Pros: I