Intel prepares low-cost quad core CPUs

The idea of an “entry-level” quad core CPU, on the surface, doesn't make any sense. Quad-core CPUs are typically very expensive for a very good reason, and it was one of the reasons AMD decided to fab a triple-core CPU. Intel is seeing the intelligence behind that decision, but rather than refining their design (which is likely impossible at this point) they have opted to go for broke and offer an “entry-level” quad core CPU.

The Core 2 Quad Q8000 series will be just that, making a CPU with a lot of cores at slower clock speeds available for decent pricing. For instance, a Core 2 Quad Q8200 will come in at around $203. The CPU suffers for such a low price tag, including having the amount of L2 cache severely reduced (4MB total), though the clock speed of the unit is at a nice 2.33GHz. It sounds to me more like a “quad-core Celeron” than anything, which realistically would not be a bad idea from a consumer standpoint. If your emphasis is on wanting multi-threaded applications, a CPU with 4 cores at 2GHz would be preferred over another CPU with 2 cores at 3GHz