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Intel cuts desktop prices by up to 50%

Intel has slashed the price of a number of its desktop and mobile processors, but the cuts, while deep, aren't as extensive as anticipated. However, the move confirms an aggressive pricing plan for the chip maker's 1333MHz frontside bus parts.

The headline reduction is the 50 per cent Intel knocked off the price of the four-core, 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600, which now costs just $266, down from $530 - the price of the new, 2.66GHz Q6700.

The remaining cuts were much more modest. The Core 2 Duo E4400's price was cut 15 per cent to $113; the Pentium E2140's from $74 to $71, a reduction of four per cent. Thirteen per cent came off the price of the Celeron D 347 - it now costs $34, down from $39. And Intel now charges 20 per cent less for the Celeron M 520 and 530, which are now priced at $86 and $107, respectively.

New to Intel's price list: the 1.86GHz Celeron M 540 at $134 and the 2GHz Core 2 Duo E4500 at just one dollar less, $133. But the major roll-out was the 1333MHz FSB Core 2 Duo E6x50 line. This series is priced at below comparably clocked 1066MHz FSB Core 2 Duo E6x00 chips, suggesting Intel wants to drive the rapid adoption of these chips, allowing it to phase out the older models quickly.

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