Rumors Confirmed Intel Slashes CPU Prices

Last week we reported that Intel might be slashing prices on their popular Core 2 Quad lineup, today the company has made it official cutting prices of its Core 2 Quad chips by up to 40 percent, while dropping prices along its other product lines, as well.


Intel Core 2 Quad processor Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• Q9650 (12M L2 cache 3.00GHz 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $530 to $316 -> 40%
• Q9550 (12M L2 cache 2.83GHz 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $316 to $266 -> 16%
• Q9400 (6M L2 cache 2.66GHz 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $266 to $213 -> 20%
• Q8300 (4M L2 cache 2.50GHz 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $224 to $183 -> 18%
• Q8200 (4M L2 cache 2.33GHz 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $193 to $163 -> 16%

Intel Core 2 Duo processor Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• E7400 (3M L2 cache, 2.80GHz, 1066MHz FSB45nm) $133 to $113 -> 5%

Intel Pentium Dual Core processor Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• E5300 (2M L2 cache 2.60GHz 800MHz FSB 45nm) $86 to $74 -> 14%
• E5200 (2M L2 cache 2.50GHz 800MHz FSB 45nm) $84 to $64 -> 24%
• E2220 (1M L2 cache 2.40GHz 800MHz FSB 65nm) $74 to $64 -> 14%

Intel Celeron Dual Core processor Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• E1400 (512K L2 cache 2.00GHz 800MHz FSB 65nm) $53 to $43 -> 19%

Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile (FCBGA6/A8 - FCPGA6/A8) Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• P8600 (3M L2 cache 2.40GHz 1066MHz FSB 45nm) $241 to $209 -> 13%

Intel Celeron Mobile (uFCPGA) Dec '08 (12/28) Jan '0 9 (01/18) %Decrease

• 585 (1M L2 cache 2.66GHz 667MHz FSB 65nm) $107 to $70 -> 35%
• 570 (1M L2 cache 2.26GHz 533MHz FSB 65nm) $134 to $70 -> 48%
• 560 (1M L2 cache 2.13GHz 533MHz FSB 65nm) $107 to $70 -> 35%
• 540 (1M L2 cache 1.86GHz 533MHz FSB 65nm) $86 to $70 -> 19%
• 530 (1M L2 cache 1.73GHz 533MHz FSB 65nm) $86 to $70 -> 19%

Intel Xeon Server UP (LGA 775) Dec'08 (12/28) Jan '09 (01/18) %Decrease

• X3370 (12M L2 cache 3.00GHz (95W) 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $530 to $316 -> 40%
• X3360 (12M L2 cache 2.83GHz (95W) 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $316 to $266 -> 16%
• X3350 (12M L2 cache 2.66GHz (95W) 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $316 to $266 -> 16%
• X3330 (6M L2 cache 2.66GHz (95W) 1333MHz FSB 45nm) $266 to $224 -> 16%

For more on the prices cuts as well as other CPU prices affected you can read the entire Intel pricing list here (PDF). Prices have yet to trickle down to retailers, as Newegg still lists many of the old prices for their CPUs, however we can expect those prices to fall in the coming weeks.

With this new round of cuts the Intel Q9650 and Q9550, which both out peform the AMD Phenom II X4 940, have a great price to performance ratio. At its $316 price tag the Q9650 is only 15% higher than the current price of the Phenom II 940 which it beats handily in most benchmarks. Once again making Intel a clear winner for anyone wanting to get the most performance for their dollar.