If you can’t afford to buy a quad-core desktop processor, maybe you should wait until next year when AMD will be ready to launch a triple-core.

Yesterday, the chip maker added AMD Phenom triple-core processors to its desktop roadmap. Phenom is the same brand name used by AMD for its quad-core desktop processors which are due to be delivered until the end of this year.

According to AMD’s statement, AMD Phenom triple-core processors will be the world’s first PC processors to integrate three computational cores on a single die of silicon and they will be available in Q1 2008.

That’s an improvement over Intel's quad-core processors that have two dual-core silicon chips inside a multi-chip package that does not include the memory controller.

The multi-core design of the upcoming AMD Phenom processor is based on Direct Connect Architecture, features an integrated memory controller and in addition, this next-generation architecture includes AMD’s Balanced Smart Cache for rapid access to memory, with a shared L3 cache for leading-edge performance on multi-threaded software.

With HyperTransport 3.0 and up to 16 GB/second of high bandwidth I/O, upcoming AMD Phenom processors are designed by AMD especially for the ultimate visual experience with amazing HD video and gaming resolutions, as well as high-speed disk and network interfaces. In addition, Cool‘n’Quiet 2.0 technology enables independent frequency adjustments to each processor core, and the HyperTransport bus and memory controller for a cooler and quieter PC.

By announcing these triple cores processors AMD kind of acknowledged that the consumer’s demand for quad-core solutions hasn’t been too high so far. Still, a multiple core solutions means a significant performance improvement especially in multitasking usage models and multi-threaded applications and in certain gaming and digital content creation scenarios.

“With our advanced multi-core architecture, AMD is in a unique position to enable a wider range of premium desktop solutions, providing a smarter choice for customers and end users,” said Greg White, vice president and general manager, Desktop Division, AMD. “This innovation is a direct result of our development of the industry’s first true, native quad-core design, coupled with AMD’s manufacturing flexibility, to create multi-core processors in two, three, and four computational core configurations on a single die of silicon”, he added.

By including a triple-core processor in its roadmap AMD is trying to be ahead of its rival Intel. Having a processor that offer a better performance than an dual-core chip, but cheaper than a quad-core solution, could boost AMD revenues especially since the company will be able to use quad-core parts where one of the processor cores does not meet quality controls.

"Our research shows that the competition is having trouble getting demand for their quad-core parts. Triple-core hits the sweet spot for users that need more power than dual-core, but don't want the high price associated with quad," said Brent Barry, AMD's product manager for desktop.

Earlier this month AMD unveiled its Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor (code-named Barcelona) for servers manufactured using a 65-nanometer process. These are the first server chips from the company made using this technology.

AMD said the new chips are designed to operate within the same thermal envelopes as current generation of Opteron processors, but the company estimates that the new ones can provide a performance increase up to 70 percent on certain database applications and up to 40 percent on certain floating point applications.

According to the company the processor cores used in the announced Phenom line are very similar to those in Quad-Core AMD Opteron but there are differences in the overall chip design.