The Intel Core i5-655K was a desktop processor with 2 cores, launched in May 2010, at an MSRP of $216. It is part of the Core i5 lineup, using the Clarkdale architecture with Socket 1156. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 4 threads. Core i5-655K has 4 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.2 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.466 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i5-655K on a 32 nm production node using 382 million transistors. You may freely adjust the unlocked multiplier on Core i5-655K, which simplifies overclocking greatly, as you can easily dial in any overclocking frequency.
With a TDP of 73 W, the Core i5-655K consumes typical power levels for a modern PC. Intel's processor supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel interface. The highest officially supported memory speed is 1333 MT/s, but with overclocking (and the right memory modules) you can go even higher. For communication with other components in the system, Core i5-655K uses a PCI-Express Gen 2 connection. This processor features the HD Graphics integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i5-655K, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware.