AMD's Date With Dell

AMD's processors have gained devotees in the market for high-end gaming systems. More importantly, though, AMD's dual-core Opteron processor continues to gain market share in the server market, thanks to its efficient power consumption traits. This gives Dell competitors like Hewlett-Packard an advantage in the market for industry-standard servers.

According to Santiago's note, "Dell's sales force is demanding Opteron-based server offerings to be able to better compete in the market." Santiago also noted that Michael Dell had recently made comments noting the "distinct possibility" of shipping AMD-based systems.

In November, rumors circulated that Dell was testing the market for AMD chips after reports noticed that it was quietly selling stand-alone AMD processors on its Web site.