Intel Core i5 655K
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We have collected 5 reviews of the Intel Core i5 655K. Experts rate Intel Core i5 655K 6.7/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Intel Core i5 655K and Intel Processors.
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Intel Core i5 655K Reviews
Intel Core i5 655K
Intel designed its Core i5 655K CPU for system builders interested in producing inexpensive pre-overclocked systems. Intel reckons this is possible since it has given the 655K an unlocked multiplier so high-end (i.e. expensive) motherboards with tweak-friendly BIOSs are not needed for overclocking. The Core i5 655K is based on the Clarkdale architecture and sports two 3.2GHz cores. Since it also features HyperThreading technology, it can process four threads simultaneously. As the 655K is just an unlocked version of the Core i5 650 CPU it is compatible with all P55, H55 and H57 motherboards.Running our benchmarks the Core i5 655K performed as expected in that it returned figures that were very close to the numbers produced by the multiplier-locked 650 CPU. This is not a huge shock given that, as we said earlier, the 655K is just a Core i5 650 with an unlocked multiplier. Thanks to its unlocked multiplier, overclocking the 655K was a very simple affair. First, we simply left the front side bus at its standard frequency and pushed the CPU's multiplier up from its standard 24 to 28, which resulted in a frequency of 3.8GHz.
Intel Core i5 655K review
In this modern age of multi-core CPUs, can dual-core really cut it in an enthusiast chip? Intel obviously thinks so. How else to explain the Core i5 665K?One of a pair of new K Series processors aimed at overclocking addicts, the Intel Core i5 665K's stand out feature is an unlocked CPU multiplier. Previously only found on ultra expensive Intel Extreme Edition models, an unlocked multiplier allows for CPU overclocking without stressing other parts of the system.Indeed, it's the unlocked multiplier that explains why the Core i5 665K is marginally more expensive than the closely related Core i5 661 despite a slightly slower 3.2GHz standard operating frequency.What's harder to justify is the how the dual-core 665K stacks up against quad-core processors from Intel and AMD. The likes of the Intel Core i5 760 and AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition are both cheaper and more powerful. As for the six-core AMD Phenom II X6 1055T, the less said the better. Intel's Nehalem CPU architecture is a scorcher in quad and six-core trim and it makes for an impressive in dual-core chip, too.
Intel Core i5 655K review
The Extreme Edition CPUs from Intel are the real performance daddies of the desktop world. Costing over £800 for a little slab of silicon though they really should be. So what is it about these Extreme chips that makes them so damned fast? It's the unlocked multipliers that allow the extreme tweakers to overclock the nuts off these processors.It's also a feature that would be trivial for Intel to add to any of its current CPUs. Wouldn't it be nice if you could have the unlocked multiplier in a more affordable chip? In fact, you already can if you go for one of AMD's competitively priced Black Series CPUs. And perhaps it's the AMD Black chips that explain the arrival of Intel's new special K pairing. Yup, Intel has released a couple of cut-price processors with unlocked multipliers that are aimed squarely at performance enthusiasts.Say hello, therefore, to the new Core i5-655K. The new K-series chips are closely related to existing processors in Intel's desktop range. The 655K clocks in with the same stock frequencies as the existing Core i5-650 model. So, that's a base clockspeed of 3.2GHz and a maximum Turbo frequency of 3.46GHz. In all other regards, the spec is as per the 650 model.
Intel's Core i5-655K & i7-875K Unlocked Processors
For years, AMD has been offering "Black Edition" processors that cater both to the consumer who wants the best AMD has to offer, and overclockers who want as much flexibility as possible. The reason is unlocked ratios and multipliers, something that on the Intel side required expensive "Extreme Edition" processors. Given that Intel has been on top of the processor game for years now, it's difficult to say that the company has finally caught up in this regard, but it has. There's no fancy naming scheme here, though... simply a "K" at the end of the model number is all you need to look for, or alternatively, the word "Unlocked" on the box. K processor models have a near identical non-K model. The differences are that the K models are unlocked, meaning that they can be overclocked without affecting other PC components, such as your RAM. So, if you're looking for a massive CPU overclock, you don't have to worry too much about purchasing a super-fast kit of memory to support it - unless you're looking for the best of both worlds. As you would expect, K models carry a bit of a cost premium, but as it stands, the only other way to have an unlocked Intel CPU is to purchase an Extreme Edition, which is obviously even more costly.
Intel Core i7-875K and i5-655K Unlocked Processors
Aside from their markings, there isn't anything that physically differentiates the new Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K from other Lynnfield and Clarkdale based processors. As you can see in the images above, the Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K use the same LGA1156 packaging, but the surface mounted components on their undersides are different from each other. Above are a couple of screen captures from the latest version of CPU-Z showing the Core i7-875K's and Core i5-655K's pertinent details. Looking back at our previous coverage of the first Lynnfield and Clarkdale chips to arrive in the lab, it appears that the Core i7-875K uses the same stepping and revision as previous Lynnfield-based Core i7 processors, but the Core i5-655K is based on a new stepping and revision of the Clarkdale chip (5 vs. 2). This next set of CPU-Z screenshots shows our max stable overclocks using the new Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K processors in an Asus P7H57D-V EVO motherboard, outfitted with a new BIOS that properly supports the chips. Other than their core speeds, what's important to note here is that all of the overclocking gains were achieved by simply increasing the processors' multipliers.
Prices
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Intel Core i5-655K 3.2GHz 4 MB LGA1156 Processor without Fan BX80616I5655K | $199 | See it |
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Intel Core i5-655K 3.2GHz 4 MB LGA1156 Processor without Fan BX80616I5655K | $202.71 | See it |
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Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz Unlocked Quad-Core Desktop Processor | $376.99 | See it |
