Intel has been locking the multiplier of its processors for ages and those who have sought complete control over their processor have had to turn to the Extreme Edition series. These processors ship with unlocked multipliers and cost $999. AMD has taken the concept of unlocked processors to a new level with its Black Edition series, which sports unlocked multipliers, and is found in both performance and mid-range models. Intel seems to have realized this is a working concept and try it out with an unlocked Pentium processor.
Intel has launched a dual-core Pentium E6500K processor using 1066MHz FSB and 2.93GHz clock frequency. The processor spawns from the 45nm node and ships with 2MB L2 cache, making it the flagship of the Intel Pentium series.
The processor that has now been presented in China costs around $100, which brings it on par with AMD’s Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition CPU. The launch in China will be a test before any possible global launches of the unlocked mid-range processor.
At Expreview they have tested a sample and the first overclocking tests with the budget motherboard Biostar TP45SE Combo rendered some promising results, while it also confirmed the unlocked multiplier.
Maximal frequency with 1.775V (stock is 1.264V)
The multiplier could be set between 11 and 30 without problems and we would be surprised if Intel doesn’t see the potential of this unlocked mid-range processor. Maybe we should all give thanks to AMD for awakening the guys at Intel?
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