Start Saving: Core i7 PCs Will Be Expensive

Pre-order prices for upcoming X58 motherboards and Intel Core i7 processors have appeared online.

The upcoming Core i7 platform is looking to be rather expensive as pre-order prices for several X58 motherboards and Core i7 processors have begun appearing online. Last week we saw that MSI had three X58 motherboards planned for release and now early retail prices for these boards have appeared online.

According to Geizhals, the MSI X58 Platinum motherboard was listed online for just over €227 ($306) and the premium MSI Eclipse motherboard was listed for just over €306 ($413). The third MSI X58 motherboard is expected to be released at a later date, although its pricing is expected to be even higher as it seems to have been designed for extreme overclocking.

Prices for some Asus and Intel X58 motherboards have also appeared online, as discovered by Fudzilla. According to a listing that had since been taken down, an Intel X58 motherboard featuring only four memory slots had been listed for a price of £234.99 ($410). Since the Core i7 platform uses triple channel memory, it seems odd that an X58 motherboard would have four memory slots instead of three or six.

Also listed were two Asus motherboards ; the Asus P6T Deluxe and the Asus P6T Deluxe "OC Palm Edition", priced at £252.61($441) and £281.99 ($492), respectively. The difference between the two boards is that the OC Palm Edition features an external LCD display that helps with system overclocking. More information about the Asus P6T Deluxe “OC Palm Edition”, including photos, is available at Xtremesystems.

As for Intel Core i7 processors, a Canadian retailer had listed prices online for the upcoming processors. The Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Exteme Edition processors had been listed for (CAD) $339.95, $649.95 and $1,099.95, respectively. The official prices for these processors when purchased in bulk from Intel are expected to be $284, $562 and $999, respectively, with an expected release date set for November.

Although this early look at the retail prices for X58 motherboards and processors may not be representative of final retail pricing, it does give the consumer an idea of what an Intel Core i7 system will cost. Along with the cost of triple channel DDR3 memory, it would seem like an Intel Core i7 system will be on the expensive side. Many consumers may find an Intel Core 2 Duo system to offer better value, at least for now.