Intel slashes desktop CPU prices

Chip giant Intel has cut the prices of many of their mainstream desktop CPUs by between 11 and 19 percent.

As usual, they have offered no real explanation for the cut, but today’s current financial instability may have played a role. High-end units such as the i7 and server chips have not received a cut, along with mobile units, suggesting that Intel is trying to push sales of lower and middle specification machines in an effort to stem the downturn in sales currently plaguing almost every market.

It has also been suggested that they are trying to get rid of their stocks of 45 nanometre units so they can move on with their production of newer, more energy efficient and cheaper 32 nanometre chips later in the year.

Here is the list of chips receiving a price cute. Note that these prices are based on a retailer buying them in 1,000 unit trays in US dollars and so the price you pay will end up being significantly more.

Core 2 Quad LGA-775 processors:

• Q9400 (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 6M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $213, now £183, down 14%
• Q9300 (2.50 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 6M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $213, now £183, down 14%
• Q8400 (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 4M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $183, now $163, down 11%
• Q8300 (2.50 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 4M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $183, now $163, down 11%

Core 2 Quad Low-Power LGA-775 processors:

• Q9400S (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 6M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $277, now $245, down 12%
• Q8400S (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 4M L2 cache, 4 cores, 4 threads, 45nm) was $245, now $213, down 13%

Core 2 Duo LGA-775 processors:

• E7500 (2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 3M L2 cache, 2 cores, 2 threads, 45nm) was $133, now $113, down 15%

Pentium LGA-775 processors:

• E6300 (2.80 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 2M L2 cache, 2 cores, 2 threads, 45nm) was $84, now $81, down 4%
• E5400 (2.70 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2M L2 cache, 2 cores, 2 threads, 45nm) was $84, now $74, down 12%
• E5300 (2.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2M L2 cache, 2 cores, 2 threads, 45nm) was $74, now $64, down 14%

Celeron LGA-775 processors:

• E1500 (2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 512K L2 cache, 2 cores, 2 threads, 65nm) was $53, now $43, down 19%

Xeon LGA-775 server processos:

• X3330 (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 6M L2 cache, 4 core, 4 threads, 45nm) was $219, now $188, down 14%