Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is putting some focus back on the business desktop market with the launch this week of four new processors.
The chip maker on Thursday unveiled a quad-core, a triple-core and two dual-core chips. The energy-efficient releases come just days before rival Intel Corp. kicks off its much-anticipated Intel Developer's Forum in San Francisco.
The new chips include the 2.4-GHz Phenom X4 9750B Quad-Core; the 2.4-GHz Phenom X3 8750B Triple-Core; the 2.9-GHz Athlon X2 5600B Dual-Core and the 2.5-GHz Athlon X2 4850B Dual-Core processors.
Recently, AMD has its sights decidedly set on the expanding and lucrative laptop market. In June, for example, the chip maker ramped up its competition with Intel by unveiling its first processor system designed specifically for laptops. AMD has long been a wannabe in the laptop arena by modifying desktop processors for mobile systems.
The release of the new laptop chip family -- code-named Puma -- marks the company's first laptop running a targeted processor.
Yesterday's release of new desktop chips is a sign that the company hasn't lost sight of its traditional market. In April, AMD announced that it was creating a commercial road map and realigning desktop platforms to meet enterprise needs.
The company made clear at the time that its new AMD Business Class program aims to get manufacturers to develop AMD-based commercial desktop and laptop products for the business market. As part of that effort, AMD this spring released its first commercial desktop platform, which bundles various groupings of chips and chip sets, including Phenom X3 Triple-Core processors, as well as Phenom X4 Quad-Core and Athlon X2 Dual-Core processors.
"If you look at AMD's business, it's been heavily consumer oriented," said Dean McCarron, an analyst at Mercury Research, in an earlier interview. "Part of it has to do with their legacy as the scrappy start-up. They've been focused more on the consumer market. Because the consumer market is relatively fast changing and much more flexible about what platforms they use, it's easier to get into. But for AMD to maximize its sales, it needs to have a strong presence in the consumer and business sector."