Intel Core i9 Leaked?

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An alleged Intel Gulftown chip was auctioned and sold on eBay. The Gulftown chips, which will be marketed with the title Core i9, aren’t set to be released until mid-2010. The seller was listed as being from Taiwan, leading some to speculate that the leaked chip came from one of Intel’s motherboard manufacturing partners.

If you’ve never built your own computer, specific motherboards have detailed approved processor lists. If you try to use a non-approved processor with your motherboard (even if it has the right slot), sometimes can result in bad things happening (I know this from experience).

To get new processors to work with their motherboards, chip companies like Intel will send to-be-released chips out to motherboard manufactures early to ensure compatibility. Since the location of the eBay seller who was selling the chip was listed as Taiwan, it”s easy to assume that this early chip came from one of Taiwan’s many motherboard manufacturers. The seller assured the chip was ‘tested and 100% working’ and the chip went for $1,200, which actually, isn’t too far from what the retail price on the new Core i9s will be.

However, the Taiwanese seller neglected to attempt to disguise the serial numbers on the top of the chip in the picture, leaving Intel free to contact the partner company assigned the leak and… punish them (the company might not receive an advance chip next time). In fact, although unlikely, it’s entirely possible that Intel spotted the chip and purchased it to keep it out of the public’s hands.

The public will probably never know the full details behind this story, like where the chip came from, and any possible repercussions for the company that allowed it to leak, but those of us waiting for our Core i9′s, we’ll have to wait until mid-2010.