It is now official; Intel's Core 2 Duo range of processors is now shipping. A total of 10 new processors will be released; the Core 2 Extreme X6800; the Core 2 Duo desktop processors: E6700, E6600, E6400 and E6300 and the Core 2 Duo mobile processors T7600, T7400, T7200, T5600 and T5500.
According to Intel all models are now being shipped while availability for desktop processors is expected in early August with the mobile chips becoming available closer to the end of next month.
The announcement by Intel marks the release of the most highly acclaimed processor for a long while now, as online and offline reviewers have heaped praise on the performance of these chips. Thanks to Intel's announcement we now also have confirmation on some pricing for these processors. The Extreme desktop chip will sell for USD 999, as previously announced. The Core 2 Duo series will sell for: E6700 - USD 530, E6600 - USD 316, E6400 - USD 224 and E6300 - USD 183. These prices are for quantities of 1,000 processors so you can expect retail prices to be anything from 5 to 20 per cent over those mentioned here.
If you are considering upgrading your PC these are exciting times but bear in mind that Intel's Quad-Core chips are coming in Q4, 2006. Find out more by reading the MegaGames Intel Quad-Core coverage.