Hey, desktop PC tinkerers, think six-core processors is where it’s at? Forget that, because by this time next year, you’ll be able to get your hands on new eight-core gear built for the consumer market. Of course, it won’t come cheap.
Intel will reportedly introduce an eight-core Haswell-E CPU in the third quarter of 2013 that will cost somewhere in the area of $1,000. Supply chain sources allegedly indicate that the eight-core Haswell-E processor will replace the Ivy Bridge-E series that’s currently on the market. In conjunction with the eight-core Haswell-E processors, Intel will also launch X99 chipsets to pair with the new line of CPUs. However, the new Haswell-Es will make up a “small” portion of Intel’s shipments, and those together with Ivy Bridge-E processors will only make up five percent of Intel shipments by the end of next year.
The eight-core Intel Haswell-E chips will also support upcoming DDR4 RAM clocked at a maximum of 2,133 MHz, along with Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost 2.0 and PCI Express 3.0. They’ll also be introduced in two separate series: X and K. At the moment, it’s unclear what the difference will be between the two.
Between the $3,000 Mac Pro and this new line of Intel processors that’ll cost around $1,000, there’s been a lot of news about pricey desktop PC tech lately. So, what’s the most you’d spend on a CPU or other performance upgrade? What’s the most you’ve spent in the past? Sound off in the comments below.
