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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2007

Registration No. 333-            


UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware  

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
One AMD Place, P.O. Box 3453
Sunnyvale, California 94088-3453

(408) 749-4000

  94-1692300

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

  (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 


Harry A. Wolin

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

One AMD Place, P.O. Box 3453

Sunnyvale, California 94088-3453

(408) 749-4000

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

Copy to:

Tad J. Freese

Latham & Watkins LLP

140 Scott Drive

Menlo Park, California 94025

(650) 328-4600

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:

From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  x

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  x

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

 


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title Of Each Class Of

Securities To Be Registered

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(1)
 

Amount Of

Registration

Fee

Common Stock, $0.01 par value

       

Total

  $700,000,000   $21,490
 
 

 

(1) Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

 



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PROSPECTUS

$700,000,000

LOGO

Common Stock

We may from time to time sell up to $700,000,000 in the aggregate of shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

We will provide the specific terms of the offering and sale of shares of our common stock in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.

See “ Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 for a discussion of material risks that you should consider before you invest in our common stock being sold with this prospectus.

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AMD.”

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is November 15, 2007.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS   
     Page

The Company

   1

Risk Factors

   2

Forward-Looking Statements

   20

Use of Proceeds

   22

General Description of Securities

   23

Description of Common Stock

   24

Plan of Distribution

   25

Validity of Common Stock

   26

Experts

   26

Incorporation by Reference

   26

Available Information

   26

 


This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell from time to time in one or more offerings the common stock described in this prospectus. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell common stock, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of that offering. Any prospectus supplement that is filed in connection with the offering of the securities included in this registration statement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Available Information.”

We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. This prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.

This prospectus incorporates important business and financial information about us that is not included in or delivered with this prospectus. This information is available without charge to you upon written or oral request. If you would like a copy of any of this information, please submit your request to One AMD Place, P.O. Box 3453, Sunnyvale, California, 94088-3453, or call (408) 749-4000 to make your request.

TRADEMARKS

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and combinations thereof, and ATI and the ATI logo are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and used to identify companies and products and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

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THE COMPANY

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “AMD,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “the company” refer to Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

We are a global semiconductor company with facilities around the world. Within the global semiconductor industry, we offer primarily:

 

   

x86 microprocessors, for the commercial and consumer markets, embedded microprocessors for commercial, commercial client and consumer markets and chipsets for desktop and notebook PCs, professional workstations and servers;

 

   

graphics, video and multimedia products for desktop and notebook computers, including home media PCs, professional workstations and servers; and

 

   

products for consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital televisions and technology for game consoles.

We were incorporated under the laws of Delaware on May 1, 1969 and became a publicly held company in 1972. Since 1979 our common stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AMD.” Our mailing address and executive offices are located at One AMD Place, P.O. Box 3453, Sunnyvale, California 94088-3453, and our telephone number at that location is (408) 749-4000.

 

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RISK FACTORS

You should consider the risk factors below as well as the other information set forth or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks faced by us described below, elsewhere in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Risks Related to Our Business

Intel Corporation’s dominance of the microprocessor market and its aggressive business practices may limit our ability to compete effectively.

Intel has dominated the market for microprocessors for many years. Intel’s significant financial resources enable it to market its products aggressively, to target our customers and our channel partners with special incentives, and to discipline customers who do business with us. These aggressive activities have in the past and are likely in the future to result in lower unit sales and average selling prices for our products and adversely affect our margins and profitability.

Intel also manufactures and sells integrated graphics chipsets bundled with their microprocessors and is a dominant competitor with respect to this portion of our business. Intel could leverage its dominance in the microprocessor market to sell its integrated chipsets. Also, Intel has stated that it intends to reenter the discrete GPU market. Either of these actions could shrink the total available market for certain of our graphics products. Intel could also take other actions that place our discrete GPUs and integrated chipsets at a competitive disadvantage such as giving one or more of our competitors in the graphics market, such as Nvidia Corporation, preferential access to its proprietary graphics interface or other useful information. Moreover, computer manufacturers are increasingly using integrated graphics chipsets, particularly for notebooks, because they cost significantly less than traditional discrete graphics components while offering reasonably good graphics performance for most mainstream PCs. If our graphics products do not successfully address the discrete GPU and integrated chipset markets, our graphics business could be adversely affected.

As long as Intel remains in this dominant position, we may be materially adversely affected by Intel’s:

 

   

business practices, including rebating and allocation strategies and pricing actions, designed to limit our market share;

 

   

product mix and product introduction schedules;

 

   

product bundling, marketing and merchandising strategies;

 

   

exclusivity payments to its current and potential customers;

 

   

control over industry standards, PC manufacturers and other PC industry participants, including motherboard, memory, chipset and basic input/output system, or BIOS, suppliers and software companies as well as the graphics interface for Intel platforms; and

 

   

marketing and advertising expenditures in support of positioning the Intel brand over the brand of its OEM customers.

Intel exerts substantial influence over computer manufacturers and their channels of distribution through various brand and other marketing programs. Because of its dominant position in the microprocessor market, Intel has been able to control x86 microprocessor and computer system standards and to dictate the type of products the microprocessor market requires of Intel’s competitors. Intel also dominates the computer system platform, which includes core logic chipsets, graphics chips, motherboards and other components necessary to assemble a computer system. As a result, OEMs that purchase microprocessors for computer systems are highly dependent on Intel, less innovative on their own and, to a large extent, are distributors of Intel technology. Additionally, Intel is able to drive de facto standards for x86 microprocessors that could cause us and other companies to have delayed access to such standards.

 

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We expect Intel to maintain its dominant position and to continue to invest heavily in marketing, research and development, new manufacturing facilities and other technology companies. Intel has substantially greater financial resources than we do and accordingly spends substantially greater amounts on research and development and production capacity than we do. Moreover, Intel launched its quad-core multi-chip module processors during the fourth quarter of 2006. However, we only commenced initial shipments for revenue of our first quad-core products during the third quarter of 2007. To the extent Intel manufactures a significantly larger portion of its microprocessor products using more advanced process technologies, or introduces competitive new products into the market before we do, we may be more vulnerable to Intel’s aggressive marketing and pricing strategies for microprocessor products.

Intel’s dominant position in the microprocessor market and integrated graphics chipset market, its existing relationships with top-tier OEMs and its aggressive marketing and pricing strategies could result in lower unit sales and average selling prices for our products, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

If we cannot generate sufficient revenues and operating cash flow or obtain external financing, we may face a cash shortfall and be unable to make all of our planned capital expenditures.

Our capital expenditures, together with ongoing operating expenses, will be a substantial drain on our cash flow and may decrease our cash balances. As of September 29, 2007, we had $1.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. During the first nine months of 2007, net cash used in operating activities was $371 million and net cash used in investing activities was $1.3 billion. During the first nine months of 2007, we incurred substantial losses that have had a negative impact on cash balances. Moreover, during the fourth quarter of 2007, we plan to make approximately $300 million of capital expenditures. However, our ability to fund these capital expenditures and our operating expenses in accordance with our business plan depends on generating sufficient revenues and cash flow from operations as well as the availability of external financing, if necessary. If we cannot generate sufficient revenues and operating cash flow or obtain external financing, we may face a cash shortfall.

The timing and amount of our capital requirements cannot be precisely determined at this time and will depend on a number of factors including future demand for products, product mix, changes in semiconductor industry conditions and market competition. We regularly assess markets for external financing opportunities, including debt and equity financing. Additional debt or equity financing may not be available when needed or, if available, may not be available on satisfactory terms. Our inability to obtain needed financing or to generate sufficient cash from operations may require us to abandon projects or curtail capital expenditures. If we curtail capital expenditures or abandon projects, we could be materially adversely affected.

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness that could adversely affect our financial position and prevent us from implementing our strategy or fulfilling our contractual obligations.

As of September 29, 2007 we had consolidated debt of approximately $5.3 billion. Our substantial indebtedness may:

 

   

make it difficult for us to satisfy our financial obligations, including making scheduled principal and interest payments;

 

   

limit our ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and general corporate and other purposes;

 

   

limit our ability to use our cash flow or obtain additional financing for future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general corporate purposes;

 

   

require us to use a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make debt service payments;

 

   

limit our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business and industry;

 

   

place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our less leveraged competitors; and

 

   

increase our vulnerability to the impact of adverse economic and industry conditions.

 

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We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our debt obligations.

Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our debt, or our guarantees of other parties’ debts, will depend on our financial and operating performance, which may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, and is subject to prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow or that we will be able to borrow funds in amounts sufficient to enable us to service our debt or to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements. If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to borrow sufficient funds to service our debt, we may be required to sell assets or equity, reduce capital expenditures, refinance all or a portion of our existing debt or obtain additional financing. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance our debt, sell assets or equity or borrow more funds on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Our debt instruments impose restrictions on us that may adversely affect our ability to operate our business.

