Intel bins 'Core+' CPU and memory bundles due to 'lack of demand'

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EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD BUNDLE but Intel has decided to can its 'Core+' processor and Optane drive bundle due to a lack of demand.

The chip maker has a cut-off date of 30 September, reports Tom's Hardware, for last orders of the bundle. So folks interested in getting either a Core i5-8400, i5-8500, or i7-8700 and a 16GB Optane cache drive will need to get their orders in sharpish.

The original idea behind the bundle was to get people building new desktop PCs to adopt some of Intel's rather flashy Optane memory tech, which effectively helps speed up a PC's storage performance, at the same time.

Bundles have a tendency to trigger that 'oh, I might as well get that' part of our brains, so Intel looked like it was using that technique to get people onboard the Optane train. But the scheme appears to have fallen flat with PC builders simply not opting for pricey memory tech.

"Due to lack of market demand Intel is announcing the discontinuance of the Universal and China Boxed Intel Core i7+8700, i5+8400, and i5+8500 Processors listed," said Intel.

It's worth noting that Intel created Optane memory in partnership with Micron, but that tie-up ended, and Micron noted it would buy up Intel's part in the joint memory tech venture.

That being said, Tom's Hardware noted that Intel still has the right to use the 3DXPoint technology behind Optane, but it won't be able to mix that tech in Optane bundles once September comes around.

So it looks like it's the end of the line for Optane, at least from Intel's perspective. But then again, the chipmaker has its 10nm processors to keep it busy, and as such we will hopefully see some interesting silicon slices make their way out of Intel as this year rolls onwards. µ