The company aims to add DDR3 support to Phenom II by the middle of 2009, but could push that up depending on factors including pricing of the memory, said John Taylor, an AMD spokesman.

To support DDR3 memory, the company will introduce the AM3 socket, Taylor said. Motherboards with the AM3 socket will support AMD's upcoming Phenom II CPU.

AM3's launch could be as early as "a few" months after the release of the Phenom II processor, which is scheduled for launch in January.

"We want to look at hitting the market at the right time with the right product," Taylor said. The company will take into account the cost of DDR3 memory and the benefits it delivers to customers before deciding on a release date, he said.

AMD plans to transition to DDR3 memory support for servers with the Maranello platform in 2010. The Maranello platform includes the six-core Sao Paulo and 12-core Magny-Cours chips.