Intel Releases i7-2700K; Lowers Price on i3-2120 & Two Pentium Models

Intel over the weekend acknowledged the release of its latest top-end Sandy Bridge chip, the Core i7-2700K, while at the same time lowered the prices on three select lower-end models. The i7-2700K is nothing more than a clock boost, bumping things up 100MHz (on both the base clock and turbo clock, for 3.50GHz and 3.90GHz, respectively). It doesn’t replace the i7-2600K, but instead retails for $15 more, settling in at $332 (per 1,000).

On the low-end, Intel has handed out ~15% price drops to a Core i3 and two Pentium models. The Core i3-2120 is a 3.30GHz dual-core now retailing for $117 (putting it in line with the 3.10GHz i3-2100). The Pentium models affected are the G850, which now sits at $75, and the G630, now matching the G620’s pricing at $64.

No major changes here, but it’s nice to see the 2700K finally get out the door, given it’s been rumored for what seems like a good six months or more. The next step for Intel will be its releasing of Sandy Bridge-E parts next month, targeted at the mid-range and higher enthusiast. Whether or not that launch will result in the lowering of prices for current models, we’ll have to wait and see.