Value

The question of value is one of the toughest asked of the Core 2 Duo E8500, as it's virtually impossible to find one. Demand is extremely high for the 45nm Wolfdale processors, and even the 3.0 GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 and 2.66 GHz E8200 have been stripped from the retail shelves. The Core 2 Duo E8500 is supposed to be priced at under $300, the E8500 at under $250 and the E8200 at around $200, but with demand like this, you can toss the pricing structure out the window. All we can say, is that if the Core 2 Duo E8500 is available for less than $300, then it represents a very nice deal, and is the top performing dual core processor money can buy.

* Please note that these prices were taken at the time of review and are not meant to reflect long-term trends.

Conclusion

There is a lot of like about the Core 2 Duo E8500; it has a combination of high performance and low power consumption that is virtually impossible to beat, and an overclocking ceiling that Shaq can't touch. We were able to hit well over 4 GHz on air cooling without even trying, and Intel has built some serious headroom into the Wolfdale. Its sub-$300 price tag is a deal almost too good to be true, and in some ways, it is. Demand is at a fever pitch, retail availability is virtually nil, and it may be another month before Intel can catch up.

Pros:

• Fastest Dual Core Processor
• Extremely Good Overclocking
• A Gaming Powerhouse
• Low Power Consumption

Cons:

• Limited Availability
• Not a Quad Core

Ratings: