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While AMD AM2+ processors are due out in Q3, Intel announced another plan on price reduction just 3 months after the previous drop on April 22. With a remarkable cut at 50%, AMD is facing another harsh battle with Intel.

As reported before, Intel has had hinted a price drop in Q3, expecting a second price drop someday in August and September. However, the exact date turns out surprisingly on July 22 as the first hand information we have received. Undoubtedly, the move give certain impact on the sales of AMD processors. Not until the release of next-generation AM2+ processors, it’s hard for AMD to get profit from their existing products.

In the most updated plan, Intel Quad-Core Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz/4MB L2 x2/1066MHzFSB) will be further cut to $266, a second drop within 4 months since its release on March with 68.7% accumulated price drop. For the original price segment of Core 2 Quad Q6600, now it will be replaced by a new model Quad Q6700 (2.66GHz/4MB L2 x2/1066MHzFSB), pricing at $530.

For the mainstream desktop processors, while Core 2 Duo E6000 family has no price update information at this moment, its relatives, Core 2 Duo 6050 family which features 1333MHz FSB releasing on July 22, has got a very impressive price advantage. The 3 models including E6550 (2.33GHz), E6750 (2.66GHz), and E6850 (3GHz) are only priced at $266, $183, and $163, around 40% cheaper than its 1066MHz version. Together with the new release of Bearlake featuring 1333MHz FSB, the both releases are expected to have great sales.

For the Value segment, Core 2 Duo E4500 will be a new release on July 22. Featuring 2.2GHz clock speed, 2MB L2 Cache and 800MHz FSB, its price is set at $133, while E4400 will further drop to $113.