Intel to discontinue E6000-series

Once we get to Q3 this year Intel will bid farewell to the 65nm E4000 and E6000-series of processors in favor of the E7000 and E8000-series, depending on the performance segment. We can fully understand this move, as the yield per wafer should be much better using 45nm compared to 65nm.

However, this does, of course, depend on how well Intel can ramp up its 45nm production lines, as the current shortage of some 45nm doesn't seem to want to go away; which has had the unfortunate effect of pushing the market prices up.

Intel will keep the Q6600 in its range until at least the end of the year as a mainstream quad-core processor, but the Q9000-series will take over slowly but surely. This might also have something to do with Intel's 45nm production issues, but it could also be that Intel still has a lot of back stock of quad-core 65nm processors that haven't sold.