Chipmaker takes a larger piece of the CPU, GPU universe
Companies and end users depend on computing technology that can keep pace with their demand for greater speed, processing power, graphics performance, remote management, security and productivity. And they've come to expect faster connectivity, slimmer designs, longer battery life and lower price points. The little engines powering this plethora of features are the latest generations of CPUs and GPUs for desktops, laptops, notebooks and data centers over a wide range of business applications.
Along those lines, AMD has taken an aggressive stance with its newer generations of Ryzen and Epyc processors powered by Zen and RDNA architectures in 7-nm technology, including third-generation Ryzen high-end desktop processors, Ryzen 4000 mobile processors and second-generation Epyc data center CPUs. The company's strategy has paid off, aided by the upswing in AI demands and cloud migration as well as the accelerated transition of today's digital workforce to remote environments.
During AMD's first-quarter 2020 earnings call, president and CEO Lisa Su said, "Revenue increased 40% year over year to $1.79 billion as demand for 7-nm Ryzen, Radeon and Epyc processors drove record first-quarter revenue and our highest gross margin in eight years. … We remain on track to launch our next generation Zen 3 CPUs and RDNA 2 GPUs in late 2020."
AMD has captured significant CPU market share since 2018, achieving a better than 40% share increase through first-quarter 2020 versus Intel, according to a PassMark Software Benchmark report. And Forbes sees AMD owning nearly one-third of a projected $35-billion GPU market by 2025.
Ryzen's newly reported features include integrated graphics performance, professional-grade notebook functionality, ultra-thin design, extended battery life, faster recharge, cool and quiet operation, multilayered security protection, industry standard manageability tools and integration into IT-managed environments. Epyc high-performance processor-powered servers support big data analytics, machine learning and deep learning applications.
This handbook examines some of the latest Ryzen and Epyc microprocessor deployments in enterprise applications. First, the HP ProBook for small businesses and remote workers sports Ryzen 4000 chips. Next, HPE upgrades its hyper-converged infrastructure platforms with Epyc Rome processors. Finally, a look at Rome processors in the data center with an eye toward future generations of Epyc.