Intel is planning a “technical refresh” of their desktop CPUs this year, with certain cuts planned for the third quarter. In particular, some of the earlier Core 2 Quad CPUs will be phased out, such as the Core 2 Quad 9450. It will be succeeded by the Core 2 Quad 9400. They also are planning to phase out the Q9300 and Q6700, in an effort to move away from the 65nm process as 45nm CPUs are introduced. The 9400 will sit at a very affordable price of $266 after the change.

As older CPUs are removed, newer CPUs will replace them. The Core 2 Quad 9650 will be a pricier and faster CPU at 3GHz and $530. Intel is also planning various cuts in their Core 2 Duo lineup as well. The CPU refreshes are expected year after year, though this is one of the first years we see a refresh that makes no mention of single-core processors as Intel moves away from them altogether.