A while back, Intel’s yet unannounced Core i7-11700K went on sale at a German retailer (Mindfactory) despite the fact that the embargo lifts at the end of the month. The octa-core Rocket Lake part was priced a fair bit higher than the MSRP, going for €469, and more than 120 units were sold in just a week.
Just yesterday, Intel issued a statement saying that the sales embargo for its new processors lifts on the 31st of March. The company also promised to take action against any retailer who breaks (or has broken) the said embargo. Lo and behold, a day later the same processor is back on sale, and that too at the same retailer. This time around the price has dropped by €14 and just around 5 chips are available, with three already sold.
It looks like Intel either wasn’t able to enforce its embargo or it simply didn’t care/didn’t want to. Regardless, considering that Mindfactory is one of the largest retailers in Germany, I doubt Intel will impose any restrictions or penalties on it. The fact that the company’s market share has been reduced to less than 20% makes it even less likely.
