AMD changes CPU schedules

AMD has updated schedule to phase out several Phenom II X4 900 series CPUs, while launch a new model in 2010, according to sources at motherboard makersaccording to digitimes.

AMD has already stopped taking orders for Phenom II X4 910 (2.6GHz/95W) and 945 (3.0GHz/125W) CPU in fourth-quarter 2009 and will completely stop shipments in the second quarter of 2010.

The company will stop order placements for Phenom II X4 965 (3.4GHz/140W) and 925 (2.8GHz/95W) CPUs in the first quarter of 2010, while orders for the Phenom II X4 955 (3.2GHz/125W) are scheduled to end in the second quarter. In the second quarter of 2010, AMD will launch a 95W Phenom II X4 955 processor.

In addition to the Phenom II X4 900 series, AMD will also stop taking orders for several Phenom II X4 800, X3 700, X2 500, Athlon II X4 600, X3 400 series CPUs next year, leaving the Phenom II X4 820, Phenom II X3 740 and Phenom II X2 550 in its lineup. AMD will launch the 80W Phenom II X2 555 later in fourth-quarter 2009, and the 95W Athlon II X4 640 and 95W Athlon II X2 445 in the second quarter of 2010.

In additional news, AMD will also bring forward the launch of its six-core desktop CPU codenamed Thuban to the second quarter of 2010. Thuban adopts a 45nm process and socket AM3 packaging, while featuring six 512KB L2 cache, 6MB L3 cache, and a core frequency of 2.8GHz.

AMD reduced prices of several Phenom II and Athlon II CPUs: Phenom II X4 965 dropped from US$245 to US$195, Phenom II X4 955 from US$245 to US$175, Athlon II X2 250 from US$87 to US$69 and Athlon II X2 245 from US$66 to US$64, according to the company.