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Intel discontinuing Core i7 940

Out with the old, in with the new Sku?
Thu May 07 2009, 01:53

INTEL HAS TOLD PARTNERS it will be discontinuing its Core i7 940 chips, probably to make way for the still speculated Core i7 950.

In a notification to partners, Chipzilla said that last orders on tray and boxed 940s will be accepted through July 10, 2009, with last shipments for the boxed variety going out on December 4, 2009. Tray quantities of Intel's 940 Nehalem delights, however, will apparently be shipping all the way through November 5, 2010.

Whispers have it that Intel is gearing up to release two new SKUs at the Taiwanese trade show Computex in early June, namely the 3.33GHz Core i7 975 and the 3.06GHz Core i7 950. It is believed pricing for the 975 could settle around the $1,000 mark, whilst the 950 should weigh in at around $560.

An Intel spokesperson confirmed to the INQ that the company has "communicated our shipment plans for our Core i7 940 processor to our customers," adding, however, that it is "actively shipping it at this time and plan to through 2009".

As for the rumoured new Chipzilla chips, we were unsurprisingly fobbed off with a "can't comment" but told to "stay tuned".

We usually do. µ

See Intel's product change notification.

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Comments
Well ’SKUse Me

Will this knock sales figures aSKU?

posted by : Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 09 May 2009 Complain about this comment
People buy what they buy

When you get down to it, a Lexus is no better than a Toyota and a Caddy is no better than a GM. People still buy them, and they will buy the 950.

A 950 will sell just like the 940s did, which will be very profitable indeed. Think about it, you can cherry pick a few chips from the $54 bin and selkl them for $540. Even if you only sell 11% on the ones you cherrypicked, you make more money than selling them for the lower price.

posted by : mike, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
@ Deimios

Your right. In addition, the best part is the phenoms is the unlockable core for the tri-series.

posted by : Nigel Preece, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
Core I5's

Bring on the Core i5's! The i7 was never meant to be mainstream. The reason why Intel is holding back the i5 is because AMD doesn't have a superior CPU. Its competition that drives CPU releases, it goes to show you just how vital competition is! The Core i5 is a much more sensible cpu, being basically a Core i7 with dual channel RAM instead of the pointless tri-channel.

posted by : Mick, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
good enough

The price argument is a good one. I can buy a phenom and a SLI motherboard for less than the cost of a core2 quad, let alone a core i7.

Guess what, for games and day-to-day stuff the Phenom is good enough.

The price/performance ratio of the core i7 series is horrible compared to phenoms while the current software ecosystem doesn't require the power of an i7.

posted by : Deimios, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
Still doesn't matter...

The Intel marketing team doesn't understand that the most money is to be made from the budget CPUs. The 950s will sit on the shelf just like the current 940s. The reason? TOO EXPENSIVE! Anyone who is even half witted about computer hardware can still understand that the consumer doesn't get the value for the dollar spent on a 950 (or 940) which runs a whopping $250+ versus the 920. $250 for an extra multiplier?? No thanks. Come on Intel - lower the price of the 950 to at least $425 and then we'll start looking at it as a viable option. NUFF SAID!

posted by : Iluv2raceit, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
error

shouldn't it say 950 cost ... rather than the 940 because it is phasing out.

posted by : daaznman, 07 May 2009 Complain about this comment
aboutus
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