Dell, one of the largest suppliers of personal computers, has reduced the number of AMD-based system it sells online via its web-site. While the news may be considered as a negative one for AMD, this may be a good news for smaller system builders, for whom it will be easier to get microprocessors from AMD if Dell reduces the amount of chips it gets from the globe’s No. 2 x86 microprocessor supplier.

Back on Friday it was reported by Engadget web-site that Dell had stopped selling AMD-powered machines online. Besides, the web-site also posted a screenshot from Dell’s web-site claiming that computers with AMD processors were not available online. Moreover, official representatives from the computer maker were quoted as saying that AMD-powered consumer machines were retail-only, but that business-grade machines would still be sold online.

In fact, the number of consumer PCs from Dell based on AMD processors was reduced considerably on the company’s official web-site, which may indicate that Dell is lowering the amount of models with AMD central processing units (CPUs) inside.

“Dell regularly adjusts its product offerings, and how customers can purchase those products.  Currently the majority of our Inspiron AMD-based systems are available through our retail partners such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Staples, and through telephone sales. Our AMD-based energy-efficient consumer desktop, the Energy Star 4.0 Inspiron 531 is also still available on Dell.com,” said Lionel Menchaca, digital media manager at Dell.

For years Dell only produced systems based on central processors from Intel Corp., but when it finally started to produce AMD-based computers back in 2006, many of AMD’s channel partners noticed that it became harder to get sufficient amount of CPUs from Advanced Micro Devices. Many blamed Dell for “consuming” a substantial amount of AMD’s products and consequent tight supply of AMD’s chips for channel and smaller system builders.

While Dell said that it was “committed to the AMD product lines as a long-term partner” to provide the “maximum choice” for their customers, the actual reasons why the company decided to shrink the number of AMD-based models remain unclear.