Increasing laptop sales boost AMD
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The latest losses at chipmaker AMD are not as bad as  expected, thanks to surging sales of laptops.
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(InfoWorld) - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has pumped up the performance of its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor and cooled down two single-core Athlon 64 processors. The top-of-the-range AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor is now the 6000+, with a clock speed of 3GHz and 2MB of L2 cache. It sells for $464 in quantities of 1,000 or more. The previous fastest model, the 5600+ with a clock speed of 2.8GHz, now sells for $326 in quantities of 1,000 or more. With its high-performance dual-core systems, AMD hopes to profit from the introduction of Microsoft's new operating system Windows Vista, which places greater demands on computing hardware. There's no speed boost for the single-core Athlon 64 processor, but AMD is now manufacturing the 3500+ and 3800+ models using a 65-nanometer production process, reducing the chips' die-size and energy consumption while offering the same computing performance. The latest versions consume 45 watts, compared to 62 watts for the previous generation, in which the smallest features etched on the chips had a spacing of 90nm. The 3500+ sells for $88 in quantities of 1,000 or more, and the 3800+ for $93. The faster dual-core chips will appeal primarily to gaming enthusiasts, and will appear shortly in PCs from Alienware and Voodoo, the gaming PC divisions of Dell and Hewlett-Packard, respectively, said AMD. Fujitsu Siemens Computers (Holding) will use the lower-power processors in its Esprimo enterprise desktop range, which it promotes as an energy-efficient range, the company said. Two weeks ago, AMDÂ introduced new dual-core Opteron processorsÂ for servers that are either faster or consume less power than previous chips. While AMD had begun to pull ahead in the market for low-power server and desktop chips, IntelÂ is fighting back. Last month,Â Intel persuaded Sun MicrosystemsÂ to use its Xeon processors in future servers and workstations based on the x86 architecture. Sun had only used AMD chips in those machines in recent years, and will now use chips from both manufacturers. At the top of the scale, Intel took the lead in the market for quad-core server chips last November, with the launch of its Xeon 5300 series, previously known as Clovertown. AMD won't introduce its range of energy-efficient quad-core server processors, code-named Barcelona, until the middle of this year.
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AMD is looking to Barcelona to improve its overall financial outlook; stock prices already on the upswing.
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The old saying, essentially, is, "From here, things can only get better." From where AMD was last April, that's indeed what happened - and perhaps that's no surprise. Yesterday, the company reported rising chip shipments that led to increased revenues and recovering profit margins, though still not yet near the point of being considered "healthy."
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TechWeb - The processor&#39;s sweet spot will be in four-way servers, and midrange two-way servers, but AMD will need to show increased performance for the price if it wants to add customers, analysts suggest.
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  AMD.N captured nearly 10 percent of computer microchip market  revenue in the third quarter, the highest level in nearly three  years, market research firm IDC said on Tuesday.
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s losses were deeper than analysts feared in the third quarter, but the slumping chip maker said stronger sales of microprocessors and improving cost controls are now helping lift the company out of its financial doldrums.
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As expected, Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s (AMD's) third-quarter revenue came in a little under the company's earlier predictions, but strong increases in sales of its 64-bit desktop and server processors led to the company's fourth straight profitable quarter.
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NOTEBOOK sales dominated the local personal computer (PC) market last year yet again, driven by a rise in consumer demand and increased mobility usage in the workplace.
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Taiwanese DRAM makers posted record-high sales last month as a rise in PC demand helped raise prices for the most widely used chips, DDR2.
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Sales of personal computers increased faster in the fourth quarter of last year than expected, driven by lower prices and the move by Dell to sell through retail stores.
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Once more, with feeling: Why is AMD on the lam, and how can it get back up?
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The world's largest chipmaker posts its best quarterly sales figures, boosting optimism about profit throughout the industry.
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AMD unveiled a new processor platform for laptop computers with new graphics and microprocessor chips.
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Aided by an upgrade from Merrill Lynch, shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:NYSE - news - research) were up 5% a day before the company holds its annual meeting with financial analysts.
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The PC maker continues its expansion of retail outlets around the world.
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Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:NYSE - news - research) took a joyride Friday as news circulated that server giant Dell (DELL:Nasdaq - news - research) may adopt AMD&#39;s server chip.