14 DAY TRIAL // Today is undoubtedly Core i7 day, as the Santa Clara, California-based chip maker is to officially introduce its next-generation desktop processors, designed on the proprietary Nehalem microarchitecture. The new processors have already been reviewed and benchmarked, and users are to expect an unprecedented level of performance, delivered by each of the three new Core i7 models.
On that note, it appears that some PC users have already had the luck to get their own new Core i7 processor and X58-based motherboard as, late Saturday night, the leading chip maker gave the go-ahead to stores in Tokyo to sell the new chips.
Aside from delivering a new level of computing performance, Intel's Core i7 processors have also created quite a buzz with their relatively high price tag, which led to questions regarding their success under current market conditions.
With prices ranging from approximately $350 to $1,300, and with the global demand for computers declining, Intel's Core i7 processors are expected to appeal only to those computer enthusiasts that will go the extra mile for the highest level of performance their computer can deliver. However, that doesn't seem to be the case in Tokyo, where the new processors have quickly sold out, especially the extreme models and the high-priced X58-based mobos, Computerworld reports.
According to the source, several hundred people crowded the stores that had already extended their working hours to ensure that users had the chance to purchase the new Core i7 processors.
"We ran-out of the high-end ones, the 965 processors, and the motherboards above ¥40,000 (US$410)," said Keisuke Kurashi, manager of the Faith store in the electronics district.
The price tag for the 3.2GHz Core i7 965 Extreme Edition processor is set at $999, while the mid-range Core i7 940, clocked at 2.93GHz, comes at $562. The lowest-priced Core i7 920 model is $284.
Intel is yet to officially introduce the Core i7 at a worldwide scale, although online retailers over the world have already listed the processors and even some of the new X58 mobos.