Mark LaPedus EE Times (01/26/2010 10:34 AM EST)

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- While Intel Corp. continues to dominate the PC microprocessor segment, market research firm IDC has raised its MPU forecast for 2010.

IDC has raised its forecast for growth in PC processor unit shipments to 15.1 percent compared to 2009. In November, IDC said PC processor unit shipments in 2009 could reach well over 300 million units and a unit growth rate of 1.5 percent compared to 2008.

"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 Shane Rau, an analyst with IDC, in a statement.

Worldwide PC microprocessor shipments in the fourth calendar quarter of 2009 rose modestly, compared to Q3 2009, but still achieved all-time record levels for a single quarter, according to IDC.

Notably, when compared to Q4 2008, shipments in Q4 2009 rose 31.3 percent. For the full year 2009, total PC processor unit shipments grew 2.5 percent, while revenue declined 7.1 percent to $28.6 billion, according to IDC.

Intel continues to rule the market. In 4Q09, Intel earned 80.5 percent unit market share, a loss of 0.6 percent, while AMD earned 19.4 percent, a gain of 0.7 percent, and VIA Technologies earned 0.2 percent, according to IDC .

In the full year 2009, Intel earned 79.7 percent unit market share, a loss of 0.7 percent, AMD earned 20.1 percent, a gain of 0.8 percent, and VIA Technologies earned 0.3 percent, according to IDC.

In 4Q09 by form factor, Intel earned 87.3 percent share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 0.7 percent, AMD finished with 12.7 percent, a gain of 0.8 percent, and VIA earned 0.1 percent, according to IDC. In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 89.8 percent market share, a loss of 0.6 percent and AMD earned 10.2 percent, a gain of 0.6 percent.

In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 71.1 percent, a loss of 1.1 percent, and AMD earned 28.6 percent, a gain of 1.2 percent, according to IDC.

In 2009 by form factor, Intel earned 86.8 percent share in the mobile PC processor segment, a loss of 0.3 percent, AMD finished with 12.8 percent, a gain of 0.8 percent, and VIA earned 0.3 percent, a loss of 0.5 percent, according to IDC.

In the PC server/workstation processor segment, Intel finished with 89.9 percent market share, a gain of 3.2 percent and AMD earned 10.1 percent, a loss of 3.2 percent. In the desktop PC processor segment, Intel earned 71.0 percent, a loss of 2.5 percent, AMD earned 28.8 percent, a gain of 2.3 percent, and VIA earned 0.3 percent, a gain of 0.1 percent, according to the firm.

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