Advanced Micro Devices said on Friday that it has changed the release date of its upcoming desktop processor in an attempt to better serve the market.

The chip maker said that it will delay its quad-core Phenom processor, pushing the product back to the second quarter of 2008 from the first quarter.

In the first quarter, AMD plans to ship the 65 watt 9000e processor, listed as an energy-efficient quad-core product; and the company's first tri-core chip, called the 8000.

Both products are aimed at mainstream customers, who account for about 60% of the chip market, AMD spokesman Jake Whitman said. The remainder of the market is served by low-end products that trade power for lower prices.

This is not a manufacturing issue. It's an issue of prioritizing on customer feedback, Whitman said. While the enthusiast market is immensely important, AMD made the decision this time to serve mainstream customers first.