The indenture governing our 7.75% Notes contain various covenants that limit our ability to:

 

   

incur additional indebtedness, except specified permitted debt;

 

   

pay dividends and make other restricted payments;

 

   

make certain investments if a default or an event of default exists, or if specified financial conditions are not satisfied;

 

   

create or permit certain liens;

 

   

create or permit restrictions on the ability of certain restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us;

 

   

consolidate, merge or sell assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety unless specified conditions are met; and

 

   

enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates.

In addition, the Fab 36 Loan Agreements contain restrictive covenants, including a prohibition on the ability of our German subsidiary, AMD Fab 36 Limited Liability Company & Co. KG, or AMD Fab 36 KG, and its affiliated limited partners to pay us dividends and other payments and also require us to maintain specified financial ratios when group consolidated cash is below specified amounts. Our ability to satisfy these covenants, financial ratios and tests can be affected by events beyond our control. We cannot assure you that we will meet those requirements. A breach of any of these covenants, financial ratios or tests could result in a default under the applicable agreement.

Our loan agreements contain cross-default provisions whereby a default under one agreement would likely result in cross defaults under agreements covering other borrowings. For example, the occurrence of a default with respect to any indebtedness or any failure to repay debt when due in an amount in excess of $50 million would cause a cross default under the indentures governing our 5.75% Notes, 6.00% Notes and 7.75% Notes. The occurrence of a default under any of these borrowing arrangements would permit the applicable lenders or note holders to declare all amounts outstanding under those borrowing arrangements to be immediately due and payable. If the note holders or the trustee under the indentures governing our 5.75% Notes, 6.00% Notes or 7.75% Notes accelerates the repayment of borrowings, we cannot assure you that we will have sufficient assets to repay those borrowings and our other indebtedness.

If our cost management efforts are not effective, our business could be materially adversely affected.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2007, we incurred a net loss of approximately $396 million. We have taken and plan to continue to undertake a number of actions to manage our expenses and realign our cost structure. However, we forecast that for the fourth quarter of 2007, our operating expenses will be approximately six percent higher than the third quarter of 2007, primarily driven by investments in new manufacturing process technology. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve our planned cost reduction strategy in a timely manner or at all, and if we are unable to do so, we could be materially adversely affected. In addition, if these reductions are not effectively implemented, we may experience unanticipated effects from these reductions causing harm to our business and customer relationships

We may not realize all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisition of ATI.

The success of our acquisition of ATI depends, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from integrating the businesses of ATI with the businesses of AMD, and failure to realize these

 

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anticipated benefits could cause our business to be materially adversely affected. In addition, all of our goodwill and acquisition-related intangible assets outstanding as of September 29, 2007 were related to our acquisition of ATI. We will perform our annual impairment analysis during the fourth quarter of 2007. Although we cannot estimate the outcome of the analysis at this time, the charge could have a material adverse impact on us. Our success in realizing these benefits and the timing of this realization depends upon our successful integration of ATI’s operations. The integration of two independent companies is a complex, costly, and time-consuming process. The difficulties of combining the operations of the companies include, among others:

 

   

retaining key employees;

 

   

bridging possible differences in cultures and management philosophies;

 

   

consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures and information technology systems;

 

   

coordinating sales and marketing functions;

 

   

preserving our customer, supplier, ecosystem partner and other important relationships;

 

   

aligning and executing on new product roadmaps;

 

   

minimizing the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business concerns; and

 

   

coordinating geographically separate organizations.

We cannot assure you that our acquisition of ATI will result in the realization of the full benefits that we anticipated. For example, it is possible that as a result of the acquisition, previous ATI customers of discrete GPUs may decide to purchase our competitors’ graphics products for use with their computer systems that incorporate Intel platforms, or that ecosystem partners will cease doing business with us because they view the former ATI operations as competitive with portions of their business. Any inability to integrate successfully could have a material adverse effect on us.

We cannot be certain that our substantial investments in research and development will lead to timely improvements in product designs or technology used to manufacture our products or that we will have sufficient resources to invest in the level of research and development that is required to remain competitive.

We make substantial investments in research and development for process technologies in an effort to design and manufacture leading-edge microprocessors. We also make substantial investments in research and development related to product designs, and we anticipate that we will continue to invest in research and development in the future. For example, in the fourth quarter of 2007, we expect operating expenses to increase by approximately 6 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007, primarily driven by investments in transitioning to 45 nanometer process technology. Also, we plan to continue to invest in research and development related to our graphics and chipset products and products for consumer electronics devices, including new integrated platforms and our design initiative called “Fusion.” We cannot be certain that we will be able to develop, obtain or successfully implement leading-edge process technologies needed to manufacture future generations of our products profitably or on a timely basis or that our competitors will not develop new technologies, products or processes that render our products uncompetitive or obsolete. If new competitors, technological advances by existing competitors or other competitive factors require us to invest significantly greater resources than anticipated in our research and development efforts, our operating expenses would increase. If we are required to invest significantly greater resources than anticipated in research and development efforts without an increase in revenue, our operating results could decline. Moreover, in connection with the ATI acquisition, we committed to the Minister of Industry of Canada to increase total expenditures on research and development in Canada when compared to ATI’s expenditures in this area in prior years. However, we cannot assure you that we will have sufficient resources to achieve planned investments in research and development or to otherwise maintain the level of investment in research and development that is required for us to remain competitive.

We have a joint development agreement with IBM, pursuant to which we have agreed to work together to develop new process technologies through December 31, 2011. We anticipate that under this agreement, we will pay fees to IBM of between $413 million and $456 million in connection with joint development projects from September 30, 2007 to 2011.

If this agreement were to be terminated, we would either have to resume certain research and development activities internally or find an alternate partner. In either case, our research and development costs could increase, and we could experience delays or other setbacks in the development of new process technologies, any of which would materially adversely affect us. Moreover, the timely achievement of the milestones set forth in the joint development agreement is critical to our ability to continue to manufacture microprocessors using advanced process technologies.

 

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The success of our business is dependent upon our ability to introduce products on a timely basis with required features and performance levels that provide value to our customers and support and coincide with significant industry transitions.

Our success depends to a significant extent on the development, qualification, implementation and acceptance of new product designs and improvements that provide value to our customers. Our ability to develop and qualify new products and related technologies to meet evolving industry requirements, at prices acceptable to our customers and on a timely basis are significant factors in determining our competitiveness in our target markets. If we are delayed in developing or qualifying new products or technologies, we may lose competitive positioning, which could cause us to lose market share and require us to discount the selling price of our products. For example, in the third quarter of 2007 we began shipping our Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors but our initial production ramp of these processors has been slower than we anticipated because we had to undertake design and process tuning.

Delays in developing or qualifying new products can also cause us to miss our customers’ product design windows. If our customers do not include our products in the initial design of their computer systems, they will typically not use our products in their systems until at least the next design configuration. The process of being qualified for inclusion in a customer’s system can be lengthy and could cause us to further miss a cycle in the demand of end-users, which also could result in a loss of market share and harm our business.

Market demand requires that products incorporate new features and performance standards on an industry-wide basis. Over the life of a specific product, the average selling price undergoes regular price reductions. The introduction of new products and enhancements to existing products is necessary to maintain overall corporate average selling prices. If we are unable to introduce new products or launch new products with sufficient increases in average selling prices or increased unit sales volumes capable of offsetting these reductions in average selling prices of existing products, our revenues, inventories, gross margins and operating results could be materially adversely affected.

Our ability to design and introduce new products in a timely manner is dependent upon third party intellectual property.

In the design and development of new products and product enhancements, we rely on third-party intellectual property such as software development tools. Historically, ATI has experienced delays in the introduction of products as a result of the inability of then available software development tools to fully simulate the complex features and functionalities of its products. The design requirements necessary to meet consumer demands for more features and greater functionality from products in the future may exceed the capabilities of the software development tools available to us. If the third-party intellectual property that we use becomes unavailable or fails to produce designs that meet consumer demands, our business could be materially adversely affected.

The loss of a significant customer may have a material adverse effect on us.

Collectively, our top five customers accounted for almost half of our total revenue in the first nine months of 2007. Moreover, historically a significant portion of ATI’s revenues were derived from sales to a small number of customers, and we expect that a small number of customers will continue to account for a substantial part of revenues from our graphics and consumer electronics businesses in the future. For example, for the first nine months of 2007, one handset manufacturer accounted for a significant percentage of the revenue of our Consumer Electronics segment. During this same period, three customers accounted for approximately one third of the revenue of our Graphics segment. If one of our top microprocessor, graphics business or consumer electronics customers decided to stop buying our products, or if one of these customers were to materially reduce its operations or its demand for our products, we would be materially adversely affected. For example, during the first and second quarters of 2007, the handset manufacturer referenced above purchased significantly less of our products than in the immediately preceding quarter. This decline contributed to lower unit shipments of our products for consumer electronics devices and negatively impacted net revenue for our Consumer Electronics segment in the first half of 2007.

