Initial announcements of desktop systems using the processors have appeared from manufacturers including Dell and HP. The retail launch announced in September 2007 for the first quarter of 2008 therefore appeared to remain on schedule.
AMD developed the processors in response to PC manufacturers seeking a product between dual- and quad-core systems. Spokesperson Stephan Schwolow says the additional core at an attractive price is intended to appeal to customers.
The retail price gap between AMD’s high-end Athlon 64 X2 6400+ dual-core processor and quad-core Phenom CPUs was already narrow, falling below €20 at some online retailers. AMD argued that component savings of even a few euros can matter to users assembling their own computers.
Manufacturers nevertheless showed interest in the three-core processors. A Dell brochure listed them for OptiPlex 740 systems. Hewlett-Packard’s Bulgarian website listed a system with an AMD Phenom Triple-Core 8600B running at 2.3 GHz, with 1.5 MB of L2 cache and a 3600 MHz front-side bus. UK supplier Mesh Computers was also advertising triple-core systems, including a 2.1 GHz processor.
