Upcoming Price-Cuts For Intel CPUs

by Ilya Gavrichenkov
03/05/2002 | 10:36 AM

Intel has informed its main partners that in the nearest three months it will undertake two significant price-cuts for Pentium 4 CPUs. The key dates are April 14 and May 26.

Here are the details:

• The first price-cut scheduled for April 14 is timed to the official announcement Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz with 400MHz bus. It will involve only the elder CPU models, which will get 25% cheaper.
• The second price-cut on May 26 is even more decisive: elder Pentium 4 models will loose 40% of price! Yeah, we can hardly remember the last time we saw such mighty price-cut.
• A tangible price-cut for Pentium III 1.2GHz and 1.13GHz due on April 14 is actually the beginning of their liquidation. Prices will be reduced to get rid of the stocks, which are unlikely to be refreshed after the price-cut.
• The price-cut of May 26 will generate a curious situation: elder Pentium 4 models will be utterly expensive, while the younger models will be outrageously cheap. So, the price gap between Pentium 4 2.26GHz and Pentium 4 2.4GHz will be nearly 100%!
• Processors with 533MHz and 400MHz buses will won’t differ in price: Pentium 4 2.2GHz and 2.26GHz, Pentium 4 2.4 (400) and 2.4 (533) GHz, Pentium 4 2.5 and 2.53GHz will cost the same. This move is caused by Intel’s desire to make Pentium 4 migrate to 533MHz bus as soon as possible.
• Likewise, on May 26 Pentium 4 2GHz CPUs based on Willamette and Northwood cores will get even in price. It is quite logical of Intel as Pentium 4 1.6 and 1.8GHz based on different cores are already sold for the same money.
• At launch Pentium 4 2.5GHz and 2.53GHz will be a little bit more pricy than usual freshly-made Intel CPUs.
• Pentium 4 (Willamette) CPU line will be 40% more expensive than Celeron (Willamette-128) CPUs with the same frequency.