 

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The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and has experienced severe downturns that materially adversely affected, and may in the future materially adversely affect, our business.

The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and has experienced significant downturns, often in conjunction with constant and rapid technological change, wide fluctuations in supply and demand, continuous new product introductions, price erosion and declines in general economic conditions. Our historical financial results have also been subject to substantial fluctuations. Our financial performance has been, and may in the future be, negatively affected by these downturns. We incurred substantial losses in recent downturns, due to:

 

   

substantial declines in average selling prices;

 

   

the cyclical nature of supply/demand imbalances in the semiconductor industry;

 

   

a decline in demand for end-user products (such as PCs) that incorporate our products;

 

   

excess inventory levels in the channels of distribution, including those of our customers; and

 

   

excess production capacity.

For example, in 2001 and 2002 we implemented restructuring plans due to weak customer demand associated with the downturn in the semiconductor industry. If the semiconductor industry were to experience a downturn in the future, we would be materially adversely affected.

The demand for our products depends in part on continued growth in the industries and geographies into which they are sold. Fluctuations in demand for our products or a market decline in any of these industries or geographies would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our microprocessor business is dependent upon the market for mobile and desktop PCs and servers. Industry-wide fluctuations in the computer marketplace have materially adversely affected us in the past and may materially adversely affect us in the future. Depending on the growth rate of computers sold, sales of our products may not grow and may even decrease. If demand for computers is below our expectations, the demand for our products may decrease and we could be materially adversely affected.

The business we acquired from ATI is also dependent upon the market for mobile, desktop and workstation PCs, the consumer electronics market and the markets for digital TVs, handheld devices, such as multimedia-enabled mobile phones, and game consoles. A market decline in any of these industries could cause the demand for our products to decrease and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

The growth of our business is also dependent on continued demand for our products from high-growth global markets. If demand from these markets is below our expectations, sales of our products may not grow, and may even decrease, which would have a material adverse effect on us.

The markets in which our products are sold are highly competitive.

The markets in which our products are sold are very competitive and delivering the latest and best products to market on a timely basis is critical to achieving revenue growth. We expect competition to intensify due to rapid technological changes, frequent product introductions and aggressive pricing by competitors. We believe that the main factors that determine our competitiveness are product quality, power consumption, reliability, speed, size (or form factor), cost, selling price, adherence to industry standards, software and hardware compatibility and stability, brand recognition, timely product introductions and availability. After a product is introduced, costs and average selling prices normally decrease over time as production efficiency improves, and successive generations of products are developed and introduced for sale. We expect that competition will intensify in these markets and our competitors’ products may be less costly, provide better performance or include additional features that render our products uncompetitive. With respect to our graphics products, Intel and Nvidia Corporation are our principal competitors. Some competitors may have greater access or rights to companion technologies, including interface, processor and memory technical information. Competitive pressures could adversely impact the demand for our products, which could harm our revenue and gross margin.

If we fail to improve the efficiency of our supply chain in order to respond to increases or changes in customer demand for our products, our business could be materially adversely affected.

Our ability to meet customer demand for our products depends, in part, on our ability to deliver the products our customers want on a timely basis. Accordingly, we must continually improve the management of our supply chain by

 

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synchronizing the entire supply chain, from sourcing through manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment. As we continue to grow our business, acquire new OEM customers and strengthen relationships with existing OEM customers, the efficiency of our supply chain will become increasingly important because OEMs tend to have specific requirements for particular products, and specific time-frames in which they require delivery of these products. Also, the breadth of our product portfolio increased significantly as a result of our acquisition of ATI, which put stress on our supply chain. We have recently experienced challenges related to the logistics of selling our products across a diverse set of customers and geographies and delivering these products on a timely basis. If we fail to adequately improve the efficiency of our supply chain and adjust our operations in response to future increases or changes in OEM demand for our products, our business could be materially adversely affected.

We depend on third-party companies for the design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, BIOS software and other components.

We depend on third-party companies for the design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, BIOS software and other components that support our microprocessor offerings. In addition, despite our acquisition of ATI, we continue to work with other third parties for graphics chips in order to provide our customers with a greater choice of technologies to best meet their needs.

Our microprocessors are not designed to function with motherboards and chipsets designed to work with Intel microprocessors because our patent cross-license agreement with Intel does not extend to Intel’s proprietary bus interface protocol. If we are unable to secure sufficient support for our microprocessor products from designers and manufacturers of motherboards and chipsets, our business would be materially adversely affected. Our acquisition of ATI could exacerbate this problem because we design and supply a significantly greater amount of graphics products ourselves. Doing so could cause third-party designers, manufacturers and suppliers to be less willing to do business with us or to support our products out of a perceived risk that we will be less willing to support their products or because we may compete with them. As a result, these third-party designers, manufacturers and suppliers could forge relationships, or strengthen their existing relationships, with our competitors. If the designers, manufacturers and suppliers of graphics chips, motherboards, and other components decrease their support for our product offerings and increase their support for the product offerings of our competitors, our business could be materially adversely affected.

If we are ultimately unsuccessful in any of our antitrust lawsuits against Intel, our business may be materially adversely affected.

On June 27, 2005, we filed an antitrust complaint against Intel Corporation and Intel’s Japanese subsidiary, Intel Kabushiki Kaisha, which we refer to collectively as Intel, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, Sections 4 and 16 of the Clayton Act, and the California Business and Professions Code. Our complaint alleges that Intel has unlawfully maintained a monopoly in the x86 microprocessor market by engaging in anti-competitive financial and exclusionary business practices that limit the ability and/or incentive of Intel’s customers in dealing with AMD. Also, on June 30, 2005, our subsidiary in Japan, AMD Japan K.K., filed an action in Japan against Intel K.K. in the Tokyo High Court and the Tokyo District Court for damages arising from violations of Japan’s Antimonopoly Act. On September 26, 2006, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted Intel’s motion to dismiss foreign conduct claims. The effect of that decision was clarified by the Court’s January 12, 2007, adoption of the Special Master’s decision on our motion to compel foreign conduct discovery. As a result of these two decisions, we will be permitted to develop evidence of Intel’s exclusionary practices wherever they occur, including practices foreclosing AMD from foreign customers or in foreign market segments. However, the court’s ruling limits our damages to lost sales in the United States and lost sales abroad that would have originated from the United States. The Court also set an immovable trial date of April 27, 2009.

If our antitrust lawsuits against Intel are ultimately unsuccessful, our business, including our ability to increase market share in the microprocessor market, could be materially adversely affected.

Our operating results are subject to quarterly and seasonal sales patterns.

A substantial portion of our quarterly sales have historically been made in the last month of the quarter. This uneven sales pattern makes prediction of revenues for each financial period difficult and increases the risk of unanticipated variations in quarterly results and financial condition. In addition, our operating results tend to vary seasonally. For example, demand in the retail sector of the PC market is often stronger during the fourth quarter as a result of the winter holiday season. European sales are often weaker during the summer months. Many of the factors that create and affect seasonal trends are beyond our control.

 

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Manufacturing capacity constraints and manufacturing capacity utilization rates may have a material adverse affect on us.

There may be situations in which our microprocessor manufacturing facilities are inadequate to meet the demand for certain of our microprocessor products. Our inability to obtain sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet forecasted demand, either in our own facilities or through foundry or similar arrangements with third parties, could result in an adverse effect on our relationships with customers, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

In November 2004, we entered into sourcing and manufacturing technology agreements with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing whereby Chartered agreed to become a contract manufacturer for our AMD64-based microprocessors. Although Chartered has begun production, the ability of Chartered to continue to ramp production on a timely basis depends on several factors beyond our control, including Chartered’s ability to continue to implement our technology at their facilities on a timely basis. In addition, we have slowed the conversion of Fab 30 into a 300-millimeter wafer manufacturing facility. If we cannot obtain sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet demand for our microprocessor products, either in our own facilities or through foundry or similar arrangements, we could be materially adversely affected.

We rely on third party foundries and other contractors to manufacture certain products.

We rely on independent foundries such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corp. to manufacture our graphics and chipset products. Chartered Semiconductor manufactures some of our microprocessor products and products for consumer electronics devices. We also rely on third party manufacturers to manufacture our high end graphics boards. Independent contractors also perform the assembly, testing and packaging of these products. We obtain these manufacturing services for our graphics and chipset products and products for consumer electronics devices on a purchase order basis and these manufacturers are not required to provide us with any specified minimum quantity of product. Accordingly, our graphics and consumer electronics businesses depend on these suppliers to allocate to us a portion of their manufacturing capacity sufficient to meet our needs, to produce products of acceptable quality and at acceptable manufacturing yields and to deliver those products to us on a timely basis at acceptable prices. We cannot assure you that these manufacturers will be able to meet our near-term or long-term manufacturing requirements. The manufacturers we use also fabricate wafers and assemble, test and package products for other companies, including certain of our competitors. They could choose to prioritize capacity for other users, reduce or eliminate deliveries to us, or increase the prices that they charge us on short notice.

