A new report from TechInsights breaks things down, suggesting we could be in for a closely matched competition.

When it comes to transistor density, TSMC’s N2 appears to take the lead. The publication’s data estimates N2’s high-density standard cell transistor density at an impressive 313 million transistors per square millimeter, outpacing Intel’s 18A at 238 million and Samsung’s SF3 at 231 million. Of course, density isn’t everything; chip designers use a mix of high-, standard-, and low-power cells. However, TSMC’s advantage in density could provide an edge for certain workloads.

The comparison becomes less clear when it comes to performance projections. Intel’s 18A may have an advantage over TSMC’s N2 and Samsung’s SF3, but these are still just estimates based on extrapolating from previous node improvements.