shipments expected to reach 30,000 [24] Market Dynamics - **Demand for Advanced Nodes**: There is strong demand for TSMC's 2nm and 3nm nodes, driven by smartphone and high-performance computing (HPC) applications [27][29] - **China's AI Semiconductor Demand**: The demand for AI semiconductors in China is expected to grow significantly, with the total addressable market (TAM) projected to reach US$48 billion by 2027 [44] Risks and Considerations - **FX Impact**: The potential foreign exchange impact could be offset by strong operational execution and pricing strategies [12] - **Geopolitical Risks**: Ongoing geopolitical tensions and restrictions may pose risks to TSMC's operations and market access, particularly in China [84] Conclusion - TSMC's strong financial performance in 2Q25 and optimistic guidance for 3Q25 reflect robust demand in the semiconductor market, particularly in AI and advanced technology nodes. The company is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities while navigating potential risks associated with geopolitical factors and market dynamics.

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "In-Line" for Greater China Technology Semiconductors [2]. Core Insights - The report highlights the growth potential in China's AI semiconductor sector, with a forecasted capital expenditure increase of 62% year-over-year to RMB 373 billion for the top six companies [19]. - TSMC's revenue guidance for Q3 2025 indicates a potential growth of approximately 3% quarter-over-quarter in USD, but a decline of 1.6% in TWD [12]. - The report anticipates that China's local GPU market will significantly expand, with local GPU revenue projected to reach RMB 287 billion by 2027, driven by advancements in SMIC's leading node capacity [33]. Summary by Sections Valuation Comparison - TSMC's target price is set at 1,288 TWD, representing a 19% upside potential, with an estimated P/E ratio of 23.9x for 2024 [8]. - The average EPS growth for the semiconductor sector is projected at 40% for 2024, with a mean P/B ratio of 2.3x [8]. - The memory segment shows a notable upside potential for Giga Device, with a target price of 145.0 CNY, indicating a 20% upside [9]. TSMC Preview - TSMC's Q3 2025 revenue is estimated at NT$ 910 billion, with a gross profit of NT$ 508 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 35.1% [12]. - The gross margin is expected to be 55.8%, while the operating margin is projected at 45.5% [12]. China AI Semiconductor Demand - The report projects that China's GPU self-sufficiency ratio will increase from 34% in 2024 to 82% by 2027, indicating a strong trend towards domestic production [28]. - The total addressable market (TAM) for cloud AI in China is expected to reach USD 48 billion by 2027 [30].

Core Viewpoint - The modified ASUS ROG Astral LC RTX 5090 surpasses the performance of the $10,000 RTX Pro 6000 after a shunt mod, demonstrating significant potential in high-performance graphics cards [1][21]. Summary by Sections Shunt Mod Overview - Shunt mod is a high-risk hardware modification method used to bypass power and current limits in high-performance graphics cards and motherboards [2]. - The modification allows for increased power limits, potentially enhancing performance but poses risks to the GPU's lifespan [7][8]. Der8auer's Experiment - Der8auer, a renowned hardware modder, aimed to unlock power limits on the RTX 5090 to assess performance improvements [5][6]. - He conducted baseline tests to gather initial data on performance, noise, and temperature before the modification [10]. Performance Metrics - After the shunt mod, the power consumption of the RTX 5090 increased from 660W to 720W, with GPU frequency rising to 2,950MHz [17]. - The FPS improved from 146 to 152, successfully outperforming the RTX Pro 6000 [17]. - The GPU temperature remained around 60°C under load, while memory temperature reached 80°C, indicating effective thermal management [18]. Technical Details - The modification involved altering resistance values near the power connector to trick the control circuit into accepting higher power inputs [12]. - Theoretically, the mod allows the GPU to handle approximately 30% more power without detection [14]. Conclusion - The modified RTX 5090 slightly outperformed the RTX Pro 6000 but exhibited significantly higher power consumption compared to the unmodified version [21].

Investment Rating - Industry View: In-Line [5] Core Insights - The semiconductor industry is experiencing unprecedented demand driven by AI advancements and geopolitical tensions [3][5] - China's AI semiconductor market is expected to see significant growth, with local GPU revenue projected to reach Rmb287 billion by 2027 [21][19] - The overall AI semiconductor market is anticipated to deliver over 30% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, with inference AI semiconductors growing at 55% CAGR [78][77] Summary by Sections China AI Semi Demand and Supply - The top six companies' capital expenditures are forecasted to grow 62% YoY to Rmb373 billion [10] - China's GPU self-sufficiency ratio was 34% in 2024 and is expected to reach 82% by 2027 [16] - The total addressable market (TAM) for China's cloud AI is projected to be US$48 billion by 2027 [18] Semiconductor Solutions and Technology Trends - Moore's Law is expected to continue with chip scaling to 3nm/2nm for better power efficiency [78] - Advanced packaging technologies like CoWoS and SoIC are being utilized to increase data speed and memory bandwidth [78] - The EDA market in China is projected to grow at a 12% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, reaching US$3.3 billion [29] Investment Opportunities - AI semiconductors are expected to account for approximately 34% of TSMC's revenue by 2027 [148] - The demand for custom AI semiconductors is increasing, driven by major cloud service providers and tech companies [120][121] - The global semiconductor market size may reach US$1 trillion by 2030, with AI semiconductors being a major growth driver [59]