Just as the relatively affordable i7 980 has been released, there are now reports that the entire consumer desktop line from Intel has been delayed. The X79 platform and the Sandy Bridge-E CPUs in particular to January 2012, likely around the time CES event. According to Vr Zone, this is a strategic move for Intel to focus on their server CPU business since AMD's increasing popularity with their G34 platform, which their 16 core 'Interlagos' CPU based on AMD's Bulldozer architecture will be compatible with, is coming soon. Though however strategic this move may be, is it really to allow the current X58 platform to have one last Hurrah!? Or is it as suggested that due to the larger die sized chips needed for the Sandy Bridge-E CPUs, thus less chips per wafer, they are delaying it to accumulate more stock? If so then surely that contradicts Intel's acclerated mobile plans and Atom SoC's? Maybe there is another reason not yet mentioned?

*Cough* ARM + Servers *Cough*

Maybe this is Intel reinforcing their walls.