Intel will continue to push the CPU core-clocks up and the prices down early next year, as sources close to the semiconductor giant revealed. The mainstream Prescott processor at 2.80GHz will be available for orders at just $178 price-point starting from the 15^th of February, whereas the monstrous Prescott 3.80GHz will come in Q2 2004.

You probably know that the next major price reduction will be performed by Intel on the 26^th of October, while the pricing of the Pentium 4 processors will remain unchanged after the launch of Prescott processors at 3.20 and 3.40GHz this November. Probably in January Prescott chips at 2.80 and 3.0GHz CPUs will see the light of the day, but they will also not let the Pentium 4 prices down. Only on the 15^th of February there will be a massive price-cut on Intel Pentium 4 and Prescott processors, take a look:

The Prescott 3.60GHz chip will debut in late first quarter at $637 if the current plans remain unchainged, the Prescott 3.80GHz processor will be launched on the Q2 2004 at the same price-point.