Sandy Bridge: price declines expected

The Core i3 and i5 of second generation should see their prices down a few weeks, according to Asian sources...

Intel has recently informed its partners of its intention to reduce the price of its Core i of second generation Sandy Bridge processors. Some references to the Core i5 and i3 ranges could even lose between 10 and 15%, according to some actors in the mobile market, we learn the DigiTimes. Necessarily, it promises the arrival of the Ivy Bridge, Core third generation i engraved 22 nm which are expected for April 2012 and whose features were unveiled by a leak of a large scale. The idea being to stimulate the demand for Sandy Bridge until these new chips arrive on the market.

Manufacturers such as Acer, Asus and Lenovo already offer laptops with Core i3 from €400 and Core i5 from approximately €500. Remains to be seen if they will benefit from these price declines to increase their margins or prices of finished products. Also, this should help ultrabooks manufacturers to lower prices of their first models in Core i5 from January 2012, the sources of the DigiTimes evoking a rebate that could rise to $ 100 to sell stocks, clarify inventories and prepare for the arrival of the second generation ultrabooks.

In conclusion, remember that the Ivy Bridge - as the Core i5-3450 and Core i7-3370 - are expected at prices wedged between 322 and 184 $, that is only 10-15 dollars more than the Sandy Bridge on some references to "equivalent" models. More the Sandy Bridge will be passed quickly, faster market will keep the head to the Ivy Bridge, and it is therefore in the interest of Intel to assist this transition to be as short as possible.