We must have reliable relationships with our wafer manufacturers and subcontractors to ensure adequate product supply to respond to customer demand. If we move production of our products to new manufacturers or if current manufacturers implement new process technology or design rules, any transition difficulties may result in lower yields or poorer performance of our products. Because it could take several quarters to establish a strategic relationship with a new manufacturing partner, we may be unable to secure an alternative supply for any specific product in a short time frame. We could experience significant delays in the shipment of our products if we are required to find alternative foundries or contractors. Other risks associated with our dependence on third-party manufacturers include reduced control over delivery schedules, quality assurance, manufacturing yields and cost, lack of capacity in periods of excess demand, misappropriation of our intellectual property, dependence on several small undercapitalized subcontractors, reduced ability to manage inventory and parts, and exposure to foreign countries and operations. If we are unable to secure sufficient or reliable supplies of wafers, our ability to meet customer demand for our graphics and consumer electronics businesses may be adversely affected and this could have an adverse effect on us.

If essential equipment or materials are not available to manufacture our products, we could be materially adversely affected.

Our microprocessor manufacturing operations depend upon obtaining deliveries of equipment and adequate supplies of materials on a timely basis. We purchase equipment and materials from a number of suppliers. From time to time, suppliers may extend lead times, limit supply to us or increase prices due to capacity constraints or other factors. Because the equipment that we purchase is complex, it is difficult for us to substitute one supplier for another or one piece of equipment for another. Certain raw materials we use in manufacturing our microprocessor products or that are used in the manufacture of our graphics products are available only from a limited number of suppliers.

 

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For example, we are largely dependent on one supplier for our silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers that we use to manufacture our microprocessor products. We are also dependent on key chemicals from a limited number of suppliers and rely on a limited number of foreign companies to supply the majority of certain types of integrated circuit packages for our microprocessor products. Similarly, certain non-proprietary materials or components such as memory, PCBs, substrates and capacitors used in the manufacture of our graphics products are currently available from only a limited number of sources and often subject to rapid changes in price and availability. Interruption of supply or increased demand in the industry could cause shortages and price increases in various essential materials. If we are unable to procure certain of these materials, we may have to reduce our manufacturing operations. Such a reduction has in the past and could in the future have a material adverse effect on us.

Industry overcapacity could cause us to under-utilize our microprocessor manufacturing facilities and have a material adverse effect on us.

Both we and our competitor, Intel, have added significant capacity in recent years, both by expanding capacity at wafer fabrication facilities and by transitioning to more advanced manufacturing technologies. In the past, capacity additions sometimes exceeded demand requirements leading to oversupply situations and downturns in the industry. Fluctuations in the growth rate of industry capacity relative to the growth rate in demand for our products contribute to cyclicality in the semiconductor market, which may in the future put pressure on our average selling prices and materially adversely affect us.

It is difficult to predict future growth or decline in the markets we serve, making it very difficult to estimate requirements for production capacity. If our target markets do not grow as we anticipate, we may under-utilize our manufacturing facilities, which may result in write-downs or write-offs of inventories and losses on products for which demand is lower than we anticipate.

In addition, during periods of industry overcapacity, customers do not generally order products as far in advance of the scheduled shipment date as they do during periods when our industry is operating closer to capacity, which can exacerbate the difficulty in forecasting capacity requirements. Many of our costs are fixed. Accordingly, during periods in which we under-utilize our manufacturing facilities as a result of reduced demand for certain of our products, our costs cannot be reduced in proportion to the reduced revenues for such a period. When this occurs, our operating results are materially adversely affected. If the demand for our microprocessor products is not consistent with our increased expectations, we may under-utilize our manufacturing facilities or we may not fully utilize the reserved capacity at Chartered’s foundry. This may have a material adverse effect on us.

Unless we maintain manufacturing efficiency, our future profitability could be materially adversely affected.

Manufacturing our microprocessor products involves highly complex processes that require advanced equipment. Our manufacturing efficiency is an important factor in our profitability, and we cannot be sure that we will be able to maintain or increase our manufacturing efficiency to the same extent as our competitors. We continually modify manufacturing processes and transition to more advanced manufacturing process technologies in an effort to improve yields and product performance and decrease costs. We may fail to achieve acceptable yields or experience product delivery delays as a result of, among other things, capacity constraints, delays in the development or implementation of new process technologies, changes in our process technologies, upgrades or expansion of existing facilities, or impurities or other difficulties in the manufacturing process. Any decrease in manufacturing yields could result in an increase in our per unit costs or force us to allocate our reduced product supply among our customers, which could potentially harm our customer relationships, reputation, revenue and gross profit.

Improving our microprocessor manufacturing efficiency in future periods is dependent on our ability to:

 

   

develop advanced product and process technologies;

 

   

successfully transition to advanced process technologies;

 

   

ramp product and process technology improvements rapidly and effectively to commercial volumes across our facilities; and

 

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achieve acceptable levels of manufacturing wafer output and yields, which may decrease as we implement more advanced technologies.

During periods when we are implementing new process technologies, manufacturing facilities may not be fully productive. A substantial delay in the technology transitions to smaller process technologies could have a material adverse effect on us, particularly if our competitors transition to more cost effective technologies earlier than we do. Our results of operations would also be adversely affected by the increase in fixed costs and operating expenses related to increases in production capacity if revenues do not increase proportionately.

Similarly, the operating results of our graphics and consumer electronics businesses are dependent upon achieving planned semiconductor manufacturing yields. Our graphics and chipset products and products for consumer electronics devices are manufactured at independent foundries, but we have the responsibility for product design and the design and performance of the tooling required for manufacturing. Semiconductor manufacturing yields are a function of both product design and process technology, which is typically proprietary to the manufacturer, and low yields can result from either design or process technology failures. In addition, yield problems require cooperation by and communication between us and the manufacturer and sometimes the customer as well. The offshore location of our principal manufacturers compounds these risks, due to the increased effort and time required to identify, communicate and resolve manufacturing yield problems. We cannot assure you that we or our foundries will identify and fix problems in a timely manner, and achieve acceptable manufacturing yields in the future. Our inability, in cooperation with our independent foundries, to achieve planned production yields for these products could have a material adverse effect on us. In particular, failure to reach planned production yields over time could result in us not having sufficient product supply to meet demand and/or higher production costs and lower gross margins. This could materially adversely affect us.

The accounting method for convertible debt securities with net share settlement, like the 6.00% Notes, will be subject to change.

In September 2007, the FASB exposed for comment a proposed FASB Staff Position (FSP) No. APB 14-a, Accounting for Convertible Debt Instruments That May Be Settled in Cash upon Conversion (including partial cash settlement). This proposed FSP would change the accounting for certain convertible debt instruments, including our 6.00% Notes. Under the proposed new rules, for convertible debt instruments that may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion, an entity should separately account for the liability and equity components of the instrument in a manner that reflects the issuer’s economic interest cost. The effect of the proposed new rules for our 6.00% Notes is that the equity component would be included in the paid-in-capital portion of stockholders’ equity on our balance sheet and the value of the equity component would be treated as an original issue discount for purposes of accounting for the debt component of the 6.00% Notes. Higher interest expense would result by recognizing accretion of the discounted carrying value of the 6.00% Notes to their face amount as interest expense over the term of the 6.00% Notes. The FASB plans to issue the final FSP by December 2007 and if issued as exposed would provide final guidance effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2007, would not permit early application, and would be applied retrospectively to all periods presented.

We cannot predict the exact accounting treatment that will be imposed (which may differ materially from the foregoing description) or when any change will be finally implemented. However, if the final FSP is issued as exposed, we expect to have higher interest expense starting in 2008 due to the interest expense accretion and, if the retrospective application provisions of the proposed FSP are retained in the final FSP, the prior period interest expense associated with the 6.00% Notes would be higher than previously reported interest expense due to retrospective application.

Conversion of the 5.75% Notes and 6.00% Notes may dilute the ownership interest of our existing stockholders.

The conversion of some or all of the 5.75% Notes and 6.00% Notes may dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders. Although the capped call transaction that we entered into in connection with the issuance of the 6.00% Notes is expected to reduce potential dilution upon conversion of the 6.00% Notes, the conversion of the 6.00% Notes could still have a dilutive effect on our earnings per share to the extent that the price of our common stock exceeds $42.12, which is the cap price of the capped call. Any sales in the public market of our common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the anticipated conversion of the 5.75% Notes or 6.00% Notes into cash and shares of our common stock could depress the price of our common stock.

 

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The capped call transaction may affect the value of our common stock.

