My Bulldozer build starts now.

[Djak777]

Perhaps the server version being a different socket helps with the power consumption.

 

[grumperfish]

Given that higher density, reduced power consumption and lower thermal output are currently the primary purchasing criteria for most data centers, this seems a foregone conclusion.

AMD's dropped from 25% of the server/datacenter market down to 5%. This was before Bulldozer. I'm not sure they're going to be able to hang onto that 5% at this point.

AMD has three things going for it right now:
1. ATI. They've captured all of the new consoles, and their 7xxx series should be interesting. They're still doing great with the 6xxx series as well.

2. Low-power CPU's for laptops. Not much margin there, but at least it's something.

3. Intel cannot outright crush them (although they certainly would if they could) as they'd be gutted in antitrust suits the moment AMD folded.

4. IIRC they own the x64 patents still, which provides them some leverage.

On the bad end:
1. They don't have much cash for R&D and their stock price is... not good.

2. Bulldozer looks like a wash at this point, barely beating the Phenom II's in certain applications. They'd need to do some serious re-tooling (IE: Phenom I) to pull back from this, and even then they're still playing catch-up to Intel.

3. ARM is poised to make a move on the desktop market should they desire it. If they move in, point #3 above is moot and Intel would be free to destroy AMD.

4. Recent shake-ups at the top don't point towards anything positive or inspire much confidence.

5. Intel can out-spend and out-market AMD at every turn. They have enough cash on hand to spend on frivolous research just to throw other companies off track.


I'm not an AMD apologist by any means, but it would likely be really bad for the market if they folded, and prices would go 90's-level sky high at the worst scenario.

 

[Ohioviper]

Well I have this GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 listed in the classifieds if anyone is interested.

 

[grumperfish]

Don't want to keep beating on AMD, but I was looking at anandtech, and this CPU bench is BRUTAL:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/434?vs=289

That's a dual-core CPU on the right.


Really hope AMD stops and takes a long hard look into the mirror after this.

 

[Djak777]

^^ I am now going to go sit in a corner and