DigiTimes heard from graphics card makers that AMD and NVIDIA are unlikely to jump from TSMC to Samsung. Qualcomm adopted Samsung's 28nm process because TSMC failed to meet its needs, but TSMC reportedly has the upper hand over Samsung in 28nm with yield rate and price.

TSMC has the upper hand over Samsung in 28nm technology, yield rate and price and therefore changing foundry partnership involves high risks, the sources said. In addition, Nvidia is expected to consider Samsung's ARM-based processors in competition with its Tegra 3 processors, the sources indicated.

AMD has cooperated with TSMC for 28nm-based production of its Southern Islands graphics chips and nearly finished tape-out of Sea Islands models for 28nm-based production scheduled to begin by the end of 2012, the sources noted. For APUs, AMD has had TSMC producing low-power models including Brazos 2.0 and Hondo based on 40nm Bulk CMOS process and will adopt TSMC's 28nm Bulk CMOS technology in 2013, the sources said.