We entered into a capped call transaction in connection with the issuance of the 6.00% Notes. The capped call transaction is expected to reduce the potential dilution upon conversion of the 6.00% Notes in the event that the market value per share of our common stock, as measured under the terms of the capped call transaction, at the time of exercise is greater than the strike price of the capped call transaction, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 6.00% Notes and is subject to certain adjustments similar to those contained in the 6.00% Notes. If, however, the market value per share of our common stock exceeds the cap price of the capped call transaction, as measured under the terms of the capped call transaction, the dilution mitigation under the capped call transaction will be limited, which means that there would be dilution to the extent that the then market value per share of our common stock exceeds the cap price of the capped call transaction. In connection with hedging the capped call transaction, the counterparty or its affiliates may enter into or unwind various derivatives and/or purchase or sell our common stock in secondary market transactions (and are likely to do so during any observation period related to the conversion of the 6.00% Notes). These activities could have the effect of decreasing the price of our common stock during any observation period related to a conversion of the 6.00% Notes. The counterparty or its affiliates are likely to modify their hedge positions in relation to the capped call transaction from time to time prior to conversion or maturity of the 6.00% Notes by purchasing and selling our common stock, other of our securities, or other instruments they may wish to use in connection with such hedging. In particular, such hedging modifications are likely to occur during any observation period related to a conversion of the 6.00% Notes, which may have a negative effect on the value of the consideration received upon conversion of those 6.00% Notes. In addition, we intend to exercise options we hold under the capped call transaction whenever the 6.00% Notes are converted. In order to unwind its hedge positions with respect to those exercised options, the counterparty or affiliates thereof expect to sell our common stock in secondary market transactions or unwind various derivative transactions with respect to our common stock during the observation period, if any, for the converted 6.00% Notes. If we elect to cash-settle the capped call transaction, which we are permitted to do, subject to certain conditions, it is likely the counterparty or its affiliates will sell an even greater number of shares. The effect, if any, of any of these transactions and activities on the market price of our common stock or the 6.00% Notes will depend in part on market conditions and cannot be ascertained at this time, but any of these activities could adversely affect the value of our common stock and the value of the 6.00% Notes.

If we lose Microsoft Corporation’s support for our products, our ability to sell our products could be materially adversely affected.

Our ability to innovate beyond the x86 instruction set controlled by Intel depends partially on Microsoft designing and developing its operating systems to run on or support our microprocessor products. If Microsoft does not continue to design and develop its operating systems so that they work with our x86 instruction sets, independent software providers may forego designing their software applications to take advantage of our innovations and customers may not purchase PCs with our microprocessors. In addition, software drivers sold with our produces are certified by Microsoft. If Microsoft did not certify a driver, or if we otherwise fail to retain the support of Microsoft, our ability to market our products would be materially adversely affected.

If we are unable to comply with the covenants in the subsidy grant documents that we receive from the State of Saxony, the Federal Republic of Germany and/or the European Union for Fab 30, Fab 36 or other research and development projects we may undertake in Germany, we may forfeit or have to repay our subsidies, which could materially adversely affect us.

We receive capital investment grants and allowances from the State of Saxony and the Federal Republic of Germany for Fab 36. We have also received capital investment grants and allowances as well as interest subsidies from these governmental entities for Fab 30. From time to time, we also apply for and obtain subsidies from the State of Saxony, the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union for certain research and development projects. The subsidy grant documents typically contain covenants that must be complied with, and noncompliance with the conditions of the grants, allowances and subsidies could result in the forfeiture of all or a portion of any future amounts to be received, as well as the repayment of all or a portion of amounts received to date. If we are unable to comply with any of the covenants in the grant documents, we could be materially adversely affected.

 

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If our products are not compatible with some or all industry-standard software and hardware, we could be materially adversely affected.

Our products may not be fully compatible with some or all industry-standard software and hardware. Further, we may be unsuccessful in correcting any such compatibility problems in a timely manner. If our customers are unable to achieve compatibility with software or hardware after our products are shipped in volume, we could be materially adversely affected. In addition, the mere announcement of an incompatibility problem relating to our products could have a material adverse effect on us.

Costs related to defective products could have a material adverse effect on us.

Products as complex as those we offer may contain defects or failures when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements to existing products are released. We cannot assure you that, despite our testing procedures, errors will not be found in new products or releases after commencement of commercial shipments in the future, which could result in loss of or delay in market acceptance of our products, material recall and replacement costs, delay in recognition or loss of revenues, writing down the inventory of defective products, the diversion of the attention of our engineering personnel from product development efforts, defending against litigation related to defective products or related property damage or personal injury, and damage to our reputation in the industry and could adversely affect our relationships with our customers. In addition, we may have difficulty identifying the end customers of the defective products in the field. As a result, we could incur substantial costs to implement modifications to correct defects. Any of these problems could materially adversely affect us.

In addition, because we sell directly to consumers, we could be subject to potential product liability claims if one of our products causes, or merely appears to have caused, an injury. Claims may be made by consumers or others selling our products, and we may be subject to claims against us even if an alleged injury is due to the actions of others. A product liability claim, recall or other claim with respect to uninsured liabilities or for amounts in excess of insured liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our receipt of royalty revenues is dependent upon the success of third-party products.

Our graphics technology for the game console market is being used in the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft® Xbox 360™ game consoles. The only revenues that we receive from these technology platforms are in the form of non-recurring engineering revenues, as well as royalties paid to us by Nintendo and Microsoft based upon the market success of their products. Accordingly, our royalty revenues will be directly related to the sales of these products. We anticipate royalties in future years resulting from our agreements with Nintendo and Microsoft. However, we have no control over the marketing efforts of Nintendo and Microsoft and we cannot assure you that sales of those products will achieve expected levels in the current or future fiscal years. Consequently, the revenues from royalties expected by us from these technology platforms may not be fully realized, and our operating results may be adversely affected.

Our entry into new consumer markets is subject to a number of uncertainties.

As a result of the ATI acquisition, we sell products for the consumer electronics market, including for digital TVs and color mobile phones. There are a significant number of competitors targeting this market. In addition, as the telecommunications, cable and consumer electronics industries and their suppliers undergo a period of convergence, we expect that competition will increase in these markets. Our ability to succeed in these new consumer markets is subject to a number of uncertainties, including acceptance of our graphics and multimedia processors, the development of new technologies sufficient to meet market demand, the need to develop customer relationships, different sales strategies and channels, new and different industry standards from those in the PC market and changing strategic alliances. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully compete in this new market. If we are unable to successfully introduce products and compete in this market, we could be materially adversely affected.

Our inability to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel may hinder our product development programs.

Our future success depends upon the continued service of numerous qualified engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and executive personnel. If we are not able to continue to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel necessary for our business, the progress of our product development programs could be hindered, and we could be materially adversely affected.

 

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We outsource to third parties certain supply-chain logistics functions, including physical distribution of our products, and co-source some information technology services.

We rely on a third-party provider to deliver our products to our customers and to distribute materials for some of our manufacturing facilities. In addition, we rely on a third party in India to provide certain information technology services to us, including helpdesk support, desktop application services, business and software support applications, server and storage administration, data center operations, database administration, and voice, video and remote access. Our relationships with these providers are governed by fixed term contracts. We cannot guarantee that these providers will fulfill their respective responsibilities in a timely manner in accordance with the contract terms, in which case our internal operations, the distribution of our products to our customers and the distribution of materials for some facilities could be materially adversely affected. Also, we cannot guarantee that our contracts with these third-party providers will be renewed, in which case we would have to transition these functions in-house or secure new providers, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, we decided to outsource or co-source these functions to third parties primarily to lower our operating expenses and to create a more variable cost structure. However, if the costs related to administration, communication and coordination of these third-party providers are greater than we expect, then we will not realize our anticipated cost savings.

Uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of, and payment for, our products could materially adversely affect us.

We typically sell our products pursuant to individual purchase orders. We generally do not have long-term supply arrangements with our customers or minimum purchase requirements. Generally, our customers may cancel orders more than 30 days prior to shipment without incurring a significant penalty. We base our inventory levels on customers’ estimates of demand for their products, which may not accurately predict the quantity or type of our products that our consumers will want in the future or ultimately end up purchasing. For example, customers who are concerned about potential supply shortages may “double order” products by ordering more product from us than they ultimately need. Subsequently, these customers could cancel all or a portion of these orders when they realize they have sufficient supply. This behavior would increase our uncertainty regarding demand for our products and could materially adversely affect us. With respect to our graphics products, we do not have any commitment or requirements for minimum product purchases in our sales arrangements with Add-In-Board (AIB) customers, upon whom we rely to manufacture, market and sell our desktop GPUs. Such sales are subject to uncertainty as demand by our AIBs can be unpredictable and is susceptible to price competition. This difficulty may be compounded when we sell to OEMs indirectly through distributors, as our forecasts for demand are then based on estimates provided by multiple parties. Moreover, PC and consumer markets are characterized by short product lifecycles, which can lead to rapid obsolescence and price erosion. In addition, our customers may change their inventory practices on short notice for any reason. We may build inventories during periods of anticipated growth, and the cancellation or deferral of product orders, the return of previously sold products or overproduction due to failure of anticipated orders to materialize, could result in excess or obsolete inventory, which could result in write-downs of inventory and an adverse effect on profit margins. Factors that may result in excess or obsolete inventory, which could result in write-downs of the value of our inventory, a reduction in average selling prices, and/or a reduction in our gross margin include:

 

   

a sudden and significant decrease in demand for our products;

 

   

a higher incidence of inventory obsolescence because of rapidly changing technology and customer requirements;

 

   

a failure to estimate customer demand properly for our older products as our newer products are introduced; or

 

   

our competitors taking aggressive pricing actions.

