I purchased this "K" version of the Core i5 not because of its overclocking capabilities, but because of its integrated HD4000 graphics. The graphics capabilities of this processor obviate the need for a seperate graphics card in the new computer I am building as my main "at home" computer. It even handles video files well, including converting from one video file format to another to be displayed on different devices (transcoding).
The performance of the HD4000 graphics depends on the CPU and memory which is why I chose the i5-3570K over the i3-3225 which also has HD4000 and costs a hundred dollars less. The Windows Experience Index for the 3D and gaming graphics of the i5-3570K in my system is 6.5, identical to the score of my old GeForce 8600 GTS video card. The "desktop graphics" score is 5.9 (the lowest WEI score in my Windows 8 system). These scores are for the Core i5-3570K used with a pair of 8 GB sticks of DDR23-1333 memory (I decided to go with the lowest-speed memory supported with my motherboard). Faster memory would improve the performance of the processor's integrated graphics.
I used the stock cooler that came with the it, but first I removed the thermal compound from it (wiping it off with 91 per cent isopropyl alcohol) and applied a centered rice-grain like drop of Arctic Cooling MX-4.
When I installed Windows on my new computer the processor was at first terribly slow. Investigating the problem I turned down the TV and restarted the computer and heard the familiar rat-a-tat-tat sound of a dangling cable touching the CPU fan in spite of the fact that my cables were organized carefully. During final assembly of the Intel stock cooler the fan cable is wrapped around the fan by threading it through little clips built into the periphery of the fan; someone on the assemble line apparently missed and had some of the wires running around the inside of the fan (in contact with the blades). I pulled the cable back to the outside of the fan where it belongs and then everything was fine.
When you follow the instructions to mount the cooler over the CPU on the motherboard, it is important to press down on the four corner "buttons" so that the four black posts and their white holders all correctly protrude through the bottom of the motherboard. In my case the computer case has a rectangular hole so that you can view the bottom of the motherboard to see the four places where the cooler is attached. If one of the four posts has not been pressed down correctly then when you turn on the computer and check the temperature in the BIOS Setup you will see the temperature rise over a period of about five minutes to ninety-five degrees Celsius which is close to the boiling point of water (I tried it), but mounted properly the Core i5-3570K will more likely top out at around thirty-five degrees Celsius which is below human body temperature.
If I was to play intensive video games I would probably have to replace the stock cooler with a third-party one and add a graphics card or two. Otherwise, the Intel Core i5 3570K with its built-in HD4000 graphics has the features and performance that I need for a multiple-purpose computer that can work with various devices in the home and across the internet.
A motherboard with an Intel 7-series chipset (Z77 or Q77, for example) is needed to take advantage of some features of this 3rd-generation processor including the integrated graphics.
| Processor | 3.4 GHz core_i5 |
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