Conclusion

I believe it won’t be too much to say that Intel prepared another remarkable product. From the user standpoint, the main advantage of Core 2 Duo E7200 is the fact that its launch reduced the cost of a new CPU with 45nm core. As a result, the new processor that came to replace Core 2 Duo E4700 raises the performance bar for mainstream Intel processors quite noticeably. Of course, it is not faster than Core 2 Duo E8000, losing about 10% to it, but it is significantly faster than Core 2 Duo E6550 and is just a little behind Core 2 Duo E6750. Moreover, Core 2 Duo E7200 boasts great overclocking potential and is capable of hitting frequencies close to 4GHz with just a few simple tricks.

Another strong advantage of the new processor is the lowest heat dissipation among the dual-core the desktop CPUs. It makes this solution extremely interesting not only as a basis for regular mainstream PCs but also as a suitable processor for quiet HTPC systems.

The only thing that may pose some concerns for the Core 2 Duo E7200 marketing future is the possibility of facing the same problems as E8000 these days. I am talking about severe shortages and increased retail prices as a result of that. However, Intel is very determined and is planning to eliminate the desktop Wolfdale shortages in the near future. We hope these are not just words, although even at $160-$170 Core 2 Duo E7200 still remains extremely attractive, since the prices of other Intel processors are far from official ones and AMD cannot currently offer any real alternatives to this CPU.