Intel Designs Mainstream 3.2GHz Dual-Core Core i5

Not so long ago, it was revealed that Intel planned to introduce, sooner or later, a new dual-core processor with a clock speed of 3.6Ghz. This model, however, will likely be meant for the high end, which means that the Santa Clara chip maker will have to develop a different model for the mainstream. Granted, the existing mid-end offering, known as the Core i5 650, already has the more-than-decent clock speed of 3.2GHz, as well as a cache memory of 4MB, but it is limited in terms of overclocking. Fortunately for budget-conscious overclockers, however, the company seems to already be working on a new part.

According to Fudzilla, which is also the source of the rumors regarding most of Intel's currently known future chip plans, the CPU maker is devising the Core i5 655K. This chip, while having the same 3.2GHz frequency as the i5 650, will be “completely unlocked” and, thus, will be able to push higher in overclocking scenarios.

The chip will have a 32nm central processing unit and a 45nm graphics core on the same die. It will be compatible with socket LGA 1156 motherboards and will supposedly come at a premium price compared to the Core i5 650.

The central processing unit is said to have a thermal design power (TDP) of 73W, though it will likely consume more depending on how far end-users are willing to push it. Considering these capabilities, it makes sense to think that the final price tag will be higher than its predecessor's. Currently, the i5 650 carries a tag of $194.90 in the United States and is priced at 150 Euro in Europe. Obviously, the newcomer will ask for a little more. Unfortunately, the exact price is not specified.

If the rumors prove valid, Intel will officially introduce its new dual-core mainstream processor by the beginning of June 2010.