Looks like an official release of Intels Gulftown 6-core processor is getting closer.

This CPU will be based on the Nehalem architecture and will be followed by two others, namely the toned-down 970 and another Extreme Edition, currently slated for the first quarter of 2011. Suggesting that the official launch date of the first such chip is not too far off, the upcoming Intel Core i7-980GX Extreme Edition, otherwise known as Gulftown, has started being listed in Europe.

The 32nm process technology-based CPU is listed at various prices, but in each instance it shows specifications ready to take the performance of any system to new levels. One of the most noticeable elements is the clock speed, which, despite usually being lower for multi-core processors, is of no less than 3.33 GHz. The Gulftown has 12 threads, 6.4GT/s QPI, a 130W TDP and 12MB of L3 cache memory.

With the launch of the Gulftown, Intel will take the lead in marketing six-core processors, Advanced Micro Devices is expected to release their Thuban hexacore chip maybe in late April.  The processor from Intel has been listed on multiple European websites, with one of the lower price tags found to be of 963.40 Euro. This is the equivalent of roughly $1,297. Still, this price will likely go down after the processor's official launch, considering the high likelihood of the Santa Clara company targeting the US$999 price point [via softpedia]