After a series of delays with the much-anticipated new Ivy Bridge processor line from Intel, it now seems that the wait is about to be over. According to a schedule leaked by CPU World, we can expect an array of Intel Ivy Bridge chipsets to start launching soon, between April 22 and April 28. Earlier reports pointed to June for the launch. Still, there is no official release date from Intel, so for now, all reports and leaked schedules are in the rumor stage.

According to CPU World, some of the new mobile and desktop quad-core chips will arrive before the end of April, but the launch is only for the fastest chips in the line. "Ivy Bridge processors will be announced in the 4th week of April, between April 22 and April 28. The announcement will include only quad-core models: mobile Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme families, desktop Core i7, Core i5-3570K, i5-3570T, i5-3550, i5-3550S, i5-3450 and i5-3450S. The announced chips will be available for sale on April 29, and the reviews and benchmarks should be published on the same day," CPU World reports.

High-End Quad-Core Processors

This set of new quad-core processors will come as great news for desk-bound users and those who rely on high-performance laptops, as the new chips' clock speeds range from 2.5GHz to 3.5GHz.

The Core i7 mobile processors are great options for future MacBook Pro refreshes. The other processors, meanwhile, may end up in the next-generation iMac, due for a refresh soon. On the other hand, consumers expecting Ivy Bridge chipsets as Ultra or U-Series low voltage processors for MacBook Air may have to wait a while longer, until the beginning of June. If the CPU World's report is correct, such chipsets will not be launching until June 3.

Core i3 Line

When it comes to the low-end Core i3 line, CPU World reports they will be introduced in the third quarter of 2012. "There was a rumor that Core i3 mobile lineup will not be transitioned to Ivy Bridge. We believe that Core i3 mobiles will be released after all. VR-Zone previously disclosed details on Core i3-3217U ULV SKU, and there will be at least one Core i3 mobile 35W CPU. Mobile chips from i3 family will also launch in the third quarter," it said.

(reported by Alexandra Burlacu, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)