Apparently some retailers are so keen to start selling Intel's new Sandy Bridge CPUs that they've already started putting them out on store shelves - at least in Malaysia.
According to lowyat.net, Compuzone - a local retailer - has begun selling the CPUs, despite the fact that they won't officially launch until Intel's press conference at the start of CES next month. In fact, the store even posted photos of the new chips to its Facebook page.
The items in question were quad-core Core i5 processors running at between 2.8GHz and 3.4GHz, including the multiplier unlocked 2500K and 2600K models. There were also a handful of P67-based LGA1155 motherboards from ASUS and Gigabyte.
Prices range from 585 Ringgits for the 2.8GHz Core i5 2300 up to 939 Ringgits for the Core i5 2600. Although this isn't necessarily indicative of the pricing in the UK, it translates to between £120 and £195 for the multiplier locked models, which sounds a little low, but largely accurate to us.
From what we've seen, it's no surprise that retailers are champing at the bit to start selling Intel's new processors. The redesigned architecture will introduce some interesting changes, most notably a greatly improved graphics core and a more powerful implementation of Turbo Boost. Along with other design tweaks, the new chips will make for a noticeable upgrade from Intel's current-gen CPUs.
The official Sandy Bridge launch is now only a few weeks away and laptops and desktops sporting the new processors are expected to be widely available from the start of the new year.
Update: Reports are coming in of Chinese and British retailers listing the unreleased CPUs as well.
