Both
DigiTimes and
Expreview predict the chipmaker will slash prices in its low-end dual-core
and quad-core CPU lines on October 19. These cuts reportedly will reduce the
Core 2 Quad Q8200 from its existing $224 to $193, while the Core 2 Quad Q6600
will fall $10 to $183-still a little higher than what AMD's Phenom X4 9950 costs
now. Intel's price cut will coincide with the arrival of the $133 Core 2 Duo
E7400, which will run at 2.8GHz. The E7400's arrival will push the 2.66GHz Core
2 Duo E7300 down to $113. Also, the Pentium E2220 will drop to $74 and the E2200
to $64, both $10-15 below current pricing. According to DigiTimes, Intel will
follow up on November 30 with three brand-new Core-based CPUs: a $224 Core 2
Quad Q8300 clocked at 2.5GHz, an $86 Pentium E5300 at 2.6GHz, and a $53 Celeron
E1500 at 2.2GHz. Even more price cuts will come on January 18, when the Core 2
Quad Q8200 will supposedly fall to $183, and the Core 2 Duo E7400 will drop to
$113.
