Intel Pentium G4560 Cannibalizing Core i3 Sales, Company Effectively Kills it

[btarunr]

Intel Pentium G4560 dual-core socket LGA1151 processor is too good for Intel's comfort. For the past two generations, Intel has enabled HyperThreading on Pentium dual-core chips, and expanded L3 cache amount from 2 MB to 3 MB; which had been the two key differentiators for the company's Core i3 desktop lineup from Pentium. HyperThreading was warranted by an increasing number of games and applications which wouldn't work without at least 4 logical CPUs. The G4560 is a formidable part at its USD $64 price - 2 cores, 4 threads, the latest "Kaby Lake" micro-architecture, 3 MB L3 cache, and 3.50 GHz clock speeds. On the flip side, it makes buying Core i3 dual-core parts close to double its price a dumb option. Intel's solution? Effectively kill it.

According to a DigiWorthy report, Intel has decided to scale down production of the Pentium G4560 in a bid to cripple its availability, and force consumers to opt for pricier 7th generation Core i3 parts. The cheapest part, the Core i3-7100, is priced almost double that of the G4560, at $117. You get the same two "Kaby Lake" cores, 4 threads enabled by HyperThreading, the same 3 MB L3 cache, but slightly higher clock speeds of 3.90 GHz, and a faster integrated graphics core, if you use one. Does the extra 400 MHz warrant double the price? Not even in the case of Intel's priciest Core i7 SKUs. All prices are Intel's "recommended customer price" for 1000-unit tray quantities.



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[RejZoR]

I hope people go for Ryzen then. AMD should use this to gain momentum with Ryzen R3's. With 4 real cores and clock speeds around 3,7GHz, they will be a formidable foe against crippled hyperthreaded dual cores from Intel...

 

[Kursah]

Not surprising, but kind of a disappointment. Profit is profit though.

Agreed AMD should take advantage of this for R3's. Not sure how their platform is doing these days as I didn't follow it closely but I will say I've used many Pentium CPU's in deployments over the past several years with surprising success and it is clear why...thought most of them weren't even the higher end Pentiums like this particular model. Rather being the ones closer to the $50 USD mark. Even those have been mighty impressive.

 

[dj-electric]

What did inte's engineers thought to themselves?
seriously asking.

"Lets make a CPU as powerful as an i3 with half the cost"

"i3's are not selling as good"

 

[bug]

The i3 also comes with a lower TDP (51 vs 54W), but even so it's not worth almost twice the money.

@Dj-ElectriC Product segmentation is marketing's business, not engineering's. As an engineer myself, I dare not imagine how marketing thinks

 

[nickbaldwin86]

throw around big words like "double" and prices that don't add up.

I don't see that proc online for $64... sure that is the suggested retail but you cant find it for that. amazon has it for $83

the 7100 is $117

pretty simply math really. 83x2 = 166 . Even 64x2 = $128 again neither are "double"

I figure this isn't really the point of the article but still how many people here are buying these procs for more than a HTPC or maybe a budget kids gaming PC? i don't think $117 is going to break the bank or maybe you should start thinking about how you spend you money a little closer.

 

[nickbaldwin86]

@Dj-ElectriC Product segmentation is marketing's business, not engineering's. As an engineer myself, I dare not imagine how marketing thinks

exactly... engineers have no say in the matter. I am sure they would ask way more and have no market awareness if it was up to them

 

[btarunr]

throw around big words like "double" and prices that don't add up.

I don't see that proc online for $64...

I'm citing Intel's "recommended customer price." or 1000-unit tray quantity. https://ark.intel.com/products/97143/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G4560-3M-Cache-3_50-GHz

Added clarification.

 

[ironwolf]

I hope nobody honestly thinks Intel will be "kind" to us and drop the price of the i3-7100 down.

 

[TheLostSwede]

For a NAS build where people want ECC support, the Pentium is also a winner, as it supports ECC memory which the cheapest i3 doesn't any more...

