Intel adds cheap dual-core, quad-core chips

New life for the Celeron D

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

2nd September 2008 18:32 GMT

Intel has quietly updated its processor price list over the weekend, making a 45nm addition to its economy quad-cores, a new entry-level dual-core chip, and an upgrade to the Celeron D family.

The tried-and-true Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor now has a similarly cheap alternative from Intel that's based on a 45nm fab. The new Core 2 Quad Q8200 is the first of Intel's Q8000 series, running at 2.66GHz with 1,333MHz front-side bus and with only 4MB of L2 cache.

The Q8200'S L2 cache is currently the smallest offered in the Core 2 Quad family — compared to the 6MB, 8MB or 12MB found elsewhere in the line. It's priced at $224 in thousand-unit quantities, making it the second cheapest Core 2 Quad Intel offers next to the 65nm, 2.4GHz Q6600.

Chipzilla also released the Core 2 Duo E5200, the new entry-level to the Core 2 Duo line and also sporting a 45nm fab process. It offers a 2.5GHz clock, 800MHz front-side bus and 2MB of L2 cache. The chip is priced at a relatively cheap $84 in thousand-unit quantities. That's about 25 per cent less expensive than the cheapest chip in the 65nm E4000 line.

Finally, Intel added a slight speed boost to its Celeron D processors. The new 450 model offers 2.2GHz clock (compared with 2GHz in the 440), 800MHz front-side bus, and 512k L2 cache on a 65nm process. It's listed at $53 per in thousand-unit quantities. By the way, you may have thought Intel ditched the "D" moniker when Celeron went core, but apparently this isn't the case according to its listings.

Intel said the refresh in chip pricing is effective August 31. ®