Intel may be set to slash the prices of its current Pentium 4 processors in January 2007, it has been claimed by Chinese PC manufacturer sources. The allegation essentially re-iterates claims we reported on back in September.

The latest price-cut claim comes via the Chinese-language Commercial Times. The P4s are said by the report's sources to be coming down in price by up to 60 per cent.

To that we can add the the reductions of up to 17.7 per cent that are expected to be applied to the Pentium D line-up and cuts of up to 14.5 per cent to the current Celeron D range.

The price cuts should be considered in the context of the anticipated roll-out of Core 2 Duo-derived Pentium processors in Q1 2007, and Intel's already-announced plan to pare back its Celeron and Pentium desktop processor lines. ®