facebook rss twitter

Intel Core i5 CPU speeds and pricing leaked.

by Tarinder Sandhu on 20 April 2009, 09:16

Tags: Core i5, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qarwf

Add to My Vault: x

Times are interesting in the CPU market right now. It seems as if AMD will debuted its fastest-ever processor in the very near future, whilst Intel is forging ahead with the introduction of 32nm Westmere chips this year.

Right now, Intel controls the high-end desktop market with the Core i7 processor. We've been patiently waiting for the cheaper Nehalem derivative, Core i5, to be launched, based on spotting numerous Intel P55 chipset-based boards at this year's CeBIT trade show.

Core i5 - codenamed Lynnfield - takes the guts of Core i7 but cheapens it down by some by removing the third memory channel and by eschewing the QuickPath interconnect in favour of Direct Media Interface.

Now, Chinese website HKEPC is reporting that Core i5 will be released in speed-grades of 2.66GHz, 2.80GHz, and 2.93GHz. Like Core i7, they'll be manufactured on the 45nm process, incorporate 8MB of L3 cache, HyperThreading, and feature TurboBoost Technology. TDP is quoted as 95W, however.

No firm release date has been put forward for the LGA1156 chips, but what's disconcerting, if true, is the volume pricing of $196, $284, and $562, respectively, which kind of seems expensive in the light of the full-fat Core i7 920 currently going for $270 or so. Sub-3GHz clock-speeds at launch aren't going to light up a fire under AMD either.

Core i5 should take over the mid-range performance baton from the Core 2 Quad chips, and it will be interesting to see what AMD can do in response, especially if Intel's partners come out with ~£100 P55 boards.


HEXUS Forums :: 11 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
i hope those prices are very very wrong
Underwhelming… :rolleyes:
Almost 30% cheaper for the CPU….not a huge amount - granted.

But how much will you save on the motherboard?

Can't expect them to give latest gen kit away for free, especially with the current economic climate.
When looking to upgrade on a budget I think CPU's like the entry level 45nm Yorkfield quad cores still offer too much value to be ignored. Alot of people still have LGA775 motherboards and DDR2 memory. Going to Core i5 still represents a fairly big investment that doesn't seem to yield massive benefits. Not yet anyway.
shaithis
Almost 30% cheaper for the CPU… Can't expect them to give latest gen kit away for free…
Almost 30% cheaper than the performance leader - but competing with the mid-range Phenom II's ($196 is currently ~ £135 mid-market). Given that Intel have *already* cut down the architecture once to hit the higher end of midrange, you've got to wonder where their entry level parts are coming from - they still ned to shed as much as 50% from their pricing to entice system integrators to use components in their entry-level boxes…

AMD already have a couple of 3 core processors below this price point, and their leaked roadmap includes 2 core Phenom IIs and Deneb-based Athlons (without L3 cache), which *should* all be cheaper than £100. That means that within 6 months you *should* be able to get a Deneb-based subsystem for less than a Core i5 alone - which is going to be much more appealing to system integrators!