There's no doubt that the QX9650 is a very impressive CPU that convincingly faster than anything that's out there right now. Clearly the price places it out of the range of all but the most dedicated and well-heeled enthusiasts but it serves its purpose as a truly impressive flagship processor for Intel. And perhaps even more importantly it bodes well for next year's more affordable variants. The only question now is whether AMD can muster a suitable response with Phenom.