When and how Intel will lower the price of its desktop chips

A 3GHz PENTIUM 4 for a Canterwood will cost $415 when it launches, and that will push the price of a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 down to $400 come next week, according to roadmaps seen by the INQ at the home of roadmaps, the Porcupine, last week.

Other prices will stay kind of similar on the desktop front for around a month or so, awaiting the introduction of the "fully hyperthreaded up" Springdale chipsets, when a 2.8GHz 800MZ bus one will cost $280, while the older lamp will drop to $262.

And because hyperthreading is just a few weeks ago, that means the 2.6GHz 800MHz hyperthreaded 2.8GHz will cost you a mere $220 or so, while the useless older chip will drop in price to the legendary $193 figure, a sure sign it's waving goodbye on the platform.

Further, the Pentium 4 2.4GHz for Hypethreading, will cost $178 at its launch in May, while the old Pentium 4 2.4GHz with a threadbare core will be discounted at $165 or so.

Meanwhile, when Intella rolls out its 3.2GHz flagship Pentium 4, which will support practically every chipset feature known to mankind, at the end of this quarter, it will cost a not insignificant $640. You have to pay for things worth money, in this world.

Luckily, for the rest of us, the 2.4GHz Celeron desktop will fall to $102 at the end of April, just so soon after it was launched as well. The 2.3GHz Celeron is even cheaper at $90, a full $20 from its price a few weeks ago. Other Celerons cost so little that system integrators might like to sport them on their lapel as badges, rather than INQorporate them into PCs, with prices as low as $55.

Chipset prices are showing changes too, because the 875P with RAID costs a massive $54, four bucks more than the one without RAID.

The 865EG with RAID will launch at $44, the 865PE with RAID $40, and the the 865G at $40, the PE at $35 and and 865P at $32. These prices will only change slightly over the next few months in a downward direction, as will the ill fated 845X family, which Intel hopes is not long for this world. µ