CPU update: A November rise in production business highlights an encouraging market

USA: According to Converge Market Insights, in November, the CPU market saw an increase in demand for new builds coming from PC production ramping. This development bodes well as we are tracking many encouraging signs in the market as the end of the year approaches.

A closer look at the embedded processor market
Converge’s pedigree in IC and CPU computer production products means that we have a unique vantage point in tracking product movement in the embedded processor market. For example, Intel Atom processors move freely from the active netbook market to industrial computing, as do bundled chipsets.

This is a very dynamic market, and we have observed components move freely between the two market segments. For example, E6400 desktop and T7400 notebook CPUs are primarily coming from the embedded sector to fill end-of-life demand in the consumer PC market. The open market has become the ideal tool for rebalancing supply and demand inefficiencies, and the embedded/consumer crossover is becoming an area of consistent growth.

The mobile Calpella family waits in the wings
As widely expected, many of the Calpella parts, Intel’s next-generation PC platform, were delayed for the holiday season. Converge anticipates that the new mobile chips will arrive with much fanfare in the New Year. We’ll provide future updates to keep you up to date on any potential shortages and savings that this switch will bring.

Additionally, the new Bloomfield, Lynnfield, and Clarkdale desktop families are creeping into the open market. Converge is tracking the i7-920s and i5-750s, which are currently attracting shortage demand.

Pockets of AMD desktop parts sit in excess
We have been tracking a glut of excess, particularly in the AMD x2 215, which can be found in the spot market in large volumes. Market demand for these parts has been tepid. In addition, Converge has been tracking a number of Phenoms and Opterons in large OEM excess. The difficulty of using many revisions of a particular part makes it less fluid in the open market.