AMD hits a sweet spot with full-fat Antigua XT. AMD continues to hold a soft spot in the hearts of many enthusiasts, but as 2015 draws to a close even the company's most fervent fans would have to agree, these are tough times for the industry's favourite underdog.

The firm's CPUs serve almost exclusively as minor-league alternatives to Intel's big-game players, and there are similar concerns in the desktop graphics space, where AMD continues to lose ground on rival Nvidia. Despite the launch of the HBM-equipped, liquid-cooled, all-singing, all-dancing Radeon R9 Fury X, Nvidia's market share continues to climb and has now risen to over 80 per cent.