Because market conditions are uncertain, these and other factors could materially adversely affect us.

Our reliance on third-party distributors subjects us to certain risks.

We market and sell our products directly and through third-party distributors pursuant to agreements that can generally be terminated for convenience by either party upon prior notice to the other party. These agreements are non-exclusive and permit our distributors to offer our competitors’ products. Our third party distributors have been a significant factor in our ability to increase sales of our products in certain high growth international markets. We are dependent on our distributors to supplement our direct marketing and sales efforts. If any significant distributor or a substantial number of our distributors terminated their relationship with us or decided to market our competitors’ products over our products, our ability to bring our products to market would be impacted and we would be materially adversely affected.

 

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Additionally, distributors typically maintain an inventory of our products. In most instances, our agreements with distributors protect their inventory of our products against price reductions, as well as provide return rights for any product that we have removed from our price book and that is not more than twelve months older than the manufacturing code date. Some agreements with our distributors also contain standard stock rotation provisions permitting limited levels of product returns. We defer the gross margins on our sales to distributors, resulting from both our deferral of revenue and related product costs, until the applicable products are re-sold by the distributors. However, in the event of an unexpected significant decline in the price of our products, the price protection rights we offer to our distributors would materially adversely affect us because our revenue would decline.

Our operations in foreign countries are subject to political and economic risks, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We maintain operations around the world, including in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For example, all of our wafer fabrication capacity for microprocessors is located in Germany. Nearly all product assembly and final testing of our microprocessor products is performed at manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia and Singapore. In addition, our graphics and chipset products and products for consumer electronics devices are manufactured, assembled and tested by independent third parties in the Asia-Pacific region and inventory related to those products is stored there. We also have international sales operations and as part of our business strategy, we are continuing to seek expansion of product sales in high growth markets. Our international sales as a percentage of our total consolidated revenue were 89 percent in the third quarter of 2007, 86 percent in the second quarter of 2007 and 71 percent in the third quarter of 2006, and China was one of our largest and fastest growing markets.

The political and economic risks associated with our operations in foreign countries include, without limitation:

 

   

expropriation;

 

   

changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic conditions;

 

   

changes in tax laws, trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;

 

   

difficulties in protecting our intellectual property;

 

   

difficulties in achieving headcount reductions;

 

   

changes in foreign currency exchange rates;

 

   

restrictions on transfers of funds and other assets of our subsidiaries between jurisdictions;

 

   

changes in freight and interest rates;

 

   

disruption in air transportation between the United States and our overseas facilities; and

 

   

loss or modification of exemptions for taxes and tariffs.

Any conflict or uncertainty in the countries in which we operate, including public health or safety, natural disasters or general economic factors, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Any of the above risks, should they occur, could result in an increase in the cost of components, production delays, general business interruptions, delays from difficulties in obtaining export licenses for certain technology, tariffs and other barriers and restrictions, potentially longer payment cycles, potentially increased taxes, restrictions on the repatriation of funds and the burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws, any of which could ultimately have a material adverse effect on us.

Worldwide economic and political conditions may adversely affect demand for our products.

Worldwide economic conditions may adversely affect demand for our products. For example, China’s economy has been growing at a fast pace over the past several years, and China was one of our largest and fastest growing markets. A decline in economic conditions in China could lead to declining worldwide economic conditions. If economic conditions decline, whether in China or worldwide, we could be materially adversely affected.

 

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The occurrence and threat of terrorist attacks and the consequences of sustained military action in the Middle East have in the past, and may in the future, adversely affect demand for our products. Terrorist attacks may negatively affect our operations, directly or indirectly, and such attacks or related armed conflicts may directly impact our physical facilities or those of our suppliers or customers. Furthermore, these attacks may make travel and the transportation of our products more difficult and more expensive, which could materially adversely affect us.

The United States has been and may continue to be involved in armed conflicts that could have a further impact on our sales, and our supply chain. Political and economic instability in some regions of the world may also result and could negatively impact our business. The consequences of armed conflicts are unpredictable, and we may not be able to foresee events that could have a material adverse effect on us.

More generally, any of these events could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result in increased volatility in the United States economy and worldwide financial markets. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on us and also may result in volatility of the market price for our securities.

Unfavorable currency exchange rate fluctuations could adversely affect us.

We have costs, assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the euro and as a result of our acquisition of ATI, the Canadian dollar. As a consequence, movements in exchange rates could cause our Canadian dollar and euro-denominated expenses to increase as a percentage of revenue, affecting our profitability and cash flows. Recently, the value of the U.S. dollar has fallen significantly, leading to increasingly unfavorable currency exchange rates on foreign denominated exposures. Whenever we believe appropriate, we hedge a portion of our foreign currency exposure to protect against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. We determine our total foreign currency exposure using projections of expenditures for items such as payroll, equipment and materials used in manufacturing. We cannot assure you that these activities will be effective in reducing foreign exchange rate exposure. Failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

In addition, the majority of our product sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the local currency can cause increases or decreases in the cost of our products in the local currency of such customers. An appreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to the local currency could reduce sales of our products.

Our inability to effectively control the sales of our products on the gray market could have a material adverse effect on us.

We market and sell our products directly to OEMs and through authorized third-party distributors. From time to time, our products are diverted from our authorized distribution channels and are sold on the “gray market.” Gray market products entering the market result in shadow inventory that is not visible to us, thus making it difficult to forecast demand accurately. Also, when gray market products enter the market, we and our distribution channel compete with heavily discounted gray market products, which adversely affect demand for our products. In addition, our inability to control gray market activities could result in customer satisfaction issues, because any time products are purchased outside our authorized distribution channel, there is a risk that our customers are buying counterfeit or substandard products, including products that may have been altered, mishandled or damaged, or used products represented as new. Our inability to control sales of our products on the gray market could have a material adverse effect on us.

If we cannot adequately protect our technology or other intellectual property in the United States and abroad, through patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks and other measures, we may lose a competitive advantage and incur significant expenses.

We rely on a combination of protections provided by contracts, including confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, copyrights, patents, trademarks and common law rights, such as trade secrets, to protect our intellectual property. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to adequately protect our technology or other intellectual property from third party infringement or from misappropriation in the United States and abroad. Any patent licensed by us or issued to us could be challenged, invalidated or circumvented or rights granted thereunder may not provide a competitive advantage to us. Furthermore, patent applications that we file may not result in issuance of a patent or, if a patent is issued, the patent may not be issued in a form that is advantageous to us. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, others may independently develop similar products, duplicate our products or design around our patents and other rights. In addition, it is difficult to monitor compliance with, and enforce, our intellectual property on a worldwide basis in a cost-effective manner. Foreign laws may provide less intellectual property protection than afforded in the United States. If we cannot adequately protect our technology or other intellectual property in the United States and abroad, we would be materially adversely affected.

 

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We are party to litigation, including intellectual property litigation, and may become a party to other claims or litigation that could cause us to incur substantial costs or pay substantial damages or prohibit us from selling our products.

From time to time we are a defendant or plaintiff in various legal actions. For example, our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary ATI is party to a consumer class action, among other litigation matters. Additionally, in November 2006 we received a subpoena for documents and information in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s criminal investigation into potential antitrust violations related to graphics processing units and cards. We also sell products to consumers, which could increase our exposure to consumer actions such as product liability claims. Litigation can involve complex factual and legal questions and its outcome is uncertain. Any claim that is successfully asserted against us may cause us to pay substantial damages.

With respect to intellectual property litigation, from time to time, we have been notified, or third parties may bring actions against us, based on allegations that we are infringing the intellectual property rights of others. If any such claims are asserted against us, we may seek to obtain a license under the third party’s intellectual property rights. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain all of the necessary licenses on satisfactory terms, if at all. In the event that we cannot obtain a license, these parties may file lawsuits against us seeking damages (potentially including treble damages) or an injunction against the sale of our products that incorporate allegedly infringed intellectual property or against the operation of our business as presently conducted, which could result in our having to stop the sale of some of our products or to increase the costs of selling some of our products or could damage our reputation. The award of damages, including material royalty payments, or the entry of an injunction against the manufacture and sale of some or all of our products, would have a material adverse effect on us. We could decide, in the alternative, to redesign our products or to resort to litigation to challenge such claims. Such challenges could be extremely expensive and time-consuming and could have a material adverse effect on us. We cannot assure you that litigation related to our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others can always be avoided or successfully concluded.

