So how much are Intel's upcoming quad-core processors going to set you back? Top dollar, it seems, according to reports coming out of Taiwan citing industry sources who've seen the chip giant's latest roadmap.

Not that it takes much mental activity to work out the gamer-oriented 'Kentsfield' Core 2 Extreme's price. The QX6700 will, like all other Extreme-branded processors before it, be priced at $999, a DigiTimes report claims. That's the price of each processor when they're sold in 1,000-chip batches - boxed-chip prices should be slightly higher.

The QX6700 is due to ship later this quarter. It will be followed in Q1 2007 by the Core 2 Quad Q6600, which, the report reckons, will cost $851. If true, that puts it well up above what Intel currently charges for the top-of-the-line Core 2 Duos - quad-core will clearly be a premium product, with Intel pitching the part solely at the performance-hungry and well-heeled buyer. ®

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