Skip the navigation
)
News

Intel drops prices of quad-core desktop chips

It's prepping for the launch of processors based on the Nehalem chip architecture

By Agam Shah
July 20, 2009 04:17 PM ET

IDG News Service - Intel dropped prices of some quad-core desktop processors on Sunday as it gets ready to launch processors based on the new Nehalem chip architecture.

The price cuts come ahead of Intel's plans to launch new quad-core chips code-named Lynnfield later this year, perhaps as early as September. Lynnfield chips are based on Intel's latest Nehalem microarchitecture, which cuts down on performance bottlenecks that plague its current chips. Nehalem chips are also able to execute more tasks while drawing less power.

An Intel official last week said that Lynnfield chips were on track for production in the second half of 2009, but didn't provide an exact shipment date. The company released Core i7 chips based on Nehalem for high-end desktops late last year, but those chips go into workstations and specialist systems built for enthusiasts like gamers.

Intel also plans to release quad-core laptop chips for laptops code-named Clarksfield at the same time as Lynnfield's release. However, the price for mobile chips remained stable over the monthly pricing cycle, according to Intel's price list.

Prices were cut on many Core 2 Quad processors that go into mainstream desktops. Prices for Core 2 Quad Q9400 and Q9300 went down by around 14% from $213 to $183. The chips come with 6MB of L2 cache and run at 2.66GHz and 2.5GHz, respectively. Prices for the slower Core 2 Quad Q8400 and Q8300 chips dropped by around 11%, while prices for low-power Core 2 Quad Q9400 and Q8400 chips dropped by 12% and 13%, respectively.

Some of the largest price drops were recorded by dual-core chips for low-end desktops. Prices dropped by 19% for Celeron E5100 chips, which runs at 2.2GHz and includes 512KB of cache, from $53 to $43. Prices for Core 2 Duo E7500 chips, which runs at 2.93GHz and includes 3MB of cache, dropped by 15% from $133 to $113.

The new price list was issued just a few days after Intel announced its financial results for the second fiscal quarter of 2009. During an earnings call, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said the PC market segment was showing signs of stabilizing, which could improve the company's chip business in the upcoming quarters.

However, Intel's chip revenue fell during the second quarter. Revenue from chips that go into servers, desktops and workstations was $3.4 billion, down from $4.1 billion a year earlier. Revenue from chips used in laptops and other mobile products was $2.55 billion, a drop from $2.74 billion last year.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Hardware White Papers
Gary Watson, CTO, Nexsan: 6 Tips for Selecting Hard Drives
What type of drives should be used for what types of data? Selecting a drive and interface can seem complex with considerations of...
10 Reasons to Modernize the Desktop
Learn how to enhance your business through VMware View
The Laptop Dilemma: How to Maximize Productivity and Lower the Burden on IT
Download Now
Practice Management: Double Billing Rate and Improve Patient Services
Would you like to double your billing rate and achieve faster payment for services?

Download this customer success story to see how One Health...
Mission Critical Data Explosion and Customer Case Study
Would you like to double your tier 1 storage capacity while simultaneously reducing your storage footprint?

Download this customer success story to see how...
All Hardware White Papers
Hardware Webcasts
Distributed Database Security with Real-time Monitoring
View this demo and learn how IBM InfoSphere Guardium database activity monitoring can help protect your sensitive data in distributed DBMS environments with...
InfoSphere Warehouse Packs Demo
These flash modules make warehousing more tangible and relevant to business users through detailed explanations of the InfoSphere Warehouse Packs.
Delivery Management -- Extending Lifecycle Management
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT

Siloed organizations continue doing the wrong things and doing things wrong, leading to increased costs,...
Leverage automation today to reduce IT complexity
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 2:00 PM EDT

Whether your B2B complexity is caused by multiple technologies due to M&A, business or application specific...
Redefine Expectations in the Data Center
Need to do more with less? Watch this video to learn how HP ProLiant Gen8 servers can help your business deploy servers three...
All Hardware Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs