AMD's recent introduction of the Radeon HD 4800 series has impressed many people, from reviewers to purchasers, and some have lauded the cards as AMD/ATI's return to the market. That would definitely be a boon to AMD given that both their GPU and CPU markets have suffered since around the time of the AMD/ATI acquisition. Just how much will the cards help them out, though?

According to recent speculation, AMD might be able to capture up to 40% of the discrete market by the end of 3Q08. The reasons are pretty plain, with the HD 4800 cards not only delivering on performance promises but also coming in at a very nice price point. Time will tell, and though this is only speculation, it's a real possibility that would benefit us. Many were disappointed by the 9000 series GeForce cards, and the newest Nvidia offerings are rarely friendly on the wallet – some healthy competition is due.