Perennial challenger to Intel in microprocessors AMD has a new plan to entice buyers: put four-way servers in the same price bracket as two-way servers today when it launches its Opteron ‘Maranello’ platform later this month (full story here). Leslie Sobon, VP of product and platform marketing at the chip maker, said there had been an unwarranted high price for four-socket products but new systems using the 8/12-core ‘Magny-Cours’ processor would change that. “The 4P tax has arbitrarily kept the market very small at about five per cent of units and shrinking,” she says. “We’re asking 2P [servers] to do an awful lot here.” Of course, Intel could swat AMD by dropping prices but that sort of pricing trick is rendered less likely to occur by the EU’s judgement last year that Intel had used unjust tactics in order to maintain its dominant market share. Sobon also reasoned that AMD’s architecture – whereby Bios, drivers and memory speeds are shared across processors – makes it easier for the company to switch pricing and at the same time provide customers with the ability to move without affecting core infrastructure. Separately, Sobon said AMD will offer PC makers the option of peel-off stickers with the chip-maker’s branding or even no sticker at all. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers capture real economic value with zero trust Unleashing economic value: Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange transforms security architecture while cutting costs. By Zscaler Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Sponsored by SAP A cloud-based solution to rescue millions from energy poverty Aware of the correlation between energy and financial poverty, Savannah Energy is helping to generate clean, competitively priced electricity across Africa by integrating its old systems into one cloud-based platform. By Keith E. Greenberg, SAP Contributor Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation feature 8 change management questions every IT leader must answer Designed to speed adoption and achieve business outcomes, change management hasn’t historically been a strength of IT orgs. It’s time to flip that script by asking hard questions to hone change strategies. By Stephanie Overby Nov 30, 2023 10 mins Change Management IT Leadership feature CIO Darlene Taylor’s formula for success: Listen, drive, care This Motor City CIO says building and maintaining credibility starts with an empathy-driven approach, which has the potential to render you highly appealing to top talent. By Michael Bertha Nov 30, 2023 6 mins Automotive Industry IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe