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Intel Announces Record Quarterly Revenue And Full-Year Revenue

Intel Announces Record Quarterly Revenue And Full-Year Revenue

This afternoon, Intel announced their quarterly earnings for the fourth quarter of their 2016 fiscal year. Intel set a new record for revenue for this quarter, coming in at $16.4 billion. This is up 10% from a year ago. For the year, Intel brought in $59.4 billion, up 7% from their 2015 results. Intel’s gross margin fell 1.7 points to 60.9%, and they had an operating income of $12.9 billion, which is down 8% from a year ago. Net income was down 10% to $10.3 billion, and earnings per share fell 9% to $2.12.

Intel also reports Non-GAAP results, which exclude several expenditures, such as acquisition-related adjustments, write-downs, and the like. On a Non-GAAP basis, Intel had a gross margin of 63.1%, down 1.7 points, an operating income up 11% to $4.9 billion, and a net income up 4% to $3.9 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share were up 4% to $0.79.

Intel Q4 2016 Financial Results (GAAP)
  Q4’2016 Q3’2016 Q4’2015
Revenue $16.4B $15.8B $14.9B
Operating Income $4.5B $4.5B $4.3B
Net Income $3.6B $3.4B $3.6B
Gross Margin 60.9% 63.3% 62.6%
Client Computing Group Revenue $9.1B +2.2% +3%
Data Center Group Revenue $4.7B +4.4% +3%
Internet of Things Revenue $726M +5.3% +5%
Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group $816M +26% +26%
Intel Security Group $550M +2.4% +2%
Programmable Solutions Group $420M -9.7% -1%
All Other Revenue $65M +47.7% +10%

The gross margin impact is being attributed to a few things. Warranty and IP charges increased, as did spending on factory start-ups, due to the move to 10 nm coming this year, Client Computer Group non-platform costs, and the Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group margins. Intel very much likes to keep their margins up above 60%, and for the moment they are still there even with these extra costs.

Intel breaks the company down into several groups. The main group is the Client Computing Group, which as the name implies, provides CPUs, SoCs, and wireless and wired connectivity products destined for PCs. Although the PC market is still down, this group had revenue for the year of $32.9 billion, which is up 2%, but platform volume is down 10%. Platform selling prices were up 11%, which makes up the difference. For just the last quarter, Client Computing Group had revenues of $9.1 billion, up 4% from a year ago. Platform volumes were down 7%, offset by selling prices up 7%. Desktop platform volume was down 9%, while notebook volumes were flat. Desktop average selling price (ASP) was up 2%, and notebook ASP was up 3%. Considering the down market, Intel continues to drive revenue here. While good for them, it means prices are high, and some competition in this space might help out the consumer.

The Data Center Group also had a strong quarter, and year. For the year, they had revenue of $17.2 billion, up from $16.0 billion a year ago. For the year, Intel saw volumes up 3% and ASP up 4%. For the most recent quarter, the Data Center Group had revenues of $4.7 billion, which was up 3%. Platform volumes were down 3%, with ASP up 6%.

Intel is slowly building it’s Internet of Things group, which had revenues for the year at $2.6 billion, up from $2.3 a year ago. Revenue for this quarter was up 5% to $726 million. The Non-Volatile Memory Solutions group had revenues for the quarter of $816 million, up 26% from a year ago, and a full-year revenue of $2.58 billion, down slightly from the $2.6 billion a year ago. Programmable Solutions is new for Intel this year, with the purchase of Altera, and this segment had revenue of $420 million for this quarter, and $1.7 billion for the year. All other revenue was $65 million for the quarter, up from $59 million a year ago.

2016 was a strong year for Intel, although it was not without its challenges. Earlier this year, Intel decided to get out of the mobile SoC space completely, abandoning it’s Atom architecture for this segment. Atom does live on for low power PCs, but any of the tablets that used the Cherry Trail Atom have found themselves without a new CPU to move to. The death of Tick-Tock also had its first new entrant in Kaby Lake, although you could easily argue Devil’s Canyon was a similar situation. But they have several new exciting technologies coming to market as well, such as 3D X-Point, and of course the expected launch of their 10 nm CPUs later this year.

Looking forward to Q1 2017, Intel is forecasting a midpoint revenue range of $14.8 billion, with margin estimates at 62%.

Source: Intel Investor Relations

AOC Announces the AGON AG352UCG 21:9 Curved Display: 35", 3440×1440, 100Hz with G-Sync

AOC Announces the AGON AG352UCG 21:9 Curved Display: 35″, 3440×1440, 100Hz with G-Sync

Last week AOC introduced its new high-end curved gaming display, the AGON AG352UCG. The new 35” monitor boasts a considerably higher resolution than AOC’s other large curved gaming display. The 3440×1440 resolution, size, curvature, a 100 Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support make the AG352UCG one of four curved displays with such combination of features. The other AGON AG352QCX 21:9 panel is a 2560×1080 resolution, but with a 200 Hz refresh rate.

The AOC AGON AG352UCG uses a 35” MVA panel with a 3440×1440 resolution, a 21:9 aspect ratio and a native 100 Hz refresh rate (which means that actual panel response times are perfectly aligned with its high refresh rate). We presume the panel is made by AUO (AU Optronics), which reportedly started volume production of such panels in September, 2016. General specifications  of the monitor are similar to many other gaming displays: 300 nits brightness, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 178°/178° viewing angles, 16.7 million colors, a 4 ms response time (grey-to-grey) and so on.

When it comes to connectivity, the AGON AG352UCG has a DisplayPort input and an HDMI input. To take advantage of NVIDIA’s G-Sync as well as the high refresh rate, the DP connector has to be used. The monitor is also equipped with a dual-port USB 3.0 Type-A hub and two integrated speakers.

AOC’s AGON Curved UWQHD Display with a 100 Hz Refresh Rate
  AGON AG352UCG
Panel 35″ MVA
Native Resolution 3440 × 1440
Refresh Rate Range 30-100 Hz (DP)
NVIDIA G-Sync
Response Time 4 ms
Brightness 300 cd/m²
Contrast 2000:1
Viewing Angles 178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Curvature 2000R
Pixel Pitch 0.23 mm
Inputs 1 × DP
1 × HDMI 1.4
USB Hub 2-port USB 3.0 hub,
one port supports fast charging
Audio 2 W × 2
audio in/out ports
Power Consumption Up to 70 W

As for visual aesthetics, the curved AOC AGON has a rather aggressive yet minimalistic design that emphasizes its gaming nature through a combination of sharp lines and colors. To add further atmosphere, the AG352UCG has six large LEDs with adjustable colors (red, green, blue) located on the back and on the bottom edge of the display.

The key selling point of the AGON AG352UCG is the combination of its features: the resolution (3440×1440), size (35”), curvature (2000R), a native 100 Hz refresh rate and using NVIDIA’s G-Sync variable refresh tech make up for a very interesting gaming display. At present, only three monitors can offer a similar set of technologies: the ASUS ROG Swift PG348Q, the Acer Predator X34 (this one uses an IPS panel with 60 Hz, but it is overclockable to 100 Hz) as well as the upcoming HP Omen X 35”. By launching the AGON AG352UCG, AOC contends for the highest end of the gaming monitor market and that is clearly an important milestone for the company.

AOC has not formally announced the AGON AG352UCG in the U.S. yet, so we do not know its ETA and MSRP. Meanwhile, Hexus reports that the display will land in the U.K. this March for the price of £799 (that’s including 20% sales tax). Therefore expect the AG352UCG to cost around $1000 in the U.S. when it becomes available this spring. Considering the combination of its features (size, resolution, curvature, G-Sync support) and only three direct competitors that retail for $1100-$1300 today, it looks like AOC’s AG352UCG might be priced rather competitively.

Related Reading:

AOC Announces the AGON AG352UCG 21:9 Curved Display: 35", 3440×1440, 100Hz with G-Sync

AOC Announces the AGON AG352UCG 21:9 Curved Display: 35″, 3440×1440, 100Hz with G-Sync

Last week AOC introduced its new high-end curved gaming display, the AGON AG352UCG. The new 35” monitor boasts a considerably higher resolution than AOC’s other large curved gaming display. The 3440×1440 resolution, size, curvature, a 100 Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support make the AG352UCG one of four curved displays with such combination of features. The other AGON AG352QCX 21:9 panel is a 2560×1080 resolution, but with a 200 Hz refresh rate.

The AOC AGON AG352UCG uses a 35” MVA panel with a 3440×1440 resolution, a 21:9 aspect ratio and a native 100 Hz refresh rate (which means that actual panel response times are perfectly aligned with its high refresh rate). We presume the panel is made by AUO (AU Optronics), which reportedly started volume production of such panels in September, 2016. General specifications  of the monitor are similar to many other gaming displays: 300 nits brightness, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 178°/178° viewing angles, 16.7 million colors, a 4 ms response time (grey-to-grey) and so on.

When it comes to connectivity, the AGON AG352UCG has a DisplayPort input and an HDMI input. To take advantage of NVIDIA’s G-Sync as well as the high refresh rate, the DP connector has to be used. The monitor is also equipped with a dual-port USB 3.0 Type-A hub and two integrated speakers.

AOC’s AGON Curved UWQHD Display with a 100 Hz Refresh Rate
  AGON AG352UCG
Panel 35″ MVA
Native Resolution 3440 × 1440
Refresh Rate Range 30-100 Hz (DP)
NVIDIA G-Sync
Response Time 4 ms
Brightness 300 cd/m²
Contrast 2000:1
Viewing Angles 178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Curvature 2000R
Pixel Pitch 0.23 mm
Inputs 1 × DP
1 × HDMI 1.4
USB Hub 2-port USB 3.0 hub,
one port supports fast charging
Audio 2 W × 2
audio in/out ports
Power Consumption Up to 70 W

As for visual aesthetics, the curved AOC AGON has a rather aggressive yet minimalistic design that emphasizes its gaming nature through a combination of sharp lines and colors. To add further atmosphere, the AG352UCG has six large LEDs with adjustable colors (red, green, blue) located on the back and on the bottom edge of the display.

The key selling point of the AGON AG352UCG is the combination of its features: the resolution (3440×1440), size (35”), curvature (2000R), a native 100 Hz refresh rate and using NVIDIA’s G-Sync variable refresh tech make up for a very interesting gaming display. At present, only three monitors can offer a similar set of technologies: the ASUS ROG Swift PG348Q, the Acer Predator X34 (this one uses an IPS panel with 60 Hz, but it is overclockable to 100 Hz) as well as the upcoming HP Omen X 35”. By launching the AGON AG352UCG, AOC contends for the highest end of the gaming monitor market and that is clearly an important milestone for the company.

AOC has not formally announced the AGON AG352UCG in the U.S. yet, so we do not know its ETA and MSRP. Meanwhile, Hexus reports that the display will land in the U.K. this March for the price of £799 (that’s including 20% sales tax). Therefore expect the AG352UCG to cost around $1000 in the U.S. when it becomes available this spring. Considering the combination of its features (size, resolution, curvature, G-Sync support) and only three direct competitors that retail for $1100-$1300 today, it looks like AOC’s AG352UCG might be priced rather competitively.

Related Reading:

MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console

MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console

Over CES, MSI announced a new console-like PC called the Trident 3. The new unit packs the latest Intel’s Kaby Lake CPU, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU, memory, an SSD and a hard drive. The system weighs just about three kilograms and its dimensions are smaller than dimensions of Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Current-generation game consoles, while closed systems ripe for optimization, can have difficulty providing performance sufficient for Full-HD gaming. Many console gamers prefer to play their games on HDTVs rather than on monitors, and so makers of boutique PCs were set on introducing console-like computers featuring gaming-grade hardware. Manufacturers of computer components were, for various reasons, reluctant to launch their own SFF gaming PCs for the living room until last year. However in the recent months we have seen a number of computers from motherboards/GPU vendors cards that are both small and powerful. MSI began to sell its Trident system in November-December timeframe without making any loud announcements, and this month the company upgraded its mini PC with Intel’s Kaby Lake processors but retained the chassis and the platform.

The MSI Trident 3 is based on a custom Intel H110 powered motherboard, along with a choice of Intel’s Core i7-7700 / i5-7400 processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060 / 1050 Ti graphics cards. By default the PC comes with 8 GB of single-channel DDR4-2400 memory (upgradeable to 32 GB), a 256 GB M.2 SATA SSD, one 1 TB hard drive and a 230 W external PSU. Despite the miniature size, the MSI Trident 3 is upgradeable: the CPU, the graphics adapter, the DRAM and storage devices may be changed. Due to lack of space inside, it is impossible to install a video card longer than 17 cm or additional drives, but such limitations are understandable. Moreover, keeping in mind that many SFF PCs use mobile components soldered to their motherboards, so using desktop-class components is a tradeoff between replaceability and size.

MSI Trident 3 Specifications
  Mainstream High-End
CPU Intel Core i5-7400
4C/4T
3 GHz/3.5 GHz
6 MB L3 Cache
HD Graphics 630
65 W
Intel Core i7-7700
4C/8T
3.6 GHz/4.2 GHz
8 MB L3 Cache
HD Graphics 630
65 W
PCH Intel H110
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB GDDR5 memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 3 GB GDDR5 memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5 memory
Memory  8 GB of DDR4-2400 (one SO-DIMM installed)
Up to 32 GB is supported
Storage 256 GB SSD (SATA)
1 TB 2.5″ HDD
Wi-Fi Intel AC3168 IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.2
Ethernet Intel I219V GbE
Display Outputs 1 × HDMI Front
2 x HDMI Rear (1 x VR Link)
1 x HDMI (GPU)
1 × DisplayPort
1 × DVI-I
Audio 5.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC1150)
Audio Boost 3,
Nahimic 2.5
USB 1 × USB 3.0 Type-C (5 Gbps)
3 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps)
4 × USB 2.0 Type-A
Other I/O
Dimensions Vertical with stand: 353.73 × 251.35 mm × 97.56 mm
Horizontal without stand: 346.25 × 71.83 × 232.47 mm
PSU 230 W
OS Windows 10 Home

When it comes to connectivity, the MSI Trident 3 has a lot to offer: three USB 3.0 Type-A ports (two front, one rear), one USB 3.0 Type-C header (front), four USB 2.0 connectors (rear), Gigabit Ethernet, an IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi with BT 4.2 module, six display outputs (four HDMI, one DisplayPort, one DVI) to easily connect VR headsets and up to three monitors, 5.1-channel audio with Audio Boost 3 and Nahimic software enhancements and so on.

MSI’s Trident 3 can be installed both horizontally and vertically, depending on its owner’s tastes. Moreover, the system is equipped with RGB LEDs so to customize its look.

The MSI Trident 3 featuring Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs will be available shortly with the basic configuration (Core i5-7400, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB, etc.) starting at $899, while the more advanced builds will naturally cost more.

Related Reading:

MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console

MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console

Over CES, MSI announced a new console-like PC called the Trident 3. The new unit packs the latest Intel’s Kaby Lake CPU, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU, memory, an SSD and a hard drive. The system weighs just about three kilograms and its dimensions are smaller than dimensions of Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Current-generation game consoles, while closed systems ripe for optimization, can have difficulty providing performance sufficient for Full-HD gaming. Many console gamers prefer to play their games on HDTVs rather than on monitors, and so makers of boutique PCs were set on introducing console-like computers featuring gaming-grade hardware. Manufacturers of computer components were, for various reasons, reluctant to launch their own SFF gaming PCs for the living room until last year. However in the recent months we have seen a number of computers from motherboards/GPU vendors cards that are both small and powerful. MSI began to sell its Trident system in November-December timeframe without making any loud announcements, and this month the company upgraded its mini PC with Intel’s Kaby Lake processors but retained the chassis and the platform.

The MSI Trident 3 is based on a custom Intel H110 powered motherboard, along with a choice of Intel’s Core i7-7700 / i5-7400 processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060 / 1050 Ti graphics cards. By default the PC comes with 8 GB of single-channel DDR4-2400 memory (upgradeable to 32 GB), a 256 GB M.2 SATA SSD, one 1 TB hard drive and a 230 W external PSU. Despite the miniature size, the MSI Trident 3 is upgradeable: the CPU, the graphics adapter, the DRAM and storage devices may be changed. Due to lack of space inside, it is impossible to install a video card longer than 17 cm or additional drives, but such limitations are understandable. Moreover, keeping in mind that many SFF PCs use mobile components soldered to their motherboards, so using desktop-class components is a tradeoff between replaceability and size.

MSI Trident 3 Specifications
  Mainstream High-End
CPU Intel Core i5-7400
4C/4T
3 GHz/3.5 GHz
6 MB L3 Cache
HD Graphics 630
65 W
Intel Core i7-7700
4C/8T
3.6 GHz/4.2 GHz
8 MB L3 Cache
HD Graphics 630
65 W
PCH Intel H110
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB GDDR5 memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 3 GB GDDR5 memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5 memory
Memory  8 GB of DDR4-2400 (one SO-DIMM installed)
Up to 32 GB is supported
Storage 256 GB SSD (SATA)
1 TB 2.5″ HDD
Wi-Fi Intel AC3168 IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.2
Ethernet Intel I219V GbE
Display Outputs 1 × HDMI Front
2 x HDMI Rear (1 x VR Link)
1 x HDMI (GPU)
1 × DisplayPort
1 × DVI-I
Audio 5.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC1150)
Audio Boost 3,
Nahimic 2.5
USB 1 × USB 3.0 Type-C (5 Gbps)
3 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps)
4 × USB 2.0 Type-A
Other I/O
Dimensions Vertical with stand: 353.73 × 251.35 mm × 97.56 mm
Horizontal without stand: 346.25 × 71.83 × 232.47 mm
PSU 230 W
OS Windows 10 Home

When it comes to connectivity, the MSI Trident 3 has a lot to offer: three USB 3.0 Type-A ports (two front, one rear), one USB 3.0 Type-C header (front), four USB 2.0 connectors (rear), Gigabit Ethernet, an IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi with BT 4.2 module, six display outputs (four HDMI, one DisplayPort, one DVI) to easily connect VR headsets and up to three monitors, 5.1-channel audio with Audio Boost 3 and Nahimic software enhancements and so on.

MSI’s Trident 3 can be installed both horizontally and vertically, depending on its owner’s tastes. Moreover, the system is equipped with RGB LEDs so to customize its look.

The MSI Trident 3 featuring Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs will be available shortly with the basic configuration (Core i5-7400, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB, etc.) starting at $899, while the more advanced builds will naturally cost more.

Related Reading: