Intel vs. AMD – Intel Slashes Prices of Its Quad-Cores

It appears that Intel fans will now be able to take advantage of some of the company's latest Core 2 Quad processors at a much more affordable price tag, as the Santa Clara, California-based chip maker has just announced some considerable price cuts on its quad-core CPU lineup. The announcement was somewhat to be expected, as this is a response to the launch of AMD's latest 45nm-based Phenom II processors, thus allowing the chip maker to better compete with the products offered by its arch enemy, Advanced Micro Devices.

 

According to a recent news-article on BetaNews, the worldwide leading chip manufacturer has just announced that it “has made some drastic cuts in its CPU prices for 1000-unit shipments,” even offering an impressive 40% off for its top-of-the-line Q9650. Said processor has now been priced at $315, down by 40.6% from the previous price tag of $530. In addition, prices of the company's 2.83GHz Q9550 and 2.33GHz Q8200 have also been slashed by 16-20%, with the Q8200 now selling for an impressive $163.

 

With the announcement, Intel basically adds another nail in AMD's coffin, as the company has now better positioned its quad-core CPU lineup to that of its competitor. After the price cuts, Intel's processors have a better chance of competing in the mainstream market segment, while in the extreme and enthusiast market segments the chip maker hardly has any competition for its Core i7 processors, released back in 2008. This allows Intel to maintain the price tags of both its Core i7 chips, as well as its Core 2 Extreme processors.

 

Intel was somewhat forced to slash the prices of its Core 2 Quad chips as AMD's recently released Phenom II processors managed to provide an impressive performance, while also offering an attractive price tag. However, Intel's price cuts haven't remained obscure to AMD, which has also adjusted the price of its new Phenom II processors.