不再讓AMD搶企業市場，Intel也開打價格戰、伺服器級CPU均價下滑7%

不再讓AMD搶企業市場，Intel也開打價格戰、伺服器級CPU均價下滑7%

上週五Intel公司發佈了Q2財報，PC業務受益於銷量大漲而創造了記錄，部門營收首次超過100億美元，不過值得注意的是，在他們獲利中心來源的資料中心部門DCG營收下滑了9%。

長久以來，Intel一直以伺服器市場為利潤中心，但最近他們在這個領域受到AMD的競爭壓力越來越大，Intel一直不為所動的伺服器CPU也要降價了。

根據Intel的財報透露，Q2季度中資料中心部門營收65億美元，同比下滑9%，營運利潤則從31億美元下滑到了19億美元，運營利潤率從44%跌到了現在的30%。Intel解釋說，資料中心部門營收盈利下滑有成本增加的因素，特別是要準備7nm製程的生產，拖累了表現。

但值得注意的是，從財報來看，資料中心部門的出貨量下滑了1%，而且ASP均價也同時下滑了7%，意味著Intel的伺服器CPU價格越來越低了。

這也證實了之前Intel的表態，那就是在資料中心市場上，Intel可以為了保住市佔率而開打價格戰。

當然，Intel打價格戰也是有本錢的。一方面14nm製程發展多年，成本早就很低了，7年時間都可以把折舊費攤完了，另一方面10nm製程也傳來好消息，成本降低了45%，這也是打價格戰的關鍵。

先前英特爾多次表明，是今年將會開始出貨10nm製程的 Sapphire Rapids，但新任執行長 Pat Gelsinger 後來又改口目標是讓 CPU 年底生產，預計明年推出。

Sapphire Rapids最多可以做到80核160執行緒，核心數上跟AMD Epyc可以一拼，同時還支援8通道DDR5、PCIe 5.0，64GB HBM2記憶體，性能很強悍。

不過Sapphire Rapids的問題在於又跳票了，明年上半年才能問世，AMD明年要推5nm Zen4了，預計會升級到96核192執行緒，這個比賽又得重新開始。

Energy price cap: What is it and how does it affect my bills?

Before its introduction, energy users who stayed with the same supplier on a standard variable tariff were at the mercy of suppliers who could set prices as high as they wanted. They were often accused of not passing on lower prices.

Millions of Brits to face energy price hike as global gas prices bite

LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Energy prices for millions of Britons are expected to rocket from October after the energy regulator said it would increase its cap on the most widely used tariffs by about 12-13%, due to soaring global gas prices.

A cap on electricity and gas bills came into effect in January 2019 and was aimed at ending what former British Prime Minister Theresa May called “rip-off” prices charged by energy companies.

Ofgem said the rise was driven by a 50% increase in wholesale energy costs over the last six months.

“We can’t ask companies to sell energy for less than it costs them to buy it,” Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem said in a briefing with journalists.

Consumer groups warned the rise will come at the worst possible time in the autumn as the furlough scheme, designed to support jobs throughout the coronavirus pandemic ends, and additional aid to the universal credit benefit is removed.

Ofgem said anyone worried about paying their bills should contact their supplier and said customers may be able to save money by shopping around for a new deal.

“This will be no comfort to those now facing the stark choice between heating and eating,” said Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

Ofgem calculates the cap using a formula that includes wholesale gas prices, energy suppliers' network costs and costs of government policies such as renewable power subsidies. The cap is updated twice a year.

Since the previous cap update announced in February many British wholesale gas contract prices have doubled. read more

Gas prices have soared globally this year owing to factors including low stock levels, outages at gas plants and gas fields curbing domestic supply and imports from Norway while a buying spree in Asia has led to fewer international deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG). read more

With wholesale energy prices accounting for about 40% of an average dual-fuel (gas and electricity) bill, Ofgem said there was no option but to make a significant increase to the cap.

The price cap was originally due to end in 2023 but the government said last month it would prepare legislation to allow it to continue beyond this date.

Brearley said he would welcome an extension.

“Despite the fact we are increasing the price cap today we do know it is taking away some of the profits we saw in the market previously,” he said.

Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by David Goodman and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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