Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200S, Q9400S & Q9550S with new 65W TDP

While the news yesterday that Intel are dropping prices on several of their processors caught the attention of cash-strapped PC buyers and builders, the silicon company also had some news for those wanting high performance in small enclosures. The latest Core 2 Quad range CPUs have now dropped from 95W TDP (thermal design power) to 65W TDP, meaning less power consumption and less cooling required.
Three processors from the Core 2 Quad range now meet the 65W TDP target: the Q8200S, the Q9400S and the Q9550S. These run at 2.33GHz, 2.66GHz and 2.83GHz respectively, with the Q8200S having 4MB of L2 cache, the Q9400S having 6MB and the Q9550S having 12MB. All have a 1,333MHz FSB speed, and are built on 45nm processes.
No pricing has been announced for the three new processors. Yesterday, Intel dropped the prices of the Core 2 Quads Q9650, Q8300 and Q9400 more drastically than the other reduced chips; this could be in recognition of their new, more economical counterparts.