Intel's counter to sub-$150 quad-core and triple-core processors from AMD, the Core 2 Quad Q7000 series is close to being formally announced. First surfaced in January, the Q7000 series quad-core processors differ from the Q8000 series with regards to cache size. It features a 1+1 MB (2 MB) L2 cache, and an 800 MHz front-side bus speed. The first in the series that is surfacing now, is the Core 2 Quad Q7600. This entry-level quad-core processor from Intel is clocked at 2.70 GHz (13.5 x 200 MHz). The processor further has a skimpy instruction set, with lack of support for SSE4.1, which most 45 nm Core series processors from Intel feature. Targeted mostly at home and office users, and tentatively priced within the $150 mark, the Core 2 Quad Q7600 will hit stores soon.