AMD To Launch 45nm Phenom Processors This Month?

by Marco Chiappetta — Tuesday, November 04, 2008, 04:31 PM EDT

Although the lion's share of news these past couple of days pertains to Intel's Core i7 unveiling, information about AMD's next salvo of desktop processors has slowly been leaking as well. According to a story posted today on the Digitimes website, AMD will be launching a pair of new 45nm quad-core Phenom processors sometime this month...

"AMD is planning to launch two 45nm quad-core desktop CPUs (Deneb) – the Phenom X4 20550 and 20350 for socket AM2+ systems with core frequencies of 3GHz and 2.8GHz, respectively in November this year, according to sources at motherboard makers. The company will also launch six 45nm triple-core CPUs (Heka and Regor) including 14x00, 12x00 and 1xx00e series. These triple-core CPUs will enter design validation test (DVT) and start shipping in the first quarter next year.

AMD will also launch six high-end 45nm quad-core CPUs (Deneb) and four entry-level (Propus) including 20x00, 18x00, 16x00 and 1xx00e series. To prevent impact on its mainstream dual-core Athlon X2 CPUs, AMD has decided to let its 45nm AM3-based dual-core CPU (Regor) enter DVT stage by the end of the second quarter next year and will start shipping in the third quarter. The company has planned three 65W CPUs model numbered 10x00 for the category.

Although the company will largely enter the 45nm generation, in order to prevent potential yield rate problems from the new process, AMD will launch seven 65nm CPUs including three quad-core Phenom X4 CPUs (Agena) – 9950 (120W), 9850 (95W) and 9450e (65W), and two Athlon X2 CPUs (Kuma) – 7750 and 7550 in the first quarter of 2009, while two low-power Athlon X2 CPUs (Brisbane) – 5050e and 3250e, will launch in the near future."

There is also some news regarding potential price cuts for AMD's already relatively low-prices line of 65nm Phenoms, and information about some existing products going EOL in the not too distant future.

Tags: AMD, Processors, processor, Phenom, CES, 45nm, process, HIS, launch, pro, SSO, AM

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com