Very reliable sources have confirmed that AMD will push a 1.5GHz Athlon out of the door of its Dresden fab at the beginning of next year.

The speed rev is possible now, but AMD wants to ensure that it sells enough Athlons between now and Christmas to ensure its new tradition of posting profitable quarters continues unabated.

Short of a disaster such as an earthquake or a general conflagration, its Dresden plant is ramping chip speeds to over 950MHz.

However, the same sources said that AMD has to be very careful it doesn't put all its golden eggs in one basket, which is why senior suits, such as Hector Ruiz and Jerry Sanders III are making frantic efforts to find a location for a new fab.

AMD refuses to comment on speculation about unannounced products, a little like Intel. ®