The i3 only has a couple of advantages, but none that most people would care about.
It supports "SmartCache" vs "normal" Cache, it supports Optane memory (yay! or something), it supports TSX-NI (not sure this matters for a dual core CPU) and it supports AVX 2.0.

So the article went a little bit on the simple side when features were compared, but none of these features are really making the i3 stand out massively compared to the Pentium imho.

 

[TheGuruStud]

Profit outlook is declining fast. This is damage control for shareholders. Good job, AMD.

 

[btarunr]

For a NAS build where people want ECC support, the Pentium is also a winner, as it supports ECC memory which the cheapest i3 doesn't any more...

The i3 only has a couple of advantages, but none that most people would care about.
It supports "SmartCache" vs "normal" Cache, it supports Optane memory (yay! or something), it supports TSX-NI (not sure this matters for a dual core CPU) and it supports AVX 2.0.

So the article went a little bit on the simple side when features were compared, but none of these features are really making the i3 stand out massively compared to the Pentium imho.

Yeah, if those instruction-sets mattered to the target audience of these entry-level chips, G4560 wouldn't have pwned the i3-7100.

 

[bug]

For a NAS build where people want ECC support, the Pentium is also a winner, as it supports ECC memory which the cheapest i3 doesn't any more...

The i3 only has a couple of advantages, but none that most people would care about.
It supports "SmartCache" vs "normal" Cache, it supports Optane memory (yay! or something), it supports TSX-NI (not sure this matters for a dual core CPU) and it supports AVX 2.0.

So the article went a little bit on the simple side when features were compared, but none of these features are really making the i3 stand out massively compared to the Pentium imho.

Fwiw, Pentium is still with us, just not this particular SKU.

 

[ASOT]

IF intel kill this G4560 only AMD will have benefits from, R3

 

[dwade]

Most people don't even consider Ryzen. How can it help AMD?

 

[btarunr]

IF intel kill this G4560 only AMD will have benefits from, R3

Difficult without integrated graphics. Maybe Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs will take a swing at this.

 

[ASOT]

Many ppl who buy and build G4560 go with discrete gpu,as its the best option/value/performance.

4/4 core-threads with R3 same think..

 

[micropage7]

I think not in here.. People want to get i3 than G processor coz they think it's much better.
it's hard to tell people to take G than i3 for their basic needs.. I think intel brainwash them

Yes it's better but for basic needs G serves pretty well and you can't beat its price that cheaper than i3

 

[intelzen]

if people can compare Pentium and i3 and conclude that Pentium is much better value (many cant and do not care, but we are talking about those who can) - then those people can also conclude that Ryzen R3 is even better value than i3 for Pentium price. obviously before march 2017 - intel had no problems manipulating market, but now amd says: "thank you, intel"

 

[HD64G]

Difficult without integrated graphics. Maybe Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs will take a swing at this.

AMD A8 APUs are pretty good for their price, and will be GREAT if G4560 isn't sold or easily found to buy. So, imho, it will help AMD even before Ryzen APUs come out on sale.

 

[john_]

The G4560 is probably the best VFM low cost processor from either AMD or Intel in the last decade(if not from the beginning of computers). It totally destroyed anything new or used under 100 dollars and made many models costing double look really bad choices.

 

[GhostRyder]

To me this would be smart if things were as they were before with AMD not really competing. The G4560 was a great option for the budget minded people but made little since before, now with competition it makes alot of sense in my book so killing it off now (Or making it harder to get) just will make AMD the better option (Though we have not seen those options yet so for now it won't hurt much).

 

[Crap Daddy]

I managed to snatch one for the equivalent of 60 Euro recently, availability has been scarce, when you find one it's at around 78 and indeed the 7100 is very close to double the price. Not surprised Intel is playing this game, no competition means you're you dance to their music.

 

[bonehead123]

this brings to mind one familiar saying:

"Stupid is as stupid does"........

 

[PLAfiller]

I got mine for 56 EUR ( shipping and VAT included) a month ago when assembling my new RIG. I3-7100 was a bit more than two times more expensive at the time here, so it was a no brainer on a budget.