Intel Tries to Squash AMD Revival With New High-End Chips, Brand

Intel Corp., trying to head off a fledgling attempt by rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. to compete in the market for high-end personal computer processors, introduced a new more-powerful chip.

The company will begin selling chips with as many as 18 processing cores under a new Core i9 brand aimed at gamers. The world’s largest chipmaker said it’s reaffirming its commitment to providing the fastest PC chips available.

Intel’s only competition in PC processors, Advanced Micro Devices, has demonstrated its new Ryzen product outperforming Intel chips. AMD is trying to muscle in on one of the few attractive parts of the PC market with new products the company began offering in the first quarter.

Intel estimates that video game enthusiasts and others who are willing to pay for the best computer performance represent a market that will grow as much as 20 percent a year. That’s amid a total PC market that has shed more than 100 million units since it peaked in 2011, declining each year since then.

Underlining just how profitable the high-end processor market can be, the top of Intel’s new range -- called the i9-7980XE -- will go on sale for $1,999 per chip. That’s more than most people will pay for their entire computer.

Intel has maintained more than 80 percent market share and higher average selling prices in PC chips by consistently providing processors that outperform rival offerings. Its strength forced out competitors leaving only AMD, a company that hasn’t turned a profit in five years.