You weren't expecting Intel to sit idly by while AMD kept unloading cheap Phenom IIs, were you? Because it totally didn't. Without fanfare yesterday, Intel updated its price list with new figures for several Core 2 Quads, plus a handful of Core 2 and Core 2-derived dual-core processors.
Here's a breakdown of the affected CPUs, their specifications, their previous prices, and the new prices from the official list:
| Processor | Speed | L2 cache | FSB | TDP | Old price | New price |
| Core 2 Quad Q9400 | 2.66GHz | 6MB | 1333MHz | 95W | $213 | $183 |
| Core 2 Quad Q9300 | 2.50GHz | 6MB | 1333MHz | 95W | $213 | $183 |
| Core 2 Quad Q8400 | 2.66GHz | 4MB | 1333MHz | 95W | $183 | $163 |
| Core 2 Quad Q8300 | 2.50GHz | 4MB | 1333MHz | 95W | $183 | $163 |
| Core 2 Quad Q9400S | 2.66GHz | 6MB | 1333MHz | 65W | $277 | $245 |
| Core 2 Quad Q8400S | 2.66GHz | 4MB | 1333MHz | 65W | $245 | $213 |
| Core 2 Duo E7500 | 2.93GHz | 3MB | 1066MHz | 65W | $133 | $113 |
| Pentium E6300 | 2.80GHz | 2MB | 1066MHz | 65W | $84 | $81 |
| Pentium E5400 | 2.70GHz | 2MB | 800MHz | 65W | $84 | $74 |
| Pentium E5300 | 2.60GHz | 2MB | 800MHz | 65W | $74 | $64 |
| Celeron E1500 | 2.20GHz | 512KB | 800MHz | 65W | $53 | $43 |
What does this mean for AMD? The Core 2 Quad Q9400 show now become almost as cheap as its direct rival, the $175 Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, while the slightly slower Q8400 will undercut it a tad. In the budget arena, the Pentium E6300 should similarly enter the same neighborhood as the $79 Athlon II X2 250. The E6300 is generally a tad faster, though, so the slight premium might be easier to justify.
