SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD.N: Quote, Profile , Research) has taken more market share from its larger rival Intel Corp.(INTC.O: Quote, Profile , Research), with its computer processors now accounting for a record-high 25 percent of the market, analyst data showed on Tuesday.
The latest figures show that Intel has failed to halt AMD's overall progress in the $30 billion market for x86 processors that power the vast bulk of server computers and almost all desktops and laptops.
AMD had 25.3 percent of the market in the fourth quarter of 2006, up from 23.3 percent in the third quarter and 21.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005, according to Mercury Research, whose reports are widely watched in the industry.
"This is the highest share AMD has ever had in the history of the company," Mercury founder Dean McCarron said in an e-mailed response to questions from Reuters.
Intel, which had 77 percent of the market at the end of 2005, has seen its share steadily fall to 74.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006, its lowest point in more than 11 years, McCarron said.
The remainder of the x86 chip market is mostly accounted for by Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. (2388.TW: Quote, Profile , Research), which McCarron said is in the middle of introducing a new chip and phasing out its old one.
McCarron said Intel had succeeded in clawing back business in server processors during the quarter, gaining a little more than 1 percentage point in that market.
AMD, however, gained more than 2 points of share in both the desktop and fast-growing laptop markets, McCarron said, but declined to give further details.
Merrill Lynch analyst Joe Osha, citing detailed data from Mercury, said in a research note that AMD captured 29 percent of the desktop chip market and 19.4 percent of the notebook processor market.
However, while Intel overall lost share in terms of units shipped, the world's top chipmaker gained revenue share thanks to new high-end products, Osha said.
A bruising industry price war has eaten into sales and profit margins at both California companies in recent quarters. Sunnyvale-headquartered AMD has been hit harder because Santa Clara-based Intel has introduced new, pricier chips that have offset steep discounts offered on older products.
Osha said that the average selling price of Intel's server chips in the fourth quarter rose 30 percent sequentially, while AMD's prices fell 30 percent. That allowed Intel's share of server revenue to jump to 83 percent from 70 percent quarter on quarter.
Intel shares rose 4 cents on Tuesday to close at $20.93 on the Nasdaq, while AMD shares fell 1 percent, or 16 cents, to finish at $15.79 on the New York Stock Exchange.
