Intel to release faster quad core chipQ9650 unextremeBy Sylvie Barak: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 10:02 AMIN THE THIRD quarter of 2008, Intel will apparently be releasing its Q9650 Core 2 Quad processor, which has similar specs to the current high-end "Extreme" QX9650, but will cost almost half the price.The report, which originally appeared on HKEPC, a Chinese Web site, said that the new Q9650 would cost $530, compared to $999 which a high-end "Extreme" QX9650 would set you back.The specs of the two processors are purportedly fairly similar, with 12MB of cache memory, clock speeds of 3GHz and a 1333MHz front-side bus.Chipzilla will apparently also be releasing its Core 2 Duo E8600 desktop processor in the same quarter, an upgrade of the E8500, with 6MB of cache memory, clock speed of 3.33GHz and a 1333MHz front-side bus. HKEPC reckons that this will be priced at around $266. The Core 2 Duo E8500, runs at 3.16GHz and it is believed its price will now be slashed to $183.Other prices to be reduced in the near future, according to HKEPC are the quad-core Q9550 (2.83GHz), down from $530 to $316 and the Q6600 (2.4GHz) predicted to be reduced from $224 to $203.Intel told CNET the company "publicly acknowledge that we will have future 45nm Intel Core 2 processor offerings which fit into LGA775 sockets and take advantage of currently available and future desktop platforms with similar physical, power, and thermal characteristics."
