Intel launched a trio of new processors earlier today, but the blue team isn't the only one offering low-cost quad-core processors.
AMD's Phenom chips already offer relatively low-cost tri-core and quad-core parts, in the form of the Phenom X3 and Phenom X4, respectively.
However, with the green team's Phenom parts unable to compete with Intel on the performance front, it has been forced to regularly slash its pricing. The latest price cut comes today, and provides the following outlook:
| Processor | Previous price (in thousand unit quantities) |
Current price (in thousand unit quantities) |
|---|---|---|
| Quad-core Phenom X4 | ||
| 2.6GHz Phenom X4 9950 BE (140W) | $235 | $186 |
| 2.5GHz Phenom X4 9850 BE | $194 | $180 |
| 2.4GHz Phenom X4 9750 | $215 | $170 |
| 2.3GHz Phenom X4 9650 | $195 | $156 |
| Tri-core Phenom X3 | ||
| 2.4GHz Phenom X3 8750 | $175 | $134 |
| 2.3GHz Phenom X3 8650 | $145 | $123 |
That's a set of very healthy price-cuts, and the processors look a whole lot more appealing. Intel's cheapest quad-core part, still the Q6600, carries a thousand-unit price of $193 - higher than any of AMD's Phenom X4 offerings.
The current crop of Phenom chips may be unable to fight the performance battle, but they're doing a grand ol' job on the low-cost front, and indeed the HTPC front. Pop a low-cost Phenom X3 into AMD's 790GX chipset, and you could be looking at a potent home-theatre PC solution.
