Pros: Outperforms previous Intel Core i3 and Core2Duo processors on almost every task. Almost as powerful as quad-core i5-750 but much cheaper. Integrated HD-Graphics excellent for Blu-ray & HD video.

Cons: Not a con, really, but make sure your chosen motherboard has HDMI-out jack to take full advantage of HD graphics & Blu-ray. Also, check motherboard for digital audio-out jack (optical or coax) as some boards only have analog audio-out.

Overall Review: To some other reviews here: Push-pin mounting for heatsink/fan is easy, just push down each corner 'til it snaps into place. If you leave one corner up, it will overheat gradually. Also, if you put it in an ITX mini-case then add a discrete graphics card the whole system will overheat (never use discrete G-card in a mini-case!) Also, Intel and all tech reviews state clearly that this cpu is not overclockable, so why buy it then give it a low rating here because it won't overclock? Previous models i3-530 and i3-540 still available and they overclock like crazy! Also, pressing down hard on center of heatsink fan will damage the bearings and make the fan noisier as one reviewer found out. Try mounting cpu and heatsink/fan before placing motherboard into case so you can clearly see if heatsink push-pins are locked on back of board. But don't bear down on the center of fan! To reviewer who said his memory was "downclocked" from 1333 to 1066, enable XMP in BIOS for full speed.

Pros: Strong Inexpensive

Cons: None

Overall Review: Going budget? Stop here

Pros: Great speed, 7.1 rating in Win7's benchmark. Onboard GPU got a 5.5 gaming graphics rating and thus played youtube and netflix HD streams at full framerates. Basically felt fast responsively with DDR3.

Cons: For some reason, a MB with this CPU installed that takes 1333 natively downclocked my 1333 gskill sticks to 1066 with a faster timing. I believe this processor says that the onboard memory controller (it's in the CPU, not the board, ppl) maxes at 1066. But calculating the total time comparing clock cycle timings to cycles per second, it's no net loss or gain in actual speed. So really this CPU and/or my board handles memory timings fantastically.

Overall Review: Because it can play HD and basic games flawlessly, encode media files fairly well, and is extremely responsive, and most importantly the price, this is the perfect new standard build for me. It's blazing and in 1155 socket boards, there's nowhere to go but up. Don't get an earlier socket i5, you'll regret it in future years when it comes time to upgrade.

Pros: Sufficiently powerful for most standard office software. Easy to install in a very cheap H61 motherboard. Good multitasking. Power efficient. I haven’t used the integrated graphics, but that saves some cost if not using a discrete GPU.

Cons: Not overclockable like the K-series CPUs that are roughly double the costs. Stock heat sink uses push pins and is relatively small.

Pros: Great processor. Out-performs my Phenom II 965 quad core processor in many tasks. Easy to install.

Cons: Wish I could have gotten an i5. But this is still a great processor.

Overall Review: Great processor.

Pros: 1. Fast, 3.1ghz Dual Core 2. Easy on the budget, got mine for $105 shipped 3. Easy installation, only way to make it easier is to have someone else do it for you. 4. The stock heatsink & fan work great, no need for aftermarket. 5. Very low power usage and heat compared to AMD

Cons: 1. If you want to overclock don't come here, get a K or X series i5 or i7. 2. If you want faster you have to pay for it, $15 for another 200 mhz for the next model.

Overall Review: A great CPU for a budget or second rig. Handles graphics, photo editing and everything I can throw at it. If you're serious about gaming and have the $$$ get an i5 or i7 K series.

Pros: It has multi-threading. This makes it appear to be a quad core in task manager even though it is a dual core. I read that this gives about a 1.5x performance boost. The temperature hits around 62 Celsius when under load, with stock fan. Energy efficient.

Cons: It does not have turbo Boost. This is by design. I just mention it because it can get confusing trying to figure out which CPU's have it and which ones do not. Personlly, I do not believe this feature is not worth the extra $$$.

Overall Review: I upgraded from an old AMD dual core processor. My frame rate in Starcraft II increased nearly 16x (using the same graphics card). Of course I am sure the new MOBO and RAM helped. I think that quad core CPU's (I5 and I7) are over-rated. Most people do not run programs that can truly take advantage of the extra cores. You would even be hard presses to notice a difference when playing some high-end games when compared to the i5 or i7.

Pros: It's been years since I've upgraded, so when I found out that CPU pins are now a thing of the past, I rejoiced! The plated contacts and keyed slots make this cpu so easy to install!! Just be sure to take your time and follow your mobo's directions. Very effective processor if you aren't trying to push the limits on the latest and greatest game.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: I used to be an AMD user until I found out that they are not yet supporting PCI Express 3.0. Made the decision to switch to Intel and I'm quite pleased with the results.