14 DAY TRIAL // There?s no need to hurry and buy the QX6700 CPU today. Especially since not only is it the single true quad core that exists but it?s also pretty expensive. So for those of you who want to have more models to choose from, you?d better prepare for a little wait. And when I say ?little?, I mean at least one month before the next quad core comes out.
There?s a lot of good news coming from INTEL in the end of this year because they?ve just announced the releasing schedule for Core 2 Quad Q6400, the cheapest Quad Core that is said to come out. According to INTEL?s price cut, Core 2 Quad Q6600 (comes out in January) will have a new price at $531 (previously $851) while the new Core 2 Quad Q6400 is most likely to have a price tag set lower than $450 when it is released into market in July 2007. This less-than-$500 price tag means that Q6400 is no longer viewed as ?high-end? so it won?t be marketed as one.
Core 2 Quad Q6400 will be built under 65nm manufacturing process and will feature the same LGA 775 package. Clock speed will be 2.13 GHz and the CPU will have to do with the same 1066MHz FSB. However it will feature the full 4MB x 2 L2 Cache. Core 2 Quad Q6400 is also said to support for Intel ViiV, VT, EIST, 64 and Execute Disable Bit. So the CPU will still come out as a pretty good alternative to AM2+ CPUs, especially when you use software that takes advantage of the 4 cores.
In addition, INTEL also plans to launch its first native quad-core, codenamed Yorkfield, The CPU is scheduled to release in the second half of 2007 but the actual date is unknown. The native Quad Core will spot a 6MB L2 Shaded Cache and lower the latency between the cores. It will come with 1333FSB but will presumably be manufactured under 45nm process.