The last few years have been a challenge for AMD's CPU division. The Bulldozer microarchitecture which defined their lineup for the last half decade (along with its Piledriver, Steamroller and Excavator updates) proved to be a disappointment, APUs haven't gained a foothold in key markets and key ULV processors like Mullins never critical mass. This may sound like a doomsday-style intro but there's been a number of recently-announced elements that may help redefine AMD's image in the eyes of potential customers.

Even though they have been facing an uphill battle AMD is in the process of rolling out several updates in an effort to refresh their desktop lineup. Motherboards have been updated with new features, additional APUs are being introduced and even the venerable Athlons are receiving a much-needed injection of adrenalin. There's also been some news about the highly anticipated AM4 socket alongside the Bristol Ridge and Summit Ridge platforms for the Zen microarchitecture. All of these things point towards a resurgence of AMD's product stack in their efforts to better compete against the Intel juggernaut.