Even if we were to prevail, any litigation could be costly and time-consuming and would divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We are subject to a variety of environmental laws that could result in liabilities.

Our operations and properties are subject to various United States and foreign environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to materials used in our products and manufacturing processes, discharge of pollutants into the environment, the treatment, transport, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and remediation of contamination. These laws and regulations require us to obtain permits for our operations, including the discharge of air pollutants and wastewater. Although our management systems are designed to maintain compliance, we cannot assure you that we have been or will be at all times in complete compliance with such laws, regulations and permits. If we violate or fail to comply with any of them, a range of consequences could result, including fines, suspension of production, alteration of manufacturing processes, import/export restrictions, sales limitations, criminal and civil liabilities or other sanctions. We could also be held liable for any and all consequences arising out of exposure to hazardous materials used, stored, released, disposed of by us or located at or under our facilities or other environmental or natural resource damage.

Certain environmental laws, including the U.S. Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or the Superfund Act, impose strict, joint and several liability on current and previous owners or operators of real property for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous substances and impose liability for damages to natural resources. These laws often impose liability even if the owner or operator did not know of, or was not responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances. These environmental laws also assess liability on persons who arrange for hazardous substances to be sent to disposal or treatment facilities when such facilities are found to be contaminated. Such persons can be responsible for cleanup costs even if they never owned or operated the contaminated facility. We have been named as a responsible party on Superfund clean-up orders for three sites in Sunnyvale, California. Although we have not yet been, we could be named a potentially responsible party at other Superfund or contaminated sites in the future. In addition, contamination that has not yet been identified could exist at our other facilities.

 

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Environmental laws are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. For example, the European Union and China are two among a growing number of jurisdictions that have enacted restrictions on the use of lead, among other chemicals, in electronic products. These regulations affect semiconductor packaging, and we continue our work to ensure compliance across product lines. There is a risk that the cost, quality and manufacturing yields of lead-free products may be less favorable compared to lead-based products or that the transition to lead-free products may produce sudden changes in demand, which may result in excess inventory. Other regulatory requirements potentially affecting our manufacturing processes and the design and marketing of our products are in development throughout the world. We have management systems in place to identify and ensure compliance with such requirements and have budgeted for foreseeable associated expenditures. However, we cannot assure you that environmental legal requirements will not become more stringent or costly in the future. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our costs of complying with current and future environmental and health and safety laws, and our liabilities arising from past and future releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances will not have a material adverse effect on us.

Our worldwide operations could be subject to natural disasters and other business disruptions, which could harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.

All of our wafer fabrication capacity for microprocessors is located in Germany. Nearly all product assembly and final testing of our microprocessor products is performed at manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia and Singapore. The independent foundries we use to manufacture our graphics and chipset products and products for consumer electronics devices are located in Taiwan. A significant amount of our inventories for our graphics and consumer electronics businesses are stored in Taiwan prior to delivery to customers. Many of our assembly, testing and packaging suppliers for our graphics products are also located in southern Taiwan. On September 22, 1999, Taiwan suffered a major earthquake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale and disrupted the operations of these manufacturing suppliers and contributed to a temporary shortage of graphics processors. Additional earthquakes, fires or other occurrences that disrupt our manufacturing suppliers may occur in the future. To the extent that the supply from our independent foundries or suppliers is interrupted for a prolonged period of time or terminated for any reason, we may not have sufficient time to replace our supply of products manufactured by those foundries.

Moreover, our corporate headquarters are located near major earthquake fault lines in California. In the event of a major earthquake, or other natural or manmade disaster, we could experience loss of life of our employees, destruction of facilities or business interruptions, any of which could materially adversely affect us.

Our business is subject to potential tax liabilities.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States, Canada and other foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the final determination of any tax audits and litigation will not be materially different from that which is reflected in historical income tax provisions and accruals. Should additional taxes be assessed as a result of an audit or litigation, there could be a material effect on our cash, income tax provision and net income in the period or periods for which that determination is made.

For example, the Canadian Revenue Agency, or CRA, is in the process of auditing ATI for the years 1999 -2004 with respect to transactions between ATI and its subsidiaries. We could be subject to significant tax liability as well as a loss of certain tax credits and other tax attributes as a result of the CRA audit.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations.

The trading price of our common stock has historically fluctuated significantly. The price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in the future in response to many events or factors, including those discussed in the risk factors above, as well as:

 

   

actual or anticipated fluctuations in operating results;

 

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changes in expectations as to future financial performance or buy/sell recommendations of securities analysts;

 

   

our, or a competitor’s, announcement of new products, services or innovations; and

 

   

the operating and stock price performance of other comparable companies.

General market conditions and domestic or international macroeconomic factors unrelated to our performance may also affect the price of our common stock. For these reasons, investors should not rely on recent trends to predict future prices of our common stock or financial results.

Our issuance of preferred stock could adversely affect holders of common stock.

Our board of directors is authorized to issue series of preferred stock without any action on the part of our holders of common stock. Our board of directors also has the power, without stockholder approval, to set the terms of any such series of preferred stock that may be issued, including voting rights, dividend rights, preferences over our common stock with respect to dividends or if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our business and other terms. If we issue preferred stock in the future that has preference over our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the rights of holders of our common stock or the price of our common stock could be adversely affected.

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may make an acquisition of us more difficult.

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may make an acquisition of us more difficult. These provisions:

 

   

authorize our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval and to designate the rights, preferences and privileges of each class; if issued, such preferred stock would increase the number of outstanding shares of our capital stock and could include terms that may deter an acquisition of us;

 

   

establish advanced notice requirements for nominations to the board of directors or for proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings; and

 

   

limit who may call stockholder meetings.

In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may prohibit large stockholders from consummating a merger with, or acquisition of, us.

These provisions may deter an acquisition of us that might otherwise be attractive to stockholders.

We have no present intention of paying dividends on our common stock.

We have never paid any cash dividends on our common stock and have no present plans to do so. In addition, under the terms of the indenture governing our 7.75% notes, we are limited in our ability to pay cash dividends unless we obtain the written consent of the lenders and bondholders. Specifically, we are prohibited from paying cash dividends if the aggregate amount of dividends and other restricted payments made by us since entering into the indenture would exceed the sum of specified financial measures including 50 percent of consolidated net income as that term is defined in the indenture.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains and incorporates by reference forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events as we cannot assure you that the events or circumstances reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology including “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “pro forma,” “estimates,” or “anticipates” or the negative of these words and phrases or other variations of these words and phrases or comparable terminology.

The forward-looking statements relate to, among other things:

 

   

our cost reduction efforts;

 

   

the timing of new product releases;

 

   

the growth and competitive landscape of the markets in which we participate;

 

   

our revenues;

 

   

our capital expenditures;

 

   

our operating expenses;

 

   

our depreciation and amortization expense;

 

   

our acquisition-related charges;

 

   

our income tax expense;

 

   

our aggregate contractual obligations;

 

   

availability of external financing;

 

   

the adequacy of resources to fund operations and capital expenditures;

 

   

the timing of manufacturing process technology transitions; and

 

   

the impact of our acquisition of ATI on us.

The material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the following:

 

   

the expected rate of market growth and demand for our products and technologies (and the mix thereof);

 

   

our expected market share;

 

   

our expected product and manufacturing costs and average selling prices;

 

   

our overall competitive position and the competitiveness of our current and future products;

 

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our ability to introduce new products and effect transitions to more advanced manufacturing process technologies, consistent with our current plans in terms of timing and capital expenditures;

 

   

our ability to raise sufficient capital on favorable terms; and

 

   

our ability to make additional investment in research and development and that such opportunities will be available.

The material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following:

 

   

that Intel Corporation’s pricing, marketing and rebating programs, product bundling, standard setting, new product introductions or other activities may negatively impact sales;

 

   

that our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial position and prevent us from implementing our strategy or fulfilling our contractual obligations;

 

   

that our cost reduction plans strategy, may not be effective;

 

   

that we may be unable to raise sufficient capital, on favorable terms or at all;

 

   

that we may be unable to realize all of the anticipated benefits of our recent acquisition of ATI because, among other things, the revenues, cost savings, growth prospects and any other synergies expected from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected;

 

   

that we may be unable to maintain the level of investment in research and development and capacity that is required to remain competitive;

 

   

that we may be unable to develop, launch and ramp new products and technologies in the volumes and mix required by the market at mature yields and on a timely basis;

 

   

that we may be unable to transition to advanced manufacturing process technologies in a timely and effective way, consistent with planned capital expenditures;

 

   

that there may be unexpected variations in market growth and demand for our products and technologies in light of the product mix that we may have available at any particular time or a decline in demand;

 

   

that we may be unable to improve the efficiency of our supply chain;

 

   

that we may be unable to increase or even maintain sales to the distribution channel;

 

   

that we may be unable to obtain sufficient manufacturing capacity (either in our own facilities or at foundries) or components to meet demand for our products;

 

   

that we may under-utilize our microprocessor manufacturing facilities; and

 

   

the effect of political or economic instability, domestically or internationally, on our sales or production.

