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
Now tell me how and where do you get these deals :D
Honestly, this really does smack of monopolization... We had great product #1 for a reasonable price. But now we have a lesser (cheaper) product #2 that we can sell at the same price, so lets jack up the prices on #1!
I have been intel supporter for quite a long time, but this is a racket if I've ever seen one. And obviously they're in bed with mobo companies (see recent EU ruling against Intel), considering they keep changing sockets. Come on.
So i5 can fill that performance gap for cheaper, and i7 should be kicked up to a higher level. They should move i7 to 6 core plus HTT, and use it for workstation and enthhusiast. i5 is more than enough for the consumer and the gamer.
Remember, i7 isnt being killed off! Just at the lower end it is being substituted by the equally capable i5. And there will be better i7 processors available for that platform available soon.
Perhaps Intel sees the lower end i5, being a stripped and hopefully much cheaper model of the i7 will be dominant in most computers bought for "The Rest". I guess this was a market that Intel felt threatened should AMD release their affordable new chips.
Intel sucks with their quad prices, I'd buy one if they were cheap, but couple years have passed and price hasn't changed. Unless you count Q6600 that's old and not made anymore or Q8xxx that are no use with their low multi.
Well they can keep their i5 too, I'll stay chep dual *shows tongue to Intel* :p
www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0302727
I will admit that I didn't see the recent release of the refresh with the 950 and such, but this I knew. Believe it or not, I do my homework and the 920 has had it coming for a while. I figured the i5 was going to be the trigger man.
You are most definitely right about the Core 2 going the way side, but not without a fight. The 775 sold too well. The only way to push new people to buy the i5 is to kill competition from its C2 Quad brothers. While they will all the way side eventually, I think the higher end C2 Quads will die off before the i5 is released.
It's not for the 920's sake that we want to see the i7 platform stay, maybe I do want a motherboard that I'll keep fo 3 processor upgrades.:) If they'd instead just keep the c2d for low end /mainstream things would be much better. As i7 sales theoretically increase ddr3 will be cheaper, triple channel would become standard, this is the way tech and the marked evolve.
This is involution. As a new better product appears it should push the older ones pricewise down and in popularity up.
I could also understand if they wanted to fill a missing price range gap (like we see in the GPU market) but they are effectively chopping their way into the market. Of course we need competition for all this to happen. :ohwell:
I'll just stick to my wolfdale, let's face it...it's more than enough for even the most pretentious gamer provided you have a killer video card. Then when the market settles we'll see what's what.
If in 2 years time i5 will be an obsolete platform I'll laugh my hat off at all that bought it. Pun intended.