14 DAY TRIAL // There have been many rumors about AMD's upcoming desktop platforms, especially since the world's second largest chip maker is expected to up the performance ante with the release of its first, consumer-grade, six-core processors, codenamed Thuban. On that note, it appears that the rumor mill continues to turn, as more pieces of news about the company's upcoming products have just hit the web. According to the latest details, AMD is scheduled to release two new platforms in May 2010, namely the previously rumored Leo platform and the new Dorado, aimed at the enthusiast and mainstream market segments, respectively.
In a recent news article on Digitimes, citing the ever-so-popular sources at motherboard makers, the Sunnyvale, California-based chip maker is said to be planning the release of two new desktop platforms, due out in May 2010. Designed for computer enthusiasts and mainstream users, the Leo and Dorado platforms will consist of AMD's latest desktop processors, including the 45nm Phenom II series and the Athlon II CPUs, respectively.
According to said article, the 45nm Phenom II, six-core Thuban processors will be paired with either the 890FX or 890GX (RD890) northbridge and SB850 southbridge chipsets and the ATI Radeon HD 5000 series graphics cards. This multi-core platform should deliver an impressive level of performance, compared with that of the company's current products. Meanwhile, the mainstream Athlon II CPUs will be combined with the 880G (RS880P) northbridge and the SB810 southbridge chipsets. This series will also provide users with a choice for a Radeon HD 5000-series GPU, most likely from the company's mainstream Radeon family of graphics processors.
While the information might prove accurate, you should take everything with a grain of salt, as, for the time being, this is just a rumor, especially since it's the chip maker's policy not to comment on unannounced products.