Advanced Micro Devices

Acer is expected to be among the first major computer makers, along with Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Cray, to present newest Opteron server chips 6100 series, based on Advanced Micro Devices.

Formerly known by the code name Magny-Cours, the Opteron 6100 series consists of 10 chips with either eight or 12 cores, offering clock speeds ranging from 1.7GHz to 2.4GHz. The prices vary from $266 up to $1,386 each in 1,000-unit quantities, a common way of quoting chip prices.

As it’ known at the beginning of this week, Intel was reported in news with surprising intention to delay its expected new graphics microprocessor chip code-named Larrabee. So, why would Intel cancel such a high profile product?

On the one side, this decision might be a part of a tacit agreement with rival Advanced Micro Devices, itself with a graphics chip initiative. Thus, the companies has recently signed a 5-year long bitter anti-trust battle that would ultimately cost Intel $1 billion

After Intel decided that delays in the project would make it uncompetitive, the company rejected its plans to launch an advanced graphics chip based on its novel Larrabee design.

 The move is a setback to Intel's plans to compete with the dominant players in the graphics market, Nvidia Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

 Intel Corp was accused of threatening computer makers and paying billions of dollars in kickbacks to maintain its market dominance. Intel allegedly violated state and federal antitrust law through the methods used to monopolize the market for personal computer chips at the expense of rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Now Intel's microprocessors power more than 80 percent of the world's PCs.