Intel Core i7 Demand Not Expected To Rise Until 3Q09

Citing a dropping global economy and the high cost of entry to upgrade to the cheapest Core i7 CPU and X58 motherboard, motherboard manufactures suggest that demand for the Intel Core i7 won't rise until the third quarter of 2009.

Since the Core i7 is a totally new platform, users are required to not only buy a new CPU but buy a new motherboard as well as new memory in most cases. The entry level cost for the CPU alone is over $300 and early revisions of the X58 motherboards are $200 and up. A $500 entry level price tag just for your base components is pretty steep for most consumers.

I for one have never been big on early adoption of new hardware. For one thing you spend a great deal more money. Chasing the "latest greatest" in tech is a costly venture as neew hardware always comes with a hefty price tag. So I've always figured why not wait a few months for prices to drop.

Another thing with new tech is that its not "user tested", yes they test it in the labs but often times its not until they get things out on the market that bugs turn up. First revisions of motherboards are notorious for having issues. Everything from faulty sensors to BIOS issues. Waiting a month or two (or more) for them to work out the bugs could save some headaches.

Personally I think users might want to use this time as a chance to upgrade existing machines to something better, but not the Core i7. According to DigiTimes motherboard vendors still have huge inventories of Intel P45 chipsets, which it says will require 3-6 months to digest. If they are looking to slash those inventories you could see some pretty hefty discounts on some great boards.

If you are using a first generation Core 2 Duo and an older board it might be the perfect time to swap out those older parts for something new and faster. Memory prices are at an all time low, Intel has been slashing prices left and right and if (and that is a big if) motherboard manufactures start slashing prices you could get a top notch machine that should last you for a few years at a great price.