Intel is getting ready to discontinue its first processor based on the Nehalem micro-architecture after roughly six months in the market. Specifically, the company has notified its partners that the 2.93GHz Core i7 940 CPU is being phased out as demand towards the chip has shifted to other products. It'll be a while until it is officially off the market, however - customers can place their final orders for the 940 until September. Intel will ship its last boxed units on December 4 this year and the last tray flavors of the chip on November 5, 2010.
With the announcement, Intel makes way for the rumored Core i7 950, which will work at 3.06GHz and is expected to be announced in the near future, most likely prior to or during the Computex 2009 computer show in Taipei. The higher-end Core i7 965 is also rumored to be replaced with an upcoming 975 model running at 3.33GHz. Pricing for both parts should be similar to that of the chips they are replacing, at around $562 and $999 respectively. No word on when Intel plans to roll out mainstream Nehalem processors yet.