Quad FX finally hits stores, but with a premium

On November 30 last year, AMD introduced its Quad FX platform, promising immediate availability of Quad FX dual-processor kits and of the lone accompanying motherboard. As we saw last month, however, the hardware was nowhere to be seen for a quite while after the launch.

Well, Quad FX chips and the dual-socket Asus L1N64-SLI WS have finally appeared on some online retailers’ websites over the past few days, with spotty availability. Unfortunately, enthusiasts eager to build themselves a Quad FX rig will have to deal with more disappointments: Quad FX chips are sold individually at a $25-50 premium, and the Asus mobo is not only out of stock but also priced $30-80 above the launch figure.

Here’s a table comparing launch prices with prices from Newegg and ZipZoomFly, which are the only two online retailers to sell Quad FX hardware according to our price search engine:

Of course, we should point out that neither AMD nor Asus have control over retail prices. Still, at those prices, someone looking to build a machine with a pair of Athlon 64 FX-74 chips will have to pay with a premium of either $129 or $181, depending on the retailer. Considering Quad FX hardware was supposed to hit stores with lower price tags over a month ago, those premiums might not sit well with many users.

We quizzed an AMD spokesman about the subject, and he confirmed that AMD has not changed its official prices on FX processors. We also asked Asus about its motherboard pricing, but the company has yet to answer.