This delay will not only apply to the Core i5 series of CPUs but also to the 5-series of chipsets and associated motherboards likely to be shown off next week in Taiwan during the annual Computex show.
When will Lynnfield see the light of day?
Last month we had a detailed article that looked into the delay on the Intel Core i5 parts – and our theory of a late 2009 introduction appears to be coming to fruition. It would seem that pressure from board partners may be one of the key factors in the delay as the abundance of 4-series chipsets still on hand during the slow economy would be a huge issue for companies like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI.
Digitimes does list prices for three frequencies of Core i5 CPU (2.93 GHz, 2.8 GHz and 2.67 GHz) though its hard to believe those numbers if the parts themselves continue to be pushed back deeper into 2009.
Intel has decided to postpone the debut of its new mainstream desktop PC platform, Lynnfield processors (tentatively Core i5) and 5-series chipsets, from July as originally scheduled, to early September 2009, according to sources at motherboard makers.
However, Core i5 processors will be available early for retail sale in late August, while P55-based motherboards will appear even sooner in mid-August, the sources noted.
Due to the global economic downturn driving down market demand, Intel expects the launch will allow more time for 4-series inventory to deplete.
Intel plans to launch three Core i5 CPUs with frequencies of 2.93GHz, 2.8GHz and 2.66GHz and priced at US$562, US$284 and US$196 in thousand-unit tray quantities. All of them will feature a TDP of 95W. The P55 chipset will be priced at US$40.
The entry-level Havendale processor is scheduled to launch in January next year, while P57, H57 and H55 chipsets will launch in the first quarter next year.