Have Wolfdale cpus been officially released -- and what of their prices?

[Winterpool]

Kris recently published an article on the E8500 which seems to be in fact a discussion of Wolfdale and overclocking more generally. The article is forcing me to voice a couple of questions that have been much on my mind lately:

- Were the Penryn desktop (Wolfdale) processors in fact officially released? We all know E8400s were floating round for a while, but they've pretty much disappeared from the market, at least at reasonable prices. Is there any date we should expect more practical volumes of Wolfdale chips? I've seen predictions ranging from mid-March to May and beyond (Q3).

- Are these prices (and dates) completely out the window now? Kris writes, 'Estimated street prices, although unconfirmed and subject to change, are expected to be around $299 for the E8500, $249 for the E8400 and $163 for the E8200.' Is this expectation based on the the current limited availability (and elevated prices) of the E8400?

Some punters believe the recent sales of the Q6600 at Micro Centre et al anticipate the 'release' of Penryn in the near future (presumably in significant volume). Others suggest we won't see appreciable volumes of Penryn chips until Intel has cleared most of their 65nm Conroes: there's certainly little competition from AMD to step up the pace.

If there won't be decent distribution of Wolfdale chips, we won't see reasonable prices on them in the near future. In which case buying, say, a $200 Q6600 looks like a deal too good to pass over. My own preference is for an E8400 (owing to Penryn's greater efficiency), but if I have to pay $250+ or wait three months for Wolfdales close to tray prices, then I should probably visit my local Micro Centre before their sale concludes.

 

[AmberClad]

The E8500's might be showing up in April, if NCIXUS is to be believed. The E8400 was already released, so I suppose Intel can technically claim that the Wolfdale launch was on schedule. I believe the last word from an Intel rep is that the non-Extreme Yorkfields are supposed to be launched in Q1, so they have about a month before it's officially a delay. No one seems to have a definite explanation as to what's going on. I've seen theories that Intel's having problems producing the chips in numbers, theories that they're sandbagging until AMD gives them a reason to release the Penryns, and still other theories saying that they're trying to clear out the old stock of Conroes and Kentsfields.

On a sidenote:
So I've been meaning to ask a guy from the UK this (which I assume you are due to the use of "MicroCentre" instead of the actual spelling) - what does "punter" mean? I keep seeing it used by the INQ, the Reg, and CustomPC.co.uk. In the US, a punter is something completely different from what it apparently means in the UK.

 

[BoboKatt]

Brits use "punter" as to mean a gambler... or one who takes chances... or at least that is what I was led to believe

 

[OfficeLinebacker]

I thought it meant, generally, a paying customer. Specifically, dudes who are out at the pub downing a few pints. And more generally, I think it can be used as a rough equivalent of "dude."

So "Some dudes believe"

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
The E8500's might be showing up in April, if NCIXUS is to be believed. The E8400 was already released, so I suppose Intel can technically claim that the Wolfdale launch was on schedule. I believe the last word from an Intel rep is that the non-Extreme Yorkfields are supposed to be launched in Q1, so they have about a month before it's officially a delay. No one seems to have a definite explanation as to what's going on. I've seen theories that Intel's having problems producing the chips in numbers, theories that they're sandbagging until AMD gives them a reason to release the Penryns, and still other theories saying that they're trying to clear out the old stock of Conroes and Kentsfields.

On XS there were a couple of Intel'ers who acknowledged this was their perception of the plan. They "weren't speaking for Intel" of course.

I figure its probably true because (1) it makes sense in that it wouldn't make sense to do otherwise, and (2) why would these guys lie unless they really weren't Intel'ers.

This whole thing about "our 1600MHz XEONs Harpertowns and QX Yorkfield chips are just fine, but silly us we just keeps on having problems getting these desktop quads up and running" just doesn't ring true with me on any level.

 

[Anubis]

i got my 8400 almost a month ago from newegg :/

 

[shlemielo]

It doesn't make sense for Intel to release the E8400 until people stop buying the Conroes. I wish they would, though.

 

[AmberClad]

So apparently, BoboKatt and OfficeLinebacker are both technically correct.

Per AllWords.com:

punter
noun

1. One who punts a football; also, one who propels a punt (pontoon).
2. (context, UK, slang) one who gambles. See speculator.
3. (context, UK, slang) A customer, often used to refer to the customer of a prostitute.

I'm going to pretend I didn't see that last bit...

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
I've seen theories that Intel's having problems producing the chips in numbers, theories that they're sandbagging until AMD gives them a reason to release the Penryns, and still other theories saying that they're trying to clear out the old stock of Conroes and Kentsfields.

We shouldn't forget the obligatory "Dell bought them all" regarding the new/upcoming chips.

Originally posted by: AmberClad

punter
3. (context, UK, slang) A customer, often used to refer to the customer of a prostitute.

I'm going to pretend I didn't see that last bit...

Winterpool said:
"Some punters believe..."

OfficeLinebacker said:
"Some dudes believe..."

