Saturday, May 30th 2009
Intel to Cannibalize Core i7 920 / 940
Prepare to bid farewell to the $400 Core i7 upgrade dream. Chip major Intel is reportedly planning to discontinue some of the relatively affordable Core i7 processors, including the most commercially successful model, the 920. Cannibalizing the Core i7 920 and 940, will create market headroom for the company's upcoming Core i5 "Lynnfield" processors. Internal analysis reportedly show that the high-end Lynnfield processors perform too close to the lower models of Core i7, and that could potentially affect sales of those high-end Core i5 chips. Perhaps Intel is trying to oil the segment to make the most profits. Sources at motherboard manufacturers tell that the companies are already working on adjusting their X58 product lines to cater to the future lines of Core i7 processors, which, may start with the $649 Core i7 950 and beyond. What's more, 950 is expected to get the axe later down the line. It may have certainly been a good couple of quarters for you, saving for triple channel memory, true dual PCI-E x16 motherboards, and the elusive Core i7 920. You may want to execute your plans now, or change them.
Source:
bit-tech.net
175 Comments on Intel to Cannibalize Core i7 920 / 940
Mobile | mPGA 478 | mPGA-989 | TBA
Desktop | LGA-775 | LGA-1156 | Core i5
Workstation/Server | LGA-771 | LGA-1366 | Core i7/Xeon
Server | PGA-604 | LGA-1567 | Xeon
I expect these new packages to stick around for at least four years:
Tick | Nehalem | 45nm | Netburst
Tock | Westmere | 32nm | Netburst
Tick | Sandy Bridge | 32nm | P6
Tock | ??? | 22nm? | P6
i recommend you read the article over at anandtech and see where im coming from. the lowest performing I5, crippled by a low turbo mode perform very much like the 920. the more expensive version is even faster and has HT. this will perform better then the 920 at the same price but remember... the P55 costs the same as the P45. and dual channel DDR3 is also cheaper then triple channel. so for the same performance you get a platform that costs 200$ less then the 920.
Only one link.. I guess not. So these are for servers that only have a single socket.. what's the point?
I kind of feel duped by Intel, here I have bought me expensive 3 channel ddr3 memory, a expensive gigabyte board, and now if I want to keep this system future proof Intel is forcing me to expensive CPU´s as well?? What a stupid move!
Exactly like the X3320/30/50/60/70 series of Xeons (they were Q9xxx equivalents).
Otherwise effectively Intel has stopped those who can't afford an extreme edition CPU, from upgrading CPUs.
Looking at the rumoured Lynnfield speeds, the $284 one will supposedly be 2.8GHz, it would make sense either for:
1. There be a i7 930 to match the 2.8GHz Lynnfield
2. The 2.8GHz $284 Lynnfield isn't true, but is actually 1 speed bin lower (2.66GHz) - like how the 2.93GHz $584 Lynnfield, is 1 speed bin lower than the equivalently priced i7 950 at 3.06GHz. This would then mean the entry level Lynnfield would have to be either 2.4 or 2.53GHz to keep the differences roughly the same.
<<(Holds his AM2+ board tight.)
Anyway I feel for the people that bought i7 right now. Still I think calling it an i5 is a bad idea. I think Intel and AMD should take up the naming schemes as car manufactures do. Think about it. i7GT for the enthusiast version etc, etc.
But what sucks is I wont be able to pay about the same price as i did for my 920 to get a better CPU, i'll have to in future look at paying a silly amount for a processing improvement.
Oh HaZe303, guess what happens if our 920's break and theres no inventory for them anymore, Free upgrade much?? :D
there are some upsides for existing owners, but theres no upside for those planning on going i7 and have not done so yet.