Intel has new desktop processors, lower prices on tap for upcoming months

Expect some more new Intel CPUs as well as some price cuts, according some sleuthing from the DigiTimes. The biggest news is the new (but long awaited) six-core Core i7-970, which will sell in bulk for $885 sometime this month. In addition there's a big price slash for the Core i7-950 coming in August -- from $562 to $294.

This month also sees the debut of two other chips--the Core i5-760 ($205) and the Core i5-870S, which is notable for being exclusively for small-form-factor PCs (with a higher price tag of $351). A trio of lower performance CPUs (Core i3-540, Pentium E5500 and E6600) will see slight prices cuts.

The emphasis on lower-end processors continues in August with the launch of two new Pentiums (the $75 E5700 and $86 E6800), a new Core i3-560 ($138), and even a new Celeron (the $53 E3500). In October, there are even more modest price cuts for the modest performers, including the Core i3-550, Pentium E5700 and E6700 and Celeron E3400.

What to make of all this? It suggests the chip giant is satisfied with the pricing on most of its performance parts, as there are no other cuts to Core i5 or i7 CPUs. The emphasis on the low end may mean there's some AMD competition in the budget space, too, and it's notable that Intel hasn't killed off the Pentium and Celeron brands for the desktop space yet.

[Via Engadget]