
Intel declined to comment. According to Intel??™s original schedule, the 965-series chipset and the Conroe CPU would have been launched in the second and fourth quarter of 2006, respectively. Smooth development of Conroe, however, has enabled Intel to reschedule the launch of the new CPU and revise its marketing strategy, said the sources, adding that the launch of its 965-series chipset will be delayed by a week or two.
The motherboard makers said it is good news that Intel will launch the new CPU and chipset series at the same time to form a new desktop platform. Under the original schedule, when the new chipset series hit the market, there would have been no new CPU to go with it to boost demand, noted the sources. Without extra incentives, users would hardly have been interested in replacing the 945-chipset on their motherboards with the 965-series, since the two chipsets are very similar, the motherboard makers added.