TSMC, Nvidia & Microsoft: Di History of Modern Computing & AI Revolution

Introduction: From di edge of bankruptcy reach AI revolution, how e take happen?

Di technology journey from di 1990s bankruptcy wahala reach di 2026 RTX Spark N1X super chip

Wetin dey inside: Nvidia rescue & leadership, partnership & fight with Microsoft, CUDA, Tensor Cores & NVLink, TSMC 2nm & CoWoS, and di 2026 N1X laptops.

Chapter 1: Di 1990s bankruptcy wahala & di problem wey Microsoft DirectX cause

For di middle of di 1990s, dem push Nvidia go di edge of bankruptcy because e try create 3D graphics for one way wey different pass all di other computer companies. Na dat big wahala come be di most important turning point for di company history.

1. Di NV1 chip & di Quadratic Texture Mapping (QTM) technology (May 1995)

• Di technology: Nvidia, wey Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem start for 1993, release dia first chip NV1 for May 1995.
• How e dey work: Instead of to build 3D things with flat triangles like di other companies, di NV1 chip use one method wey dem call Quadratic Texture Mapping (QTM) to draw graphics with curved, four-sided surfaces (quads).
• Business failure: Even though dis technology wey dey create curved shapes with small data dey amazing, e too hard for game developers to program. Apart from small Sega games, e no get support from any other software.

2. Di big problem wey Microsoft DirectX 1.0 standardization cause (September 1995)

For September 1995, Microsoft release di DirectX 1.0 (Direct3D) software to bring computer games for Windows 95 under one standard. Inside am, Microsoft declare say na only triangle-based polygon rendering go be di common standard (Standard). Because Direct3D no support curved surfaces, new Windows games no fit work for di NV1 chip, and software translation (Emulation) slow di speed down well well. When computer makers cancel dia orders, Nvidia technology become old-fashioned in just one night.

3. Di cancellation of di NV2 chip & Sega $5 million help (1996)

• Di hard decision: Na Jensen Huang make di decision to cancel di NV2 chip for di middle of development, wey dem dey build with curved surface technology for Sega Dreamcast console.
• Only 30 days money: Even after dem sack half of di workers, Nvidia remain with only about 30 days money.
• Di Sega CEO kindness: Jensen Huang go Japan, meet Sega CEO Shoichiro Irimajiri, and openly admit say NV2 na wrong road. E beg say even if dem cancel di contract, make Sega pay di remaining $5 million so Nvidia fit survive. Irimajiri agree and save Nvidia.

4. Di comeback with di RIVA 128 chip (1997)

• With di $5 million from Sega, Nvidia design di RIVA 128 (NV3) chip for hardware according to Microsoft Direct3D triangle technology.
• Di RIVA 128 wey come out for 1997 sell pass one million (1 Million) in just four months and save Nvidia from bankruptcy.

Chapter 2: Di fall of 3dfx & Jensen Huang leadership qualities

1. How Nvidia pass 3dfx

• All-in-one design (RIVA 128): Because 3dfx Voodoo cards dey work for only 3D, users must buy separate 2D card. Di RIVA 128 chip give both 2D and 3D for one chip.
• Di Glide vs DirectX war: While 3dfx dey depend on only dia own Glide API, Nvidia support di common standards: Microsoft DirectX and OpenGL.
• Di world first GPU (GeForce 256, 1999): For October 1999, Nvidia release di GeForce 256 chip wey get Hardware Transform and Lighting (T&L) and name am "GPU" (Graphics Processing Unit). Dis one reduce di calculation load of di CPU and increase gaming speed many times.
• Six-month release speed: By releasing new chip every six months, Nvidia push 3dfx enter bankruptcy and buy dia property for 2000.

2. Jensen Huang leadership style wey crisis born

• Di "we go bankrupt in 30 days" mentality: So dat success pride no go come, e build culture of always dey alert for work.
• Honesty to admit mistakes (Intellectual Honesty): To abandon wrong plans immediately and learn from failures without hiding am become Nvidia important rule.
• Simulation first (Simulation First): E make di method of testing chip with 100% correctness for software emulator before production permanent.
• Flat Organization: E reduce di many-level management teams and build structure wey more than 50 senior leaders dey report directly to am.

Chapter 3: Di history of Nvidia & Microsoft partnership & fights (1995–2026)

Chapter 4: Di foundation of di modern AI revolution (CUDA, Tensor Cores & NVLink)

• CUDA software (2006): CUDA open di road to use GPU thousands of cores for scientific and mathematical calculations through C/C++ languages, without knowing graphics language. For 2012, one AI model wey dem call AlexNet use CUDA on two Nvidia gaming cards and win di ImageNet competition — na so dem plant di seed of today AI revolution.
• Tensor Cores: Instead of to multiply only two numbers like normal cores, dem dey multiply one full table of numbers (Matrix) at di same time, completing AI calculations with lightning speed for lower bit precision (FP8/FP4).
• NVLink & NVLink-C2C: For data centers, na NVLink dey directly connect hundreds of GPUs to work like one super chip. For N1X laptops, di NVLink-C2C connection dey connect di ARM CPU and Blackwell GPU inside di same chip and make di 128GB unified memory (Unified Memory) common for both of dem. Because of dis, big AI models (Local LLMs) fit run without internet.

Chapter 5: TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) history & technology

Taiwan, di world chip capital: Na TSMC dey manufacture pass 90% of di world most advanced semiconductor chips. Also for Taiwan, UMC (chip manufacturing), MediaTek (di company wey design di N1X chip ARM CPU together with Nvidia), Realtek, Novatek, and di chip packaging company ASE Technology dey play important roles.

1. TSMC historical milestones (1987–2026)

• 1987 – Di birth of Pure-Play Foundry: Morris Chang establish TSMC on February 21, 1987. By creating di method of "no designing chip for dia own name, only manufacturing chips wey other companies design", e lay di foundation for di growth of companies like Nvidia, Apple, AMD and Qualcomm.
• 1997–1998 – Partnership with Nvidia: After RIVA 128 success, TSMC accept di letter wey Jensen Huang write and start to manufacture Nvidia chips.
• 2014–2018 – Apple contract & passing Intel: After getting di Apple A8 chip production for 2014, TSMC use Netherlands ASML company EUV lithography machines to pass Intel for 2018 and become di world number 1 chip maker.
• 2020–2026 – Global expansion ("Silicon Shield"): Working as Taiwan "silicon shield", TSMC dey build new factories for America (Arizona), Japan (Kumamoto) and Germany (Dresden) to reduce geopolitical risks.

2. TSMC 2nm (N2) & CoWoS technologies

• 2nm (N2) nanosheet transistors: Instead of di old FinFET design, TSMC dey use Gate-All-Around (Nanosheet) technology wey dey surround di electricity path for all four sides. Dis one dey reduce electricity leakage and give 10–15% more speed and 25–30% less power consumption compare to 3nm chips.
• CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate): Na 3D packaging technology wey dey arrange separate chips like ARM CPU, Blackwell GPU and high-speed memory close together on top one thin silicon base wey dem call silicon interposer and join dem as one chip. Na dis be di reason for di Nvidia N1X chip extraordinary speed.

Chapter 6: Di 2026 RTX Spark N1X Windows 11 laptops

Di Nvidia N1X chip reach market on October 16, 2026, specially for only Windows 11 PCs (e no dey work for Mac computers; dem recommend WSL for Linux users). Here be di details of di main models wey get 20-core ARM CPU, 6,144-core Blackwell GPU and up to 128GB RAM (with Australia market prices):

Read more articles