AMD (NYSE:AMD) Down, Intel (INTC) Up In Global Microprocessor Shipments

Global microprocessor shipments for AMD (NYSE:AMD) are down while Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is enjoying growth internationally.

Sales of x86 processors running desktops, laptops, and servers rose 26.7% in 2010 from the previous year to $36.3 billion, while shipments grew 17.1% and prices were up 8%, according to IDC.

The average selling price for computer microprocessors rose last year, as the industry saw buying trends shift from low-priced Atom processors for netbooks to chips for mainstream and high-performance laptops, a research firm reported Thursday.

Worldwide revenue in 2010 for x86 processors running desktops, laptops, and servers rose 26.7% from the previous year to $36.3 billion, while shipments grew 17.1%, IDC said. The industry average selling price for microprocessors rose 8%, approaching levels last seen in 2008.

The last quarter of 2010 did not follow the typical seasonal pattern for shipments, which normally increases from the third to the fourth quarter. Instead, quarter-to-quarter shipments dipped 0.04%. Year to year, shipments were off 0.21% in the quarter. "The fourth quarter was weak and out of synch with normal seasonal patterns in terms of unit shipments," IDC analyst Shane Rau said in a statement.





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