AMD Reintroduces FX Brand for High-End CPUs and Platforms

Even though the first Zambezi desktop processors based on the Bulldozer architecture won't arrive until later this summer, AMD just reintroduced the FX brand for PC processors and platforms at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

The first platform to get the FX designation is called Sabine and is comprised out of the AMD 9-series chipset motherboards, the Radeon HD 6000 series graphics cards and the not-yet-released Zambezi FX processors.

These CPUs won't actually be released until August or September of 2011, so this is just one of AMD's attempts to build up some hype around its future processors.

"AMD's FX brand will enable an over-the-top experience for PC enthusiasts," said Leslie Sobon, vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, AMD.

"By combining an unlocked, native eight-core processor, the latest in chipset technology, and AMD's latest graphics cards, FX customers will enjoy an unrivalled feature set and amazing control over their PC's performance," concluded the company's rep.

AMD's Zambezi FX-series processors were supposed to launch this June, but AMD seems to be having issues with the clock speeds achieved, as the chips are too slow to compete with Intel's offerings at this point.

In order to resolve these problems, reports suggest that the Sunnyvale-based company plans to build a new revision of the CPU that is going to carry the B2 stepping.

The initial FX launch was expected to include four processors based on the Bulldozer architecture, two featuring eight processing cores while the other two packed six and four CPU cores, respectively.

All four chips were targeting the high-end desktop space and were supposed to feature an unlocked multiplier, support for AMD's Turbo Core 2.0 technology and an integrated dual-channel DDR3-1866MHz controller.

Pricing ranges from $190, for the quad-core FX-4110, to $320, for the eight-core FX-8130P.