As you've no doubt heard, Intel's on course to unleash a new breed of high-performance processors dubbed Sandy Bridge Extreme.
Based on Internet speculation, the range-topping parts will initially be available in two extreme hexa-core flavours; the top-of-the-line Core i7-3960X and the second-tier Core i7-3930K.
Both CPUs will be high on the Christmas shopping lists of many an enthusiast, but price tags of £850.79 and £477.59, respectively, suggest that you'd better start saving in earnest.
The leaked pricing, let slip by UK retailer Insight, will put Sandy Bridge Extreme out of reach for most consumers, and it could be some time until the high-end X79 platform becomes available at a considerably lower price point.
According to recent reports, Intel's third-rung Sandy Bridge Extreme processor - the quad-core Core i7-3820 - has been pushed back to February 2012. Our best guess would price the chip at just under £250, but given the lukewarm reception to AMD's Bulldozer, Intel appears to be happy to delay the high-end chip, opting instead to have regular Sandy Bridge parts occupy the £200 - £300 space for a further few months.
