AMD unveils trio of quad-core Phenom chips

Advanced Micro Devices Tuesday unveiled three new quad-core Phenom X4 processors, including a high-end Black Edition chip.

The 2.6GHz AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition processors are aimed at power users and gamers, according to a report from AMD. And the 2.0GHz AMD Phenom X4 9350e and 1.8GHz AMD Phenom X4 9150e processors also were released Tuesday, with a focus on the energy-conscious consumer.

"These processors, under the most extreme operation, consume no more than 65 watts, delivering the performance of four independent cores at a low wattage," said AMD in a written release. "[They're] ideal for development of small and sleek form factors that can help cut down on energy consumption, take up little space, and operate with low noise."

In April, AMD released three new triple-core Phenom processors, continuing what has been a new product push for the chipmaker this year.

Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat, said in an earlier interview, that simply shipping new products is a good step for a company that staggered dramatically in 2007 and was forced to delay product releases.

"They're rounding out their product portfolio," he said. "The biggest thing is having a dual core, a triple core and a quad core. They've got different performance, frequency and price ranges. It's very important they're coming out with new product."