AMD Makes Hay From Intel's Sandy Bridge Slump

It's been a few weeks since Intel first announced that it was temporarily halting Sandy Bridge shipments to repair a chipset issue. At the time, we speculated that Intel's problems could improve AMD's quarter; a new ad campaign from the smaller manufacturer is proof that Sunnyvale agrees.

Industry sources tell us that Intel's shipping difficulties have resulted in demand for AMD products. The company isn't offering specific figures at this point but expects to see some opportunity as a result.  We can't comment on what that means for Q1 revenue but it should be a major plus, though when AMD gave guidance last month it indicated Q1 would generally follow seasonal trends.


AMD's ad campaign here at HotHardware, pointing to http://www.amd.com/stable

As a result, AMD is kicking off a major advertising campaign aimed at both desktop and mobile products. The company's upcoming landing page will compare AMD performance against various Sandy Bridge processors and recommend the AMD flavor that's most appropriate.


AMD's Upcoming Landing Page

The real advantages of a campaign like this might not appear for several months.  While boosted sales could have a material impact on Q1 financials, this is also a chance for AMD to create some mindshare for itself in preparation for Bulldozer and Llano, both of which are supposed to launch in 2011. It's been quite some time since AMD attempted to market itself as a top-tier Intel competitor, Sunnyvale may be hoping that the folks who don't buy now will be looking to buy when its next-generation products are available.

Not to mention the possible side-effects of Sandy Bridge mobile platforms being delayed in the channel, which could open a door in the ultraportable space a bit more, for the likes of AMD's Fusion-based Brazos systems, though they're more of a direct competitor to Intel's Atom.


Same page, further information comparing Phenom and Athlon alternatives to Sandy Bridge

We've posted previews of AMD's ad campaign and landing page for this new program. We're curious—how many of you are considering a Brazos system now that initial reviews are in?