Is Skylake release date the next Intel lie? Or should I wait for it?

[francescob]

Desktop Broadwell and Skylake CPUs are both planned for 2015 but lately Intel keeps delaying pretty much everything (probably due to all the low-power CPUs craze). Should I upgrade my home machine now (old core2duo with just 4 horrible GBs of RAM) or wait for the about 30% performance increase Skylake will bring? (of course in that 30% I also counted Broadwell improvements)

 

Also DDR3 prices are still crazy high, what the dell are the manufacturers doing? The prices haven't dropped at all despite the "market-crushing huge drop in computer sales due to tablets", the prices are almost on par with DDR4.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

- Intel Broadwell desktop processor will release in Q2 2015 probably, while same time Intel Skylake Mobile U or Y series processor will release or they could paper release new architecture.

 

- Intel Skylake for desktop platform might release at 2015 year end or in early 2016. So I don't think Intel want to ruin their Broadwell desktop sales with Intel Skylake processors release at same time in Q2 2015.

 

- DRAM memory manufacturers I think made cartel and now prices might not go down, though I can't confirm but it could be that DRAM going to new manufacturing node increased initial costs.

 

IMO, Intel Broadwell worth the wait in your case but if you are on budget and can't wait then pulling the trigger with Haswell refresh is OK, though remember its Integrated GPU is OKish. AMD Zen Architecture with Skylake in 2016 (it will be back on track from bulldozer architecture to old K series architecture) and new APUs Carrizo is also in pipeline at Q4 2014 or Q1 2015.