November 4, 2008 (Computerworld) Intel Corp.'s new Atom processor helped drive the worldwide microprocessor market to a new shipment record in the third quarter, Nonetheless, analysts say darker times loom ahead.

Research firm IDC this week released a report showing that third-quarter PC chip shipments grew 14% compared to the second quarter, and 15.8% compared to the same quarter in 2007. Chip sales rose by 4.1% year over year to hit $8.3 billion in the third quarter.

Chip shipments got a hefty boost from sales of the Atom processor, which helped the market overcome a turbulent worldwide economy, according to the IDC report. Global shipments for the new processor, which is geared toward ultraportable computers, or netbooks, grew by 8.3% from the second quarter to the third.