Intel’s Core i5-655K & Core i7-875K: Overclocked and Analyzed

Final Words: Not for Enthusiasts

This is another of those situations where we’ve had to make an eleventh-hour conference call with Intel to work out what and who these processors are aimed at. Our initial perception of this launch turned out to be wrong - because we thought we'd see some kind of additional overclocking overhead from the K-series SKUs that would make them stand out from the crowd.   

Our perceptions changed when Intel told us that they will not be binning these processors in a special way or marketing them at die-hard overclockers, but instead at system builders who can utilize the unlocked core features to provide cheap pre-overclocked systems with minimal fuss. In the same vein, the K-series will allow users to purchase cheap motherboards that don’t need overly complex BIOS options as we only need control of core multiplier ratios and VCore to get a quick and easy overclock. Bearing these aspects in mind, it’s hard for us to be negative about this launch; however, we’d like to see Intel unlock more processors in the future.

Out of the two processors Intel have launched today, it's the i7-875K that hits the mark on price. Sure, it's not going to set the world on fire with overclocking records but it does present users who are in the market for an all-round cruncher with a viable alternative to the AMD 1090T and the Intel i7-860 without breaking the bank.