I'll add:
"Some johns believe..."

 

[AmberClad]

I'll add to that "Apple bought them all" :laugh:

 

[Genx87]

I am actually more interested in the 8200. Might be able to get one for ~150 bucks.

 

[hennethannun]

Originally posted by: shlemielo
It doesn't make sense for Intel to release the E8400 until people stop buying the Conroes. I wish they would, though.

well my new E8400 (purchased one month ago) would seem to suggest that Intel already has been released.

but it seems likely that Intel isn't really feeling much pressure to keep the supply flowing all that fast. I mean, Phenom is sort of stumbling out of the blocks too, and isn't close to competative at the high end, so why should Intel rush their new product to market. Better to wait for a while, sell out their remaining stock of Conroe and Kentsfield, see if AMD fixes the TLB errata and starts delivering phenom in serious numbers. Then they can unleash a torrent of Wolfdale and yorkfield to cement their market position.

As for the pricing, I think the E8400s were listed at something line $183 in bulk (ie $183 if you buy 1000 units), so the street price should be $200-$220 (though there is some serious gouging going on right now, with some sites listing them for $300+). Expect similar price hikes for the E9450 ($316 bulk) and the E8500 ($266 bulk) and the E8200 ($163 bulk).

 

[Glavinsolo]

Although E8400s were released, most if not all have manufacture dates of November 07. Which is close to the previously known release. Which leads to even more questions on whether intel is looking to drum up their own price or they have manufacturing issues. Regardless, it seems there is a high demand for the E8400. Intel's next move might be to drop the E8500 on those waiting around for an E8400 before releasing more. AMD is putting little pressure on intel and its an opportune time to adjust themselves how they want.

Whether its drive the price higher for the 45nms...
Liquidate 65nm before full release of 45nms...
Or a manufacturer issue (see faulty temperature readings)

that is holding back the gates of the 45nm

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
I'll add to that "Apple bought them all" :laugh:

This is plausible. Intel acknowledged that only some 10% of it's CPUS produced in Q1 are 45nm. 10% of 80% (Intel CPU market-share) = 8% of the global CPU market is 45nm product which is not so much more than Apple's global market share.

So Apple certainly could have decided to move to 45nm across the board and is soaking up all the 45nm capacity at the moment (for a nice premium to Intel of course).

 

[Glavinsolo]

03-31-2008 is the ETA

According to http://www.shopblt.com/cgi-bin...60960P.shtml&order_id=!ORDERID!

This website just added an ETA which means they must have some form of concrete information.

 

[letired]

I was just about to start a topic on the same thing, glad I saw this one. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on an e8400...anyone have any more speculation?

 

[Glavinsolo]

Originally posted by: letired
I was just about to start a topic on the same thing, glad I saw this one. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on an e8400...anyone have any more speculation?

I ordered mine from the link above. The website is nice that is shows how many procs that they were allocated and what their eta on receiving them. Even though I paid shipping and tax it was cheaper than what Newegg has listed. Also, I can cancel the order anytime something else comes in stock. Basically I bought from shopblt since now I am part of that allocation, or so I think I am.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Email from ShopBLT.com

Very nice they sent this me thinks

Dear Rawr:

Thank you very much for your order:

Sold To:
Rawr
Tata lane
Tata, ChaCha 90210
Email: *****@rawrsoft.com

Ship To:
Rawr
Tata lane
Tata, ChaCha 90210

Account Number: mickeymouse

The following item you ordered is not in stock, but is on order into our
warehouses:

Item Unit Extended
Qty ID # Description Price Price
--- -------- -------------------------- ------------ ------------
001 BN60960 E8400 LGA775 3.00G 6MB 207.33 207.33
1333MHZ FSB BOXED
PROCESSOR (RETURNS /
EXCHANGES: SEALED 30
DAYS, DEFECTIVE 15)
MFG #: BX80570E8400A
ETA: 3/31/08
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Purchase Sub Total: $207.33
Order Total: $230.76

Currently, this item is scheduled to ship to us from the factory on 3/31.
Should the manufacturer miss the estimates, we will notify you and provide
you with updated estimated arrival date(s).

In the meantime, we have secured your place in line for this popular item,
and as soon as stock is available, it will ship immediately. Additionally,
you will not be charged for this item until shipped [Sexy!] (we have obtained a
temporary approval for the above amount, but it will not be collected until
the order ships.)

If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact us via the methods listed below. Thank you for your time, and
business.

Best Regards,

Mr. Shopblt guy

 

[toadeater]

Originally posted by: Glavinsolo
Purchase Sub Total: $207.33
Order Total: $230.76

Funny how it went from $207 to $230. Is that with ground shipping?

 

[DarkRogue]

I believe he said he also had to pay tax, so that accounts for the +$23 over the subtotal.

 

[x2 3600 rules sazakky]

if you want penryn, buy it off ebay.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Originally posted by: x2 3600 rules sazakky
if you want penryn, buy it off ebay.

Sounds like a plan since they are going for $300+