Rumor: Sandy Bridge-E shipping without a heatsink and fan

Intel's new LGA2011 processors, known as Sandy Bridge-E, are due for release later this year with the upcoming Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, Core i7-3930K and Core i7-3820. The first two are six-core parts and like other Extreme Edition and K series processors they will have an unlocked multiplier, giving enthusiasts more flexibility with overclocking.

All three are expected to have the same 130W TDP as current high end desktop parts, and according to VR-Zone, that figure rises to something more like 180W when the chips are pushed – without even overclocking them. Apparently Intel is telling power supply makers to verify that "their Sandy Bridge-E PSUs can cope with a peak current of 23A on the 12V2 rail and [be] based on an 80-percent or better efficiency rating of the PSU."

The site is also reporting that Intel has taken the unusual decision of shipping them without a reference cooler. Besides cutting down on expenses, the thinking is that the move will affect just a small subset of users, considering Sandy Bridge-E is targeted at enthusiasts and most of them will install third party cooling solutions. Intel would still be selling its own coolers for the LGA2011 socket, but you'll have to buy these separately from the processors.

In terms of pricing Intel will reportedly keep the same price points it has since the introduction of Nehalem in late 2008. That means the Core i7-3820, i7-3930K and i7-3960X will be introduced at the same price as the Core i7-960, i7-980 and i7-990X. The initial lineup with their respective specs should look something like this: