Missing a Generation in Microprocessor Design
The practice of interleaving new process technologies and microarchitectures derived from Intel’s loss of product leadershiip in 2005 and 2006. The NetBurst microarchitecture was competitive there for a while but eventually ran out of steam.
Intel believed that it could scale the architecture of the Pentium 4 and continue to increase clock speeds, so they missed a generation in refreshing the microarchitecture in the desktop and server spaces.
Intel paid the price in 2005 and 2006 when its product lineups in desktops and servers became uncompetitive.
AMD was quick to capitalize on Intel’s mistake.
It is important to note that Intel missed a generation of processor design in the desktop and server spaces only. In the notebooks space, Intel did not miss a generation.
Intel Corporation at Cowen and Company 35th Annual Technology Conference