Santa Clara (CA) – The Core 2 Quad Q6600 has been Intel’s quad-core economy package for more than 18 months, but Intel has finally decided to introduce a 45 nm replacement for the sub-$800 PC segment. There is also a new cheap dual-core processor for $500 PCs.   

If there is a processor in Intel’s product family that has had a near-perfect product life-cycle, then it is certainly the Core 2 Quad Q6600. The 2.4 GHz quad-core CPU was part of Intel’s first quad-core CPUs with Kentsfield core in 2006 and was originally introduced as a quad-core processor for expensive mainstream PCs with prices of about $1200. Over time, the Q6600 became the first quad-core processor in mainstream PCs with prices below $800 and most recently served as Intel’s main quad-core defense against AMD’s aggressively priced triple-core and quad-core processors - and protected the high margins of the 65 nm Q6700 (2.66 GHz) and the newer 45 nm quad-cores.

The Q6600 is currently offered at a tray price of $193, while the Q6700 lists for $266 and the 45 nm Q9000 series between $266 to $530. On August 31, Intel quietly added the Q8200 (2.33 GHz) with a price of $224. This new processor is based on Intel’s 45 nm process and supports FSB1333, but includes only 4 MB L2 cache compared to the 6 or 12 MB of the Q9000 series and 8 MB of the Q6000 series. Expect this processor to make its way into sub-$800 PCs this Christmas season.

On a competitive level, the Q8200 is positioned right between AMD’s fastest Phenom X4 9550 ($235) and the Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition ($205).

Intel also added a 45 nm dual-core processor, the 2.5 GHz E5200 (2 MB L2 cache, FSB800), which is positioned as the first E5000-series processor and the very bottom of the Core 2 Duo lineup. At $84, the CPU is about 25% cheaper than the least expensive 65 nm E4000 series chip (the 2.2 GHz E4500 lists for $113). Pricewise, the E5200 is aligned with AMD’s Athlon X2 6000+ ($112).

For the entry-level segment, Intel now offers a slight speed upgrade for the Celeron D family. The new 2.2 GHz 450 model lists for a tray price of $53, or $9 more than the 2.0 GHz 440, which lists for $44.

There were no price cuts in Intel’s latest processor price list.       

This should be a great OC'ing chip (the dual especially)

Sep 02, 2008 00:27     

45nm 800fsb means you can OC without going outside of the motherboards orignal specs. I know my northbridges are getting very warm very fast at anything over 1333fsb (even 1333 gets very warm) with active cooling even. I can't wait to see this thing get pushed towards a 100% oc. It is the new e2140/e2160/e2180 ultra high cost/performance chip (esp. when OC'ing).
Brian report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

100% oc... give me a break

Sep 02, 2008 08:23     

if Processors can be OC to 100% should this be a selling point or a point of failure on the manufacture to give the Non OC community really what they are paying for. Yes the Core2 family clocks really well on avarage about 35-40% is obtainable with air cooling. Would it have hurt the company to let these chips come out 20% faster then what they did. If my e6600 came stock at 3.0ghz this would have been a nicer starting point rather than 2.4ghz

sonyman87 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

Not on a quad core...

Sep 02, 2008 15:42     

You might be able to reach 100% OC on a dual core, but there's no way you're going to do that with a quad, unless you're using phase change cooling or liquid nitrogen, period. Reaching a 60% OC on a quad is really pushing it with conventional cooling methods, even watercooling. To your other point, a lot of chips are released with higher multipliers but with a different number. For example, the difference between the Q6600 and the Q6700 is the multiplier. The FSB is the same, the max OC is identical, the multi is 9 for the Q6600 and 10 for the Q6700. You would think with a higher multi you could push it farther...but no, the heat and voltage are too much typically.

zooterboy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

OC

Sep 02, 2008 16:13     

I can easily get a 70% overclock on my Q6600 which is a 1ghz overclock with out much tweaking at all. So a 100% overclock is very easily achieved.
Poo Face report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

haha at replies to my first post

Sep 03, 2008 15:01     

I never said the quad would get close to 100%. Learn to read what I said. I said "pushed toward" I never said it would do 100%. You just compared ships with different multipliers. This one is 45nm, less cache, cooler, and has a lower fsb starting point, making it easier to oc on hardware that isn't as high end. Nice work on the q6600. But 1 Ghz is not even a 50% oc. 2.4 * 1.5 = 3.6GHZ
Brian report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Oh? Let me quote directly then.

Sep 04, 2008 13:25     

"if Processors can be OC to 100%" Doesn't sound like "close to" or "pushed toward". Maybe you should learn to read what you wrote. If you say you get 70% OC (4GHz) "easily", you are a liar. I would even challenge you to show me how you can get 4GHz stable within specs for heat and voltage on a Q6600. And poo face, if you can get a 100% OC (which would be 4.8GHz) on a Q6600, you are either phase changing or using liquid nitrogen. I've never heard of anyone doing it any other way, I don't think it's even possible. I know it isn't on a 780i motherboard.

zooterboy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0