Life for PC MPU makers is beginning to return to normal after the market turbulence of 2009, according to a report released this week by IDC.

The market research company’s data showed that worldwide PC microprocessor shipments in Q4 2009 rose modestly as compared to Q3 2009, but still achieved all-time record levels for a single quarter. When compared to Q4 2008, shipments in the final quarter of last year rose 31.3%. IDC reported that total PC processor unit shipments grew 2.5%, while revenue declined 7.1% to $28.6 billion, for full-year 2009.

"Compared to Q3 2009, the modest rise in shipments in Q4 2009 indicates that the market is returning to normal seasonal patterns," said Shane Rau, director of semiconductors, personal computing research at IDC, in a statement. "Compared to Q4 2008, the huge rise in shipments indicates that the market has put the recession behind it. Both comparisons indicate that the PC industry anticipates improvement in PC end demand in 2010."

Intel, for one, has since Q3 2009 said that the PC market was improving. The company in August upped its September quarter guidance on stronger than expected demand for microprocessors and chipsets. Then in its Q3 report, issued in October, Intel said the PC market was recovering nicely.

The SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association) has also noted strength in the PC market. The industry group earlier this month reported on November numbers that for the first time in 2009 put worldwide semiconductor sales in positive territory compared to 2008 results, crediting among other points returning business sector PC sales.

IDC reported that both mobile PC processors and PC server processors grew well in Q4. Mobile PC processors, which include Intel’s Atom processors for netbooks, increased 11.7% in the December compared to the September quarter. Q4 also saw x86 server processors grow 14.1% quarter over quarter, while desktop processors grew 4.8% quarter over quarter, according to IDC.

On the client side—mobile and desktop—IDC noted that mainstream and performance processors rose modestly as a percentage of the total mix compared to value processors, which caused the overall market ASP (average selling price) of processors to rise 6.7% quarter over quarter.

"The sequential rise in mainstream and high-end client processors points to the new products, like Core i5 and Athlon II, that Intel and AMD were shipping into the market for the holiday buying season in the fourth quarter," said Rau. "What's interesting there is that consumers were there to buy systems based on them and that OEMs were investing in them for future builds. At the same time, the sequential rise in server processors indicates that server OEMs are starting to see corporations come off the sidelines."

Broken out by company, IDC said that for Q4 Intel earned 80.5% unit market share, a loss of 0.6%; while AMD earned 19.4%, a gain of 0.7%; and VIA Technologies earned 0.2%. For full-year 2009, Intel earned 79.7% unit market share, a loss of 0.7%; AMD earned 20.1%, a gain of 0.8%; and VIA Technologies earned 0.3%.

By form factor in Q4, Intel earned 87.3% share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 0.7%; AMD finished with 12.7%, a gain of 0.8%; and VIA earned 0.1%. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, IDC data showed that Intel finished with 89.8% market share, a loss of 0.6%, and AMD earned 10.2%, a gain of 0.6%. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 71.1%, a loss of 1.1%, and AMD earned 28.6%, a gain of 1.2%, according to IDC.

In 2009 by form factor, Intel earned 86.8% share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 0.3%; AMD finished with 12.8%, a gain of 0.8%; and VIA earned 0.3%, a loss of 0.5%. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 89.9% market share, a gain of 3.2%, and AMD earned 10.1%, a loss of 3.2%, IDC said. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 71%, a loss of 2.5%; AMD earned 28.8%, a gain of 2.3%; and VIA earned 0.3%, a gain of 0.1%.

Looking ahead, IDC has raised its forecast for growth in PC processor unit shipments to 15.1% compared to 2009. "We're looking forward to the end of the second quarter and the second half of the year as corporations qualify new client and server platforms and open up their IT budgets further. Combined with healthy consumer spending, the resumption of corporation spending will lead to a healthy 2010," said Rau.

By: DocMemory
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