Intel will put its LGA1366 Core i7 chips out to pasture

CHIPMAKER Intel will discontinue its LGA1366 Core i7 processors due to falling demand.

Intel's LGA1336 Core i7 chips have recently been overtaken in the enthusiast and single processor workstation markets by Sandy Bridge E LGA2011 chips using the firm's X79 chipset. Intel cited falling demand for the quad-core Core i7-930, 950, 960 and hex-core Core i7-980 and 990X chips - effectively every LGA1366 Core i7 chip the firm is selling - as the reason for its decision.

Intel said that for both its retail boxed chips and 1000-unit trays the last order date will be 29 June 2012, with the last delivery of tray chips to be made a year from now on 7 December 2012.

Demand for Intel's once range-topping LGA1366 Core i7 chips has been steadily falling since Chipzilla released its Sandy Bridge processors earlier this year. Although the X58 chipset has triple channel memory and supports both AMD's Crossfire and Nvidia's SLI multi-GPU technology, the performance gains provided even by the six-core Gulftown chips over the newer Sandy Bridge processors were minimal for many workloads.

Intel introduced its X79 chipset and LGA2011 socket last month, which took the mantles of the X58 and LGA1366, respectively. Those overclockers who jumped onto the X58 thanks to the Core i7-920 will have to decide whether to go with a six-core Gulftown chip or make the leap to X79 and LGA2011 within six months to a year. µ