Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices released three new Phenom quad-core processors for the desktop Tuesday, including an X4 9550 Black Edition that allows users to increase the clock speed.
The Black Edition (BE) model, with a "clock multiplier control" and a clock speed of 2.6 GHz, is aimed at gamers who want to build new systems or upgrade existing ones.
Small and Energy-Efficient
The other models are the X4 9350e and the 9150e processors, whose calling cards are that they are highly energy-efficient and take up a small amount of space. These processors are intended for computer users who need high-end processing power for video editing, photo manipulation, and similar tasks.
All three processors are optimized for multi-threaded applications, such as high-end business applications, media-based processing, and gaming. The 9350e offers a clock speed of 2.0 GHz, and the 9150e runs at 1.8 GHz. Prices are expected to be $235 for the BE, $195 for the 9350e, and $175 for the 9150e.
All three chips use AMD's 65-nanometer technology. Later this year, the company is expected to release 45-nanometer processors, which rival Intel did last year.
AMD and Intel
AMD, which has posted six straight losing quarters, received some mixed news Tuesday from market researcher iSuppli about its battle with Intel.
The research firm reported that AMD's share of the global microprocessor market fell one percent in the first quarter to 13 percent, compared to the final quarter of 2007. But compared to the first quarter in 2007, its share was 2.2 points higher. So AMD's overall progress took a bump, but it has a slightly better market position compared to a year ago.
A year ago, AMD's market share was 10.9 percent, then hit 14 percent before dropping to 13 percent in this year's first quarter. There are indications that about half of its increase...

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