According to the latest news on the web, Advanced Micro Devices’ next-generation Deneb-based Phenom II microprocessors are slated for a December launch. To be more precise, the chips are said to be starting shipping on December 20 in the United States, while arriving two days earlier in Europe, on the 18th. As the news indicates, we'll be seeing both the OEM and retail versions of the Phenom II 920 and Phenom II 940 CPUs.

The information on the AMD upcoming chips is said to have been unveiled by an AMD processor distributor only a few days ago. Moreover, pricing for the CPUs has also been disclosed, and word is that the new Phenom II X4 920 (2.8GHz) is expected to feature a price tag of around $235, while the X4 940 (3GHz) should be sold for about $275.

The price range of the next-to-come Phenom II processors will be slightly different in Europe, where the chips are expected to cost €220 for the X4 920, and €250 to €260 for the X4 940 series. Those considering making such an acquisition should also add tax to the numbers. As stated above, the distributor confirmed the chips should hit the EU market on December 18th.

If AMD does not plan to make any change to the announced pricing, then the Phenom II X4 940 chip would cost just a little less than the Intel Core 2 Quad 9550 CPU. At the same time, the X4 920 should be priced slightly under the Core 2 Quad Q9400.

As many of you already know, AMD previously announced planning to launch its Phenom II processor cores based on the company's new Deneb architecture in January 2009. Considering the fact that AMD is now reported to launch its CPUs before Christmas, we may witness some price cuts from Intel during the holiday season.