The Intel Core i5-3450 was a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in April 2012, at an MSRP of $174. It is part of the Core i5 lineup, using the Ivy Bridge architecture with Socket 1155. Core i5-3450 has 6 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.1 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.5 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is building the Core i5-3450 on a 22 nm production process using 1,400 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Core i5-3450, which limits its overclocking capabilities.
With a TDP of 77 W, the Core i5-3450 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 1600 MT/s, but with overclocking (and the right memory modules) you can go even higher. For communication with other components in the system, Core i5-3450 uses a PCI-Express Gen 3 connection. This processor features the Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i5-3450, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) will run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications.