Quad-Core Power from Intel on the Way

There are few tech battles as heated as that between chipmakers AMD and Intel. Granted, video game fans getting pretty hot under the collar when defending their Xbox, Wii, or PS3, but just about everyone needs a computer, and these days that means just about everyone has to choose between AMD and Intel.

Now, Intel is stepping things up with the introduction of a whole new generation of processors that will significantly boost performance without demanding inordinate amounts of power. The company is expected to finish the new family of chips by this time next year, a plan that's all a part of Intel's promise to bring new chip architecture to computers at least once every 24 months.

Although Intel is a household name and for a time owned this market, it's currently trying to catch up to competitors Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD. That's because many of AMD's processors offer competitive, if not better energy efficiency and performance for less money.

In response to sliding sales, Intel a year ago announced it would completely restructure operations. Unfortunately, this meant pink slips for about ten per cent of employees, one part of a $5 billion cut in production expenses. Leaner and meaner than ever, the trimmed-up Intel is beginning to regain the market share it once lost.

Termed "quad-core" chips, these new processors will be marketed as "super-premium" products for desktop PCs. CEO of Intel Paul Otellini boasted that he's very happy with the company's strategy, but acknowledges that the new line will be expensive. In an interview, he stated "Quad core will come down [in price] but there's really no functional reason to do that in markets that don't need it right now...you don't want to get too far ahead of the applications in the mainstream". (Source: iht.com)

Realistically, it will be some time before quad-core processors go mainstream. AMD analysts recently cited stats that showed these chips to hold about a 2 per cent desktop PC market share, vastly lower than dual-core successes last year. (Source: ft.com)

Regardless, it's likely one day we'll be playing Doom 4 with those might quad-cores. The question is, will we be running AMD or Intel processors?

Actually, I'm more interested to hear if there will actually be a Doom 4.