AMD is setting up to launch its first set of Sempron processors for the recently released AM3 socket.

The new CPUs will embrace the move to DDR3 and are targeted for the budget market and media centre systems. The chips are single-core units codenamed “Sagras” and based off the cores in the Athlon II X2 line.  The initial product release will feature the Sempron 140, which is rumoured debut later this week.

Along with bringing DDR3 to the budget category, the Sempron 140 will feature an incredibly low power design. Manufactured using the 45nm process, it has a rated TDP of only 45W. The single core will operate at a speed of 2.7GHz and feature a 1MB L2 Cache. Consumers not wanting to go the DDR3 route, will still be able to utilize DDR2 with motherboards that support  both AM2+/AM3 CPU’s

With no official price being released, estimates put the cost of the processor at around $40USD making it an extremely affordable option for simple computing.