The Intel Core i7-3770S is a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in April 2012. It is part of the Core i7 lineup, using the Ivy Bridge architecture with Socket 1155. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i7-3770S has 8 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.1 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.9 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is building the Core i7-3770S on a 22 nm production process using 1,400 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Core i7-3770S, which limits its overclocking capabilities.
With a TDP of 65 W, the Core i7-3770S consumes typical power levels for a modern PC. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel interface. For communication with other components in the system, Core i7-3770S uses a PCI-Express Gen 3 connection. This processor features the Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i7-3770S, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) will run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications.