This generation is different, but the past 4 generations, the Xeon E3s have launched pretty much simultaneously with their i5/i7 siblings, with the 12x0 versions not having integrated graphics, and usually for a bit less than their equivalent with integrated graphics. You give up on overclockability, but if you're concerned about tdp, you're probably not going to be overclocking anyways.

> You give up on overclockability

So let's see. Xeons are what I want now. Except for absurd prices. And that they aren't available. And that they don't overclock. And... And...

As I said, I wish there was something that was actually vaguely what I wanted (a desktop processor that's <=4 cores, and focused on single-core CPU performance). The Xeon isn't it.

Also:

> if you're concerned about tdp, you're probably not going to be overclocking anyways.

In a desktop overclocking is a large chunk of the reason why one would be concerned about TDP!

> As I said, I wish there was something that was actually vaguely what I wanted (a desktop processor that's <=4 cores, and focused on single-core CPU performance). The Xeon isn't it.

What do you think about i3-4370 ? It seems this processor has very good single-thread performance and is quite affordable as well.

That's the processor I am looking at, as a matter of fact. That is, assuming that the next gen won't have anything better for my needs.