Lip-Bu Tan took the helm at Intel and announced a crackdown on faulty chips and careless engineers

Intel is changing its approach to processor quality: from “first revision” to a defect‑free culture

The company Intel, which over decades of history has become a true giant in the world of microprocessors, has often faced the need to fix hardware errors. Chief Executive Lip‑Bu Tan recently stated that he is ready to fire engineers who cannot guarantee high processor quality already at the first revision.

What happened
- Opening

In March last year Lip‑Bu Tan came to Intel’s leadership. At the beginning of March he made a statement about a new culture of quality, which was published at the JP Morgan technology conference (Tom’s Hardware).

- New management style

The new head has actively participated in approving product designs and specifications. He demands that even the initial A0 revision – the version used for releasing pre‑series processors after receiving the digital design – demonstrate almost no defects and approach target serial production metrics.

- “A0 ready for production” culture

“I have implemented a culture where A0 must be ready for production. That means that after creating the digital design it immediately goes through all tests. Intel previously did not have such an approach, but now I require A0 to pass tests on the first try. B0 is a workbench; everything above that level – dismissal,” Tan explained.

Employees initially took this as a joke, but when applied in practice they began taking development and defect detection more seriously even at the design stage.

Why it matters
- Complexity of modern chips

Modern processors use cutting‑edge process technologies and complex architectures. Achieving flawless quality from the first revision is extremely difficult, but it can reduce time spent fixing errors in already released products.

- Impact on innovation

Implementing such a culture may lead engineers to propose radical changes and performance improvements less often to avoid risk. This could slow the pace of new technology development within Intel.

- Nvidia example

NVIDIA frequently releases first‑revision chips, but their design includes redundancy at the functional block level that allows defects to be compensated by other resources.

How it was done before
- Sapphire Rapids

The Sapphire Rapids server processors went through up to twelve revisions, fixing about 500 bugs of varying severity. This demonstrates a more lenient approach to quality in the past.

- New Intel goals

Lip‑Bu Tan emphasizes that the less time spent removing defects from already released processors, the faster new products with the required level of quality reach the market.

Future plans
- Simplifying design

Tan said that simplifying architectural solutions will help solve many company problems. He also stresses the importance of close interaction with customers to strengthen trust.

- Technology plan

Intel plans to start pilot production of chips on 14 nm technology in 2028, and by 2029 move to mass production.

Thus, Lip‑Bu Tan aims to turn processor design into a defect‑free culture from the first revision, which could change both Intel’s internal processes and its position in the high‑technology market.