Intel and Amazon Web Services announced a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar framework in September 2024 to co-invest in custom chip designs. The plan names two distinct chips: an AI fabric chip for AWS built on Intel 18A and a custom Xeon 6 chip built on Intel 3. The companies did not disclose an exact deal value, production schedule, or wafer volume.
What Intel and AWS agreed to
The September 16, 2024 announcement describes a framework for co-investing in custom designs, Intel products, and wafers—not a disclosed fixed-price purchase order. Intel’s October 31, 2024 filing likewise describes the commitment as multi-year and multi-billion-dollar without stating a precise amount. Intel’s announcement and its SEC filing identify the two planned designs and their process nodes.
The AI fabric chip
Intel said it would produce an AI fabric chip for AWS using Intel 18A. The announcement did not specify the chip’s architecture, performance, power use, price, tape-out date, or deployment date. “AI fabric” is the companies’ wording; the public announcement does not provide enough technical detail to infer a particular design or benchmark.
The custom Xeon 6 chip
The second design is a custom Xeon 6 chip for AWS, to be made on Intel 3. Intel placed it within a longer relationship in which it already produces Xeon Scalable processors for AWS. The custom design is separate from the AI fabric chip in intended role and manufacturing process.
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| Program | Intended role | Announced process | Project-specific availability evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS AI fabric chip | AI fabric infrastructure; detailed function not disclosed | Intel 18A | No delivery or deployment confirmation identified in the cited company updates |
| AWS custom Xeon 6 | Xeon compute for AWS | Intel 3 | Intel later reported Xeon 6 in AWS EC2, but did not identify those processors as the custom design |
What is known about availability
Xeon 6 in AWS EC2 is confirmed, but not the custom chip
On August 20, 2025, Intel reported that Xeon 6 processors were available in AWS 8th Generation EC2 R8i and R8i-flex instances. That confirms Xeon 6 in AWS cloud offerings, but Intel’s report does not say those instances use the custom Xeon 6 design named in the 2024 framework. The two facts should not be treated as interchangeable. Intel’s EC2 announcement identifies the instances but does not connect them to the custom design.
Intel 18A production does not confirm the AWS fabric chip
Intel’s June 16, 2026 foundry update says Intel 18A entered production in 2025 and Intel 18A-P entered risk production in 2026. Those are process-level milestones, not confirmation that the AWS-specific fabric chip taped out, entered production, or was deployed. The update does not establish project-specific delivery. Intel’s foundry update provides the broader node context.
What the deal does—and does not—mean
For AWS, the announcement is about custom silicon for its infrastructure, rather than a consumer product launch. The public materials do not establish that either AWS-specific chip is available to buy as a retail processor. They also do not disclose performance or market-share figures that would support claims about how either design compares with alternatives.
The companies said they intended to explore additional designs on Intel 18A and future nodes, including Intel 18AP and Intel 14A. That is exploratory intent, not a confirmed purchase commitment.
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Ohio investment context
Intel’s 2024 announcement connected the collaboration to U.S.-based manufacturing and an AI ecosystem in Ohio. In that release, AWS said it planned to invest $7.8 billion to expand its Central Ohio data-center operations and that it had invested $10.3 billion in Ohio since 2015. Those are figures as stated in the 2024 announcement: the first was a plan, and neither should be read as a current, independently verified investment total.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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