Intel cuts processor prices

Intel cuts processor prices
Intel has announced that it has cut the price on three of its processors in its latest round of price cuts, while it has also introduced a few new models as well.

The biggest change is the Core 2 Quad Q6700, which first launched as a Core 2 Extreme in November 2006 then carrying a price tag of $999 USD per chip in 1,000 unit trays.

With the latest price change, it's now sitting at just $266 USD per chip in the same quantities – this is down from its previous $530 USD price point and represents a 50 percent price cut and effectively kicks AMD's Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition into touch.

As a result of this change, the Core 2 Quad Q6600 has also received a price cut as well, meaning that Intel is further encroaching into any market that AMD had a chance in – it's now sitting down at $224 USD per chip in 1,000 unit quantities, which represents a 16 percent reduction.

The third processor to receive the price cut treatment is the Core 2 Duo E6850, which has dropped from $266 USD to $183 USD – a drop of 31 percent. Since this was once priced at the same level as the Q6600, does it mean that Intel believes the Q6600 is a better processor moving forwards? Quite possibly – it certainly seems to be the choice among enthusiasts at the moment... and it's for good reason too.

New processors that have appeared on Intel's price list include the Core 2 Quad Q9400—a 2.66GHz quad-core CPU with 6MB of shared L2 cache (3MB per pair of cores), just like the Q9300—that hits a price of $266 USD. It's clear that Intel is pushing the move to 45nm, but the question is whether it can keep up with the demand, as we're already seeing shortages on the market.

Finally, Intel has added the Core 2 Duo E8300 and E7200 processors to its line up – the first is a 2.83GHz dual-core CPU with 6MB of shared L2 cache, while the second is a 2.53GHz dual-core CPU with 3MB of shared L2. These chips hit price points of $163 and $133 respectively and we'll be trying to get hold of them for testing as soon as possible.

Following the introduction of the AMD Phenom X3 8750, the market is starting to look a little interesting as users now have to choose between core count and raw MHz more than ever before. Raw MHz is currently the favourite, as the Phenom X3 8750's pricing appears to be a little out of whack on launch day. I'm sure it'll settle down over time though.

Share your thoughts with us on these price cuts in the forums.



From: bit-tech.net