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s analysis only. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock for general corporate purposes, which may include reducing our outstanding indebtedness, increasing our working capital, acquisitions and capital expenditures. Pending the application of the net proceeds, we expect to invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing instruments or other investment-grade securities.

 

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

We, directly or through agents, dealers or underwriters designated from time to time, may offer, issue and sell, together or separately, up to $700,000,000 in the aggregate of shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

When an offering of shares of common stock occurs, a supplement to this prospectus will be delivered with this prospectus, which will set forth the terms of the offering and sale of the shares of common stock.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $.10 par value per share. As of November 1, 2007, 554,642,636 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. There are no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.

The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders, including the election of directors. Stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights, and, accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares voting for the election of directors can elect the entire board if they choose to do so and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any person to the board of directors.

The holders of common stock are entitled to receive such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors, in its discretion, from funds legally available therefor and subject to prior dividend rights of holders of any shares of preferred stock which may be outstanding. However, the terms of certain of our borrowing arrangements restrict our ability to declare or pay dividends on our common stock in certain circumstances. Upon liquidation or dissolution of the company subject to prior liquidation rights of the holders of preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive on a pro rata basis the remaining assets of the company available for distribution. Holders of common stock have no preemptive or other subscription rights, and there are no conversion rights or redemption or sinking fund provisions with respect to such shares. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell shares of common stock to one or more underwriters for public offering and sale by them and may also sell shares of common stock to investors directly or through agents. Any such underwriter or agent involved in the offer and sale of shares of common stock will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We have reserved the right to sell or exchange shares of common stock directly to investors on our own behalf in those jurisdictions where and in such manner as we are authorized to do so.

The distribution of shares of common stock may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices. Sales of common stock offered hereby may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or in negotiated transactions or a combination of such methods. We may also, from time to time, authorize dealers, acting as our agents, to offer and sell shares of common stock upon the terms and conditions as are set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In connection with the sale of shares of common stock, underwriters may receive compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of shares of common stock for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell shares of common stock to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Any such underwriter, dealer or agent will be identified, and any such compensation received from us will be described, in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase shares of common stock as a principal, and may then resell such shares of common stock at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

Any underwriting compensation paid by us to underwriters or agents in connection with the offering of shares of common stock, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Dealers and agents participating in the distribution of shares of common stock may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of shares of common stock may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to reimbursement by us for certain expenses.

To facilitate an offering of shares of common stock, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the price of shares of common stock. This may include over-allotments or short sales of shares of common stock, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more shares of common stock than have been sold to them by us. In such circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasing in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to such persons. In addition, such persons may stabilize or maintain the price of our common stock by bidding for or purchasing shares of common stock in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if shares of common stock sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of our common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

 

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VALIDITY OF COMMON STOCK

The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP, Menlo Park, California.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements and schedule included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements and schedule and management’s assessment are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

The financial statements of ATI as of August 31, 2006 and for the year then ended, have been audited by KPMG LLP, independent auditors, and have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP also incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

We have elected to “incorporate by reference” certain information into this prospectus. By incorporating by reference, we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document we have filed or furnished with the SEC. However, unless expressly listed below, no document or information that we have “furnished” or may in the future “furnish” with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act shall be incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that we have previously filed or furnished with the SEC:

 

   

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006;

 

   

Information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 from our 2007 Proxy Statement;

 

   

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2007, June 30, 2007 and September 29, 2007;

 

   

Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on January 9, 2007; and

 

   

Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 14, 2007, April 23, 2007, April 24, 2007, April 30, 2007, May 9, 2007, May 31, 2007, June 20, 2007, August 9, 2007, August 14, 2007, August 23, 2007 and November 6, 2007;

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on September 14, 1979.

All documents filed by us pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the common stock shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and to be a part hereof from and after the respective dates of filing of such documents. Information contained in documents that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information contained in this prospectus.

You may obtain copies of these documents without charge by writing to us at Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., One AMD Place, P.O. Box 3453, Sunnyvale, California 94088-3453.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC relating to our business, financial condition and other matters. We are required to disclose in such proxy statements certain information, as of particular dates, concerning our directors and officers, their remuneration, stock options granted to them, the principal holders of our securities and any material interest of such persons in transactions with us. Such reports, proxy statements and other information may be inspected at the SEC’s public reference facilities at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information on the operation of the public reference room. Copies of such material can also be obtained at prescribed rates by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section at the address set forth above or by accessing the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

 

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$700,000,000

LOGO

Common Stock

 


PROSPECTUS

 


You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of this prospectus. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted.

 



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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.

The expenses payable by the registrant in connection with the distribution of the securities being registered herein are as set forth in the following table. All of the amounts shown are estimates except the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee.

 

     Amount

Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee

   $ 21,490

Legal fees and expenses

     50,000

Accounting fees and expenses

     20,000

Transfer agent fees and expenses

     5,000

Miscellaneous expenses

     13,510

Total

   $ 110,000

 

ITEM 15. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

We are a Delaware corporation. Subsection (b)(7) of Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) enables a corporation in its original certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of the director’s fiduciary duty except (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL (providing for liability of directors for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions) or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the DGCL empowers a corporation to indemnify any present or former director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or any individual serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another organization, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding provided that such director, officer, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, provided further that such director, officer, employee or agent had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation to indemnify any present or former director, officer, employee or agent who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit provided that such director, officer, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification may be made in respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such director, officer, employee or agent shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such director, officer, employee or agent is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director, officer, employee or agent has been successful in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she

 

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shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith and that indemnification and advancement of expenses provided for, by or granted pursuant to Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled and empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a present or former director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or any individual serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer or employee of another organization, against any liability asserted against him or her or incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liabilities under Section 145.

Article 8 of our certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides for the elimination of liability of our directors to the extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. Article VIII of our By-Laws, as amended, provides for indemnification of our directors or officers or those individuals serving at our request as a director or officer of another organization, to the extent permitted by Delaware law. In addition, we are bound by agreements with certain of our directors and officers which obligate us to indemnify such persons in various circumstances. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by one of our directors, officers or controlling persons in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

We have in effect a directors and officers liability insurance policy indemnifying our directors and officers and the directors and officers of our subsidiaries within a specific limit for certain liabilities incurred by them, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We pay the entire premium of this policy.

We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify such director or officer against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such individual in connection with any action, suit or proceeding arising out of such individual’s status or service as one of our directors or officers, provided that such individual acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to our best interests and, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful, and to advance expenses incurred by such individual in connection with any proceeding against such individual with respect to which such individual may be entitled to indemnification by us.

We believe that our certificate of incorporation and bylaw provisions, our directors and officers liability insurance policy and our indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons to serve as our directors and officers.

 

ITEM 16. INDEX TO EXHIBITS.

 

Number   

Exhibit

  5.1    Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.
23.1    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.2    Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.3    Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to this registration statement).

 

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ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i) each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

 

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(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Sunnyvale, State of California on this 9th day of November 2007.

 

ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
By:   /s/    Devinder Kumar
  Devinder Kumar
  Senior Vice President,
  Corporate Controller

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Hector de J. Ruiz and Devinder Kumar, and each of them, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file this registration statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as they or he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/    Hector de J. Ruiz        

Hector de J. Ruiz

   Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)   November 9, 2007

/s/    Derrick R. Meyer        

Derrick R. Meyer

   Director   November 9, 2007

/s/    Devinder Kumar        

Devinder Kumar

   Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller (acting principal financial and accounting officer)   November 9, 2007

 

W. Michael Barnes

   Director   November ___, 2007

/s/    John E. Caldwell        

John E. Caldwell

   Director   November 9, 2007

 

Bruce L. Claflin

   Director   November ___, 2007

 

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Frank Clegg

   Director    November ___, 2007

/s/    H . Paulett Eberhart        

H . Paulett Eberhart

   Director    November 9, 2007

/s/    Robert B. Palmer        

Robert B. Palmer

   Director    November 9, 2007

/s/    Morton L. Topfer        

Morton L. Topfer

   Director    November 9, 2007

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Number   

Exhibit

  5.1    Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.
23.1    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.2    Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.3    Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to this registration statement).