Intel takes chopper to chip prices
Up to 50 per cent off desktop parts
Intel has tweaked its processor price list, knocking up to 50 per cent off what it charges for desktop CPUs.
The headline reduction came to the 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad Q6700, which now costs $266, down from $530. The 2.4GHz Q6600 is also cheaper now: down 16 per cent to $224.
The other big reduction was applied to the 3GHz Core 2 Duo E6850, which had 31 per cent taken off its price, bringing it from $266 to $183.
Intel introduced the E7200 above the E6850 - an odd number since the E7200 has, on paper, a lower spec than the E6850. The latter sits on a 1333MHz frontside bus (FSB) and contains 4MB of L2 cache. The 7200, according to Intel's price list, has 3MB of cache, sits on a 1066MHz FSB and is only clocked to 2.53GHz. It's cheaper too: $133.
So much for model number consistency...
Also new this week is the 2.83GHz E8300, a 6MB L2, 1333MHz FSB part that debuted at $163.
Intel cut the price of the 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo E4600 - 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB - to $113, a fall of 15 per cent.
Two members of the Pentium Dual-Core line-up had their prices cut: the 2.2GHz E2200 fell 12 per cent to $74, to create a price gap between it and the $84, 2.4GHz E2220. The price of the 2GHz E2180 was reduced 14 per cent to $64, bringing it in line with the remainder of the series.
The Celeron Dual-Core family gained a member: the 2GHz E1400, priced at $53. The introduction pushed down the price of its predecessor, the 1.6GHz E1200, down 19 per cent to $43.
The 2.66GHz single Celeron 570 joins the list with a price of $134. The 2.13GHz 560 and the 2GHz 550 both saw their prices cut by 20 per cent as a result, falling to $107 and $86, respectively.
The older 2GHz Celeron 440 and 1.8GHz Celeron 430 are now, respectively, 17 per cent and 23 per cent cheaper than before. The 440 now costs $44 and the 430 $34.
The 5xx Celerons have 1MB of L2 cache, while the 4xx versions, like the dual-cores, have 512KB of cache per core.
COMMENTS
Model numbers
There is actually a model number consistency of some sort - the E7xxx series is to the E8xxx series what the E4xxx series was to the E6xxx series. The two sets are just a way to differentiate Merom from Penryn. E5xxx would make more sense. Xeons ended up with the E3xxx and E5xxx names so those would be out, but there are also E7xxx Xeons so it's all a big mess. F that.
I do think it's dumb that they kept using E there if they were going to do this.
The change is coming
Intel pricing in 2008 will reflect a major/drastic change in consumer preferences.
The change being "The crossover from the desktop to the notebook
Intel pricing in 2008 will also reflect the switch in manufacturing technologies from 65nm to 45nm completely,yes they have long started to switched over to 45nm but the pace has increased drastically with their Israel fab ready to go into full production.
Out goes those 65nms parts in inventory clearance - implications being future price cuts.
Target being "the introduction of Nehalems initially on 45nm then later on 32nm technologies".
So a combination of factors mentioned above, namely consumer preferences & technologies will bring in further price cuts in 2008.
In addition, the other possible reasons could be- market corrections,inventory reductions,boost slugish sales
Dealer feedbacks & OEM responses are taken into consideration to prevent inventory pile ups,discontiuation of products that are slower movers in the market,inventory clearance,etc etc.
The 45nm productions is rapidly replacing the 65nm ones for greater profit margins.
Also this link for the Intel price list.
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/10/101302/April_20_08_pricelist.pdf
CRYSTAL CLEAR.
