In view of the potential short supply of Athlon 64 processors, first-tier Taiwanese motherboard makers are negotiating with Advanced Micro Devices to bundle their motherboards with AMD's new-generation processors for sale in the retail market, according to the companies. According to executives from Asustek Computer, Elitegroup Computer Systems, Micro-Star International and Gigabyte Technology, the companies plan to purchase the processors directly from AMD and then sell them together with their motherboards.
The motherboard makers said they have approached AMD with the plan, but have yet to finalize any deals. AMD said it is giving favorable consideration to the request from motherboard makers and will strive to meet its customers' needs. For initial sale of the Athlon 64-bundled products, motherboard companies said they would target the high-end market due to their relative high prices.
News source: DigiTimes