Amid stiff barriers from 90nm and 65nm conversion, sources at Taiwan motherboard makers
do not expect AMD to roll out the highest frequency 2.6GHz version of its new quad-core Phenom CPU family before 2008.
AMD declined to comment on the speculation, saying that it cannot reveal details about the upcoming Phenom launch.
The sources noted that AMD will only introduce two Phenom CPU at the November 19 launch, the 2.2GHz 9500 and 2.3GHz 9600 models. A 2.4GHz 9700 model is expected to launch during December, but a 2.6GHz one will not be introduced until 2008, they noted.
While expressing satisfaction about the new 65nm desktop CPU lineup, the motherboard makers explained the key reason for AMD failing to meet its roadmap on the launch of a 2.6GHz Phenom is because of barriers relating to conversion to 65nm.
However, the sources highlighted the competitive pricing that AMD is planning to offer. Prices for the 9500 and 9600 CPUs may be as low as US$250 and US$270 for some channels and OEMs, while the officially announced prices will be US$280 and US$320. The 9700 processor will be priced at around US$300, the sources added.
digitimes.com 
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