The launch of Core i7 processors may have kicked off in great fanfare, given that the industry has been preparing rigorously for its launch since the turn of Q2 2008, but sources at motherboard vendors tell DigiTimes that it might be as long as Q3 2009, by the time sales and shipments really pickup. Intel on its part, has already claimed to have shipped over 100,000 Core i7 units. The odd thing about Core i7's launch is its timing. It comes at a time when Intel's desktop processors are successful in the market, and that Intel didn't stall its related technology development to pave the way for it.

Motherboard vendors still have huge inventories of Intel P45 chipset based motherboards manufactured in response to the recent surge in its market demand, which they need to flush. Since this is a totally new platform, where users are required to buy new motherboards and most of them being new to the DDR3 memory technology, it becomes essential to make the platform as accessible and attractive an offer, as possible. Says DigiTimes:

In the third quarter of 2009, Intel expects its 45nm quad-core Core i7 CPUs will only account for 2% in the company's total CPU shipments, while proportions for other CPUs are estimated at 45nm Core 2 Quad 16%, 45nm Core 2 Duo E8000 20%, 45nm Core 2 Duo E7000 18%, 45nm Pentium dual-core E5000 30%, 65nm Pentium dual-core E2000 5%, 65nm Celeron dual-core E1000 2%, 65nm Celeron 400 3%, 45nm Atom 200/300 series 4%, the sources revealed.