Intel Core i7 CPU Available for Pre-Orders

Despite the fact that Intel's next-generation Core i7 microprocessors have not been launched yet, and that they won't be out for another six days, online retailers have already listed the chips on their sites. As many of you already know, the giant chip manufacturer has set November 17 as the release date for the Nehalem-based CPUs, yet retailers have already rushed to list and price them.

 

We already reported that the new Bloomfield CPU would come in three flavors, the Core i7 920, Core i7 940, and the Extreme Edition 965. The 920 processor features the lowest clock speed, 2.66GHz, and the lowest price tag as well, $284 being the official price announced by Intel. The price of the chip goes up to $334 at PC Connection, which fills the sales status under “on order.”

 

The second Core i7 CPU, 940, running at 2.93GHz, is listed at PC Mall for $722. The same chip appears on PC Connection for $661. Intel is expected to update its price list on this chip as well, given that this processor has been previously announced by the manufacturer with the price tag set at $562. Since the demand for it is expected to be high, and already is in some areas, the prices listed by retailers do not come as a surprise.

 

The third Bloomfield chip to come to the market in less than a week is the high-end Core i7 965 Extreme Edition, running at 3.2GHz. Although Intel's pricing list places the chip under $1,000, the retailers' costs range from $1,090 to $1,300. About a week ago, we saw quite a lot of reviews on this product, and it has been categorized as the fastest CPU today.

 

The Extreme Edition chip targets the enthusiast group, and is expected to corner the market in the following months. Considering that it will face no competition in its field, the processor should rock it for a good deal of time.