Intel Hard-Launches Three New Quad-Core CPUs

[TriEclipse]

Dailytech.

Q6600 (Quad Core, 2.4Ghz) at ZipZoomFly.

Perhaps this drops the prices of current Dual-Cores? They might become interesting when the price drops the the predicted Q2 levels. It would put the Q6600 just above the price of the E6700. Even if the E6700's price drops, it would put it next to the 2.13Ghz X3210.

Given the choice between a 2.13Ghz Quad Core, and a 2.66Ghz Dual Core, for the same price, which would you pick? Note that the QC is no overclocking slouch.

Sounds like the old argument of "You can overclock a Dual Core to Single Core speeds, but can't overclock a Single Core to Dual Core speeds" might be making a comeback.

But I've gotta admit, besides the extra raw power, there isn't much for Quad Cores to do currently. Seeing as not even Dual Cores have been correctly implemented in games, Quad Cores seem like a bit overoptimistic.

Then again, the only difference between this situation and the Single->Dual one is that we have the Dual Cores in the middle to show that there has been little improvement in the support arena. Other than that, the situation is exactly the same, and I think that the acceptance might take the same route as before. Not to mention that support for multi-core processors seems to be growing exponentially. I know many games, and game engines, are starting to support multi-core processors. While everyone may not be a fan of the suspense genre, Alan Wake is one widely-publicized game that's going to use the full power of 4 cores. I also know that Crysis is going to have support for multi-core CPUs.

Discuss, pl0x?

PS. It may be a hard launch, but if it isn't on Newegg, it doesn't exist.

 

[Graham]

Games for Windows is already demanding games to be multi-thread supported. I for one know, since I'm in the beta test, that Supreme Commander supports all threads and has tremendous differences shown from core to core.

I don't think GFW will fail this time around. There are already tons of launch titles in the Vista preview pages. I think I will wait til I have a higher budget for the 2.13 Ghz Quad.


EDIT: This gives me a perfectly good reason to save my money for Q2 so I can see the R600 vs 8 series comparison, cheaper quad cores, AND GET MYSELF A NINTENDO WII!!!! WHOOOOOO DOWN WITH SONY!!!!

 

[dario03]

I hope they make one in the $300 price range kinda of soon. My friend wants to build a video editing computer later this year and a quad would help him a lot.

 

[Pinscher]

I have asked this question on another thread but nobody really answered so I will ask it again here because it has some relation. Does anybody know about any compatibility issues between quad cores and windows xp (any version)? I am buying a QX6700 and I saw one review on Newegg about it not being compatible with xp home but I don't know if that's true or not.

Sorry Tri for kinda going off in a tangent in your thread.

On Topic: Why did they decide to charge only $10 dollars less for the Q6600 than the QX6700? Doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[dario03]

Well its somewhat relevent since I'm sure other people might wonder if it works.

Edit: Quick google search shows

Microsoft's official word about multiple processors across all its products is that they are licensed by physical processor socket, not by the number of cores on each processor. For instance, if you buy a single-CPU license for SQL Server 2005, that license is valid no matter how many cores are in that one CPU. Likewise, Windows XP Home will only work with one socket at a time regardless of its cores or threading potential, and XP Professional will recognize up to two sockets.

Back on topic: I wonder if AMD will be releases some quad cores like this to compete when they bring their quads out.

 

[Jumping_Bean514]

On a side note, what doesn't make sence to me is why your name is Ferrari but you have a sig and avatar of a Bugatti... Sorry for the OT but it was just bothering me.

 

[BennyV04988]

On a side note, what doesn't make sence to me is why your name is Ferrari but you have a sig and avatar of a Bugatti... Sorry for the OT but it was just bothering me.

hahahaa...soooo true. I do love that car though. 400KMH, 1001BHP, 3 MILL to Build... 1.5 to Sell. Created only as an engineering feat.

 

[lancec2c30]

maybe the name bugatti was taken, lol.

 

[TriEclipse]

Speaking of AMD, I wanna see how the Q6600 stacks up against the FX-74. The QX6700 pretty much whopped it, but I already expected that, 3.0Ghz A64 isn't enough to take on 2.66Ghz C2D. A 2.4Ghz C2D is closer to being competition, plain numbers say that it would take a 3.0-3.2Ghz A64 to match it.

 

[psp_crazy1]

wow... i really hope the e6300 drops. Then it's really affordable... Or maybe a 1.7 or so model for maybe 250~300. Technology has come pretty darn far since the prescott era... (stupid pentium 4...)