P4 1.7GHz for $352
Intel confirm enormous price drop across Pentium 4 range
Just as Mike Magee at The Inquirer predicted a fortnight ago, Intel are cutting Pentium 4 prices across the board, starting with the release of the 1.7GHz processor. From what we can see, this is a massive admission of concern on the part of the CPU giant, lovingly referred to as Chipzilla in industry circles. When we last reported on the subject, the price tag for the 1.7GHz chip was expected to be $361, but since then Intel has confirmed a figure of $352 to OEMs in trays of 1,000. Price for price it now gives AMD's Athlon a run for its money. The move is expected to make the Pentium 4 a more attractive option to OEMs other than Intel stalwart Dell. At the current prices, companies are tempted to move over to an AMD solution. The move will also have a lot to do with Intel's falling net profits, reported last week at a drop of over 80% compared to an increase in AMD's. The Pentium 4 drops coupled with the Pentium III phase-out will likely see 2GHz and above Pentium 4s available at very affordable prices by the end of this year. AMD have enjoyed something of a monopoly on chip sales, with its most recent introduction, the 1.33GHz Athlon (review here), going for $215 according to PriceWatch.com. According to El Reg, as they like to be known these days, the Pentium 4 1.7GHz price will prompt further cuts. The chip is available from today. Related Feature - P4 Price Cuts
