Hexus

"We already know that Intel has a mainstream Nehalem chip in the pipeline for Q4, in the form of the 2.66GHz Bloomfield. We just didn't expect it to be quite so cheap.

According to HKEPC, which cites motherboard manufacturers as its source, Intel's 2.66GHz Bloomfield part will retail at a surprisingly low $284, in one thousand unit quantities. Intel clearly doesn't want customers to wait until 2009 for its mid-range Nehalem parts, and if sub-$300 parts do arrive in Q4, there could be every reason for a Christmas upgrade.

The 2.66GHz chip will be joined by 2.93GHz and 3.2GHz parts, priced at $562 and $999, respectively. The latter 3.2GHz part will be branded an Extreme product, a title reflected in its price-tag.

This rumoured pricing is yet to be confirmed by Intel, but if a 2.66GHz Bloomfield arrived in Q4 with a retail price of say $299 or around £199, it would make for a mighty tempting upgrade. Though, you'll have to factor in the cost of a required motherboard upgrade for socket 1366."

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