Intel Planning to Ship Multiplier Unlocked CPUs?

Forget all that messing with bus speeds; what you really want is an unlocked multiplier!

Multiplier unlocked processors are not the norm, despite being a surefire hit with the enthusiast community that likes to decide clock speeds for themselves. Those in search of such processor have to turn to AMD's Black Edition CPUs or Intel's Extreme Editions, both of which come with premium price tags. But there may be another multiplier unlocked CPU coming from Intel, according to recent reports from the web.

Most telling is a BIOS compatibility chart listed by Gigabyte for its GA-P55A-UD6 that clearly displays an unannounced Lynnfield CPU – the Core i7-875K. Like the Core i7-870, it too supposedly runs at 2.93GHz, but speculation says that the Core i7-875K will be multiplier unlocked.

The same speculation says that the 'K' is for unlocked. If that's true, then there may be another reason to get excited. Expreview has noticed references to a Core i3-655K with base clock speed of 3.2GHz and a top Turbo Boost speed of 3.46GHz, which matches up with the Core i5-650, which currently sells for around $185. The Clarkdale i3 processor will supposedly hit in June with the Lynnfield i7 landing in July.

When asked, Intel declined to comment on rumors or speculation.