Current Core i7 Processor Pricing

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

It's been two full weeks since Intel's Core i7 processors have been launched, so I thought I'd take another look at current pricing to see where things stand. At launch, there were only two stores that had the CPUs and other required components in stock, but that has changed for the better. The motherboard and memory selection is great, so regardless of whether you want to upgrade as cheaply as possible, or go all out, there is much choice to be had.

The situation regarding CPU coolers is a little ridiculous though, as both NewEgg and NCIX seem to only stock one particular model each. I've searched other e-tailers as well, and not a single one had any in stock, and if they did, they're making them far too difficult to find. Given that the embargo on these processors was lifted close to a month ago, there's really no excuse to not have a better selection by now.

That rant aside, using our pricing engine, I found a flurry of e-tailers that are now selling the CPUs. I've ranked them from lowest-to-highest price to keep things simple.

• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - Mwave ($294.00)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - ZipZoomFly ($294.90)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - NewEgg ($294.99)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - Directron ($299.99)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - NCIX ($309.09) ($391.04CAN)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - Tiger Direct ($309.99)
• Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz) - NowDirect ($312.88)

• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - ZipZoomFly ($567.50)
• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - Mwave ($569.00)
• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - NewEgg ($569.99)
• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - NowDirect ($609.29)
• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - Tiger Direct ($609.99)
• Intel Core i7 940 (2.93GHz) - NCIX ($686.04) ($771.66CAN)

• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - ZipZoomFly ($1,028.80)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - NewEgg ($1,029.99)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - Mwave ($1,039.00)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - Tiger Direct ($1,079.99)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - NowDirect ($1,086.85)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - Directron ($1,134.99)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 (3.20GHz) - NCIX ($1,217.09) ($1,391.39CAN)

For the i7 920, either Mwave, ZZF and NewEgg are going to be a good choice, as the prices hover within the dollar. For the i7 940, things are still tight, so it's hard to go wrong. The i7 Extreme 965 is another story, though, with one e-tailer selling above the $1,200 mark. That's foolish when the same CPU can be had for $1,029 at ZZF or $1,030 at NewEgg. It definitely pays to shop around... something that's tough if you're a Canadian. The prices as seen at NCIX seem to be the cheapest in all of Canada, and by no means are they low when compared to the US equivalents.

I've only tackled CPUs here, but the motherboards is an area where it will pay off even more to shop around. Once you have a board picked out, being lazy will get you nowhere. Shop around! You might only save $20, but that's $20 in your pocket, not someone else's.
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