Computex 2019 is currently underway and one of the big announcements out of the world’s largest computer show came from Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD). The company is releasing the third generation of its Ryzen processors. The new looks good for AMD stock investors.
AMD continues to gain marketshare from computer CPU leader Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). In February, AMD announced it had hit its largest share of the PC market since 2014, and AMD stock is currently trading at nearly seven times its 2014 value.
Computex 2019: AMD Announces 3rd Generation Ryzen Chips
AMD delivered one of the keynote presentations at Computex, the world’s largest computer trade show. And the company choice the occasion to announce its 3rd generation of Ryzen computer processors.
The new processors are based on AMD’s latest Zen 2 architecture and manufactured using an advanced 7nm process. That means increased performance over previous generation chips, while also using less energy. That power consumption is important because it means lower cost of operation, as well as less heat generation. The company also introduced an all-new flagship processor, the 12-core Ryzen 9.
With prices ranging from $199 for a Ryzen 5 to $499 for the Ryzen 9, the five new AMD Ryzen desktop processors will be available starting July 7.
More Bad News for Intel
The announcement of the 3rd generation Ryzen processors is just the latest bad news for Intel. The company’s 5G mobile modem plans were scuttled in April after Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) dumped Intel in favor of settling with Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). And two weeks ago, a new high profile computer processor vulnerability called ZombieLoad was made public –and this one affected Intel CPUs only, with AMD Ryzen chips unaffected.
When it comes to computer processors, what’s bad news for Intel is often good news for Advanced Micro Devices, and AMD stock.
Accelerant for Growth
After years of foundering by AMD, the Ryzen series of processors have led to a resurgence for the company’s PC ambitions. In February, the company announced that its marketshare in PC processors had topped levels from 2014, with the share of the PC laptop market at its highest level since 2013.
In fact, AMD has been making gains against Intel in all aspects of the computer market: desktop, laptop and server.
The new, 3rd generation Ryzen chips are positioned to continue AMD’s PC market resurgence. In particular, the Ryzen 9 3900X is being called out as a potential game changer. AMD says the high-powered, 12-core processor topped Intel’s flagship Core i9-9920X in performance testing by more than 16%. The AMD chip also uses far less power.
But the kicker is the price. The Intel chip — which made its debut in Q4 2018 — sells for nearly $1,200. AMD has priced the Ryzen 9 3900X at just $499…
Plenty of Upside for AMD Stock
For AMD investors, the news out of Computex is good. In particular, the value proposition of the new Ryzen 9 3900X has the potential to win over PC gamers — and make rival Intel scramble. While not the biggest demographic among computer users, that crowd helps to set trends. Where they go, mainstream PC users may follow.
And if gamers are moving to an AMD processor, there’s a better chance they’ll also upgrade to a new AMD Radeon video card.
There’s plenty of room for AMD stock to gain this year before it hits the levels it reached last fall (peaking near $33), let alone historic highs near the $45 range. And the latest series of Zen desktop processors are set to provide the fuel for that growth.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
