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Distributors flesh out retail pricing for AMD's next-generation desktop processors

Retailers and distributors began to solidify the final details of AMD's upcoming Phenom processors. Conversations with various e-tailers reveal the SKUs along with the retail prices (not bulk pricing) of three upcoming Phenom processors.

Manufacturers are currently setting the launch price of AMD's Phenom X4 9500, which features a 95-Watt thermal envelope and a 2.2GHz operating frequency, at $280.00. The SKU for the new processor is HD9500WCGDBOX.

The Phenom X4 9600 features a 2.3GHz operating frequency along with 512KB of L2 cache per core. Retailers are planning to launch the new chip at $320. The SKU of the chip will be HD9600WCGDBOX.

Finally, retailers are also indicating that the AMD Phenom X4 9700 will make its debut with the SKU HD9700XAGDBOX and at a retail price of $330. The Phenom X4 9700 is slightly more high-end compared to the Phenom X4 9600 and Phenom X4 9500, and features a 2.4GHz operating speed along with a 125-Watt Thermal Design Power envelope. 

AMD's original roadmap slated the clock frequency for the Phenom 9600 at 2.4 GHz; the original clock frequency for the 9700 was at 2.6 GHz.  It might be easy to assume the worst with the sudden decrease in core frequencies, though the change could also be attributed to creative marketing plans.

Earlier this year AMD demonstrated 3.0 GHz Phenom samples. AMD will not launch these high-frequency Phenom processors this year, at least according to AMD's roadmap.

Expect AMD to lift its embargo on these 2.2 to 2.4 GHz desktop processors on November 19, 2007, with additional details on the Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD 3870 graphics processor.

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hmm
By Gul Westfale on 11/6/2007 8:48:49 AM , Rating: 2
this doesn't seem expensive for a quad-core chip, but everything depends on whether intel lowers their prices to take some wind out of AMD's sails, and whether or not the performance can keep up with a core2.




RE: hmm
By Goty on 11/6/2007 9:01:00 AM , Rating: 3
You can be sure that Intel will try to undercut the Phenom pricing by at least a little bit. The only question is going to be about how fast AMD can ramp up production of the X4 and X3 (when they decide to release it) and how fast they can ramp up the clockspeeds.


RE: hmm
By Gul Westfale on 11/6/2007 9:11:47 AM , Rating: 2
if they get into another price war with intel (and i think the ywill) then the difference in pricing between the x4 and the x3 might make the x3 obsolete before it is even launched.


RE: hmm
By drank12quartsstrohsbeer on 11/6/2007 9:53:38 AM , Rating: 3
yeah, it seens that AMD is having a hard time competing on performance or price at the current time.

To make these more attractive, they should sell them with unlocked multipliers (or is that the plan already?)


RE: hmm
By hannibal the mechanical bull on 11/6/2007 10:13:27 AM , Rating: 2
yes, itws going to be a tough quarter for AMD. Hopefully the rumored next spin of silicon can increase clock speeds. If not, they have to wait for 45nm, and Intel is not exactly sitting still these days.


RE: hmm
By Black69ta on 11/6/2007 10:17:48 AM , Rating: 4
X3 obsolete? With a native quad core the problem is that if one core fails the whole chip is scrapped correct? So, with the X3 one of the 4 cores could be bad and they could sell the remaining 3 cores to help bolster profits. After all, even if they only sold for a dollar it a Dollar that cost nothing extra to get, since otherwise they would have to just toss the whole die, correct?


RE: hmm
By SeeManRun on 11/6/2007 10:31:55 AM , Rating: 2
That is not true; if they sold it for a dollar they would be making a dollar, but probably losing a lot more because that customer bought an X3 for nearly free, instead of the X4. Selling the X3's at all means you rob yourself on sales of an X4 or any other processor.


RE: hmm
By murphyslabrat on 11/6/2007 10:58:09 AM , Rating: 3
Or, just discontinue production of the x2's completely, and just sell x3's as your low- to mid-range product. ^^j I won't mind, honestly! Though, Depending on the ramping of scale, it might actually be worth it.


RE: hmm
By VooDooAddict on 11/6/2007 3:51:37 PM , Rating: 3
I have to agree.

If AMD can sell the X3's for a few $$ more then a comparable clocked Core2 then I think things have gotten interesting. AMD will have really differentiated themselves in the market with mainstream "Tri"-core

Then we might all benefit with Intel pushing itself harder to get native Quad cores out the door sooner.


RE: hmm
By murphyslabrat on 11/7/2007 1:59:26 PM , Rating: 3
As far as I can see, the only benefit to Intel getting "native Quad-core" will be so that they can have "non-native" Octal-Core, with a whopping 24MB (by that time, more like 48MB) cache!


RE: hmm
By Gul Westfale on 11/6/2007 11:10:20 AM , Rating: 2
i didn't mean obsolete from their point of view; i meant it to say that no one would buy one because the price difference between x3 and x4 would become very small if they start a pricewar with intel, and thus it would be obsolete.


RE: hmm
By Roy2001 on 11/6/2007 11:52:48 AM , Rating: 3
X3 is just X4 with defects but 3 cores are still working. If AMD does not sell it as X3, should AMD dump it into garbage can? or disable another core and sell as X2?


RE: hmm
By cheetah2k on 11/7/2007 3:20:39 AM , Rating: 2
the x3 will surely fill the shoes of the old Turion


RE: hmm
By BladeVenom on 11/6/2007 9:37:23 AM , Rating: 2
Maybe a price war would bring us a cheap quadcore Allendale. Quadcore for about twice the price of a E2160 would be a great option.


RE: hmm
By Gul Westfale on 11/6/2007 9:43:53 AM , Rating: 2
pricewars are always good for the consumer, but hopefully AMD will be able to keep up with intel on performance, otherwise they'll have to lower prices so much that they won't be making any profits in the near future... and that could be bad for everyone in the long run.


RE: hmm
By System48 on 11/6/2007 10:15:58 AM , Rating: 2
They're not making any profits now.


RE: hmm
By fk49 on 11/6/2007 3:14:40 PM , Rating: 2
Well everytime AMD sells a chip, yes, they are making money. An Athlon X2 costs relatively little in materials to make -- it's just a little piece of silicon! What's driving AMD into the red is the fact that this profit cannot cover the money they pour into R+D.


RE: hmm
By imperator3733 on 11/6/2007 5:28:20 PM , Rating: 2
So therefore they are not making an overall profit.


RE: hmm
By Flunk on 11/15/2007 12:17:38 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, that is called income. Profit would be if their total expenses were less than their total income.


RE: hmm
By tayhimself on 11/6/2007 10:07:38 AM , Rating: 2
I'm all for a pricewar, but a 65nm quad-core looks poor compared to the soon to be arriving 45nm quad-core chips. Price/performance will be most likely equivalent which is great for us, the big difference will be performance/watt and so most will go for intel.


RE: hmm
By retrospooty on 11/6/2007 9:14:13 AM , Rating: 3
Yup... good price, but I still want to see benchies in true multicore apps. This is where the AMD chips are supposed to shine, since they are true quad core, not 2x dual core on a single die.