They announced widespread availability of the 45 nanometer (nm) Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor, codenamed "Shanghai." The new processor delivers up to 35 percent more performance with up to a 35 percent decrease in power consumption at idle, helping drive data center efficiencies and reduce complexities with features that offer superior virtualization performance and increased performance-per-watt.

They expect rapid customer adoption of the new processor, with more than 25 server systems expected to be available from global computer manufacturers to enterprise and SMB customers by 2008 year end. Customers who have already tested it reportedly say that it performs very well.

The 45nm technology has been long anticipated, and should hearten both AMD shareholders and aficionados. I'm one of the latter group, with a soft spot for AMD (impressed as I am with Intel's excellent processor releases over the last year or two, which have left AMD in a catch-up situation after AMD got the upper hand in the "bangs for the buck" stakes three or four years ago).

According to market tracking by Mercury Research (as reported by X-bit labs), AMD managed to boost its market share a bit in the third quarter of the year, not because Intel decreased its presence in the market of microprocessors, but because the remaining suppliers of x86 central processing units, Via Technologies and Transmeta Corp. decreased their share.

Mercury Research said that there were a lot of different dynamics at play in the microprocessor market, and  even though in general the split between AMD, Intel and other markets of chips did not change substantially, it is remarkable that the Sunnyvale, California-based actually managed to grab a part of the market.

Has Intel forged to an unassailable lead over AMD due to its more frequent processor announcements over the last year or so?

"A common misconception," says AMD, "is that being first to a new process technology generation is the fundamental determinant of performance and energy efficiency leadership. AMD has proven this to be false. Rather than the more costly and higher-risk method of making a full technology transition every two years, AMD uses a unique and highly efficient method called Continuous Technology Improvement (CTI)."

"CTI allows us to maximize the benefits and increase the return on investment of a single process technology generation for as long as possible by evolving and improving the transistor designs within that generation. This is why at many points in our history our processors and platforms have remained competitive, even when compared against those from our competitors based on the next process technology generation."

Hmmmm. Let's hope so, for AMD's sake.

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