AMD isn't playing around: Bad console quarter a drag on chip slinger's finances

AMD saw strong desktop and server processor sales tempered by a dip in its trade of semi-custom games console chips. For the third quarter of fiscal 2019, ending September 28 of this calendar year: Revenue of $1.8bn was up 9 per cent from the year-ago quarter and in line with analyst estimates. Net income of $120m was up …

[Sgt_Oddball]

All being fair...

It's still pretty damn good numbers regardless of console chippery not happening just yet.

Looks like the next 12 months should be very promising indeed.

Oh and the RDRAND bug... Proof that when it comes to computers there is no truly random number generators (well not without quantum effects).

[Anonymous Coward]

Intel's dirty tricks department seems to be asleep

Previously, every time AMD had better price/performance, Intel busted out the dirty tricks, knowing that years later they would pay a laughable fine.

[Dave K]

Re: Intel's dirty tricks department seems to be asleep

Intel are too busy "withholding" chips due to shortages to even think about making supply threats :-)

[OGShakes]

Re: Intel's dirty tricks department seems to be asleep

Intel are too busy trying to fix security issues with the chips and get yields back up to match demand. Either that or they have realized that the 86 market is big enough for both of them and they need to both work hard to avoid being losing business to the ARM and other platforms that are out there!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Intel's dirty tricks department seems to be asleep

The security issues are largely resolved, at least to the extent that they can be with hyperthreading enabled, in the latest generation of 10nm/14nm parts.

The shortages are down to a few issues:

- 10nm capacity is practically non-existent. Latest rumours are yield rates are much lower than previously thought. Think <10% for any parts and then silicon defects dropping that further AND requiring more power than 14nm at similar clock speeds. Cannon Lake was measured in thousands of units instead of millions and subsequent 10nm generations haven't made significant headway in addressing the shortfall.

- 14nm is "easing" as they bring new fabs on-line. The 5th fab came online earlier this year and the 6th will come online in December giving them 50% more 14nm capacity by the end of 2019.

- design choices Intel made around memory channels/PCIe when they had no competition are coming back to haunt them now that 10nm is dead and 14nm is looking tired. The only option is bigger chips and doubling up to try and fight AMD. Which uses more fab capacity to address a more competitive market resulting in both lower volumes and reduced margins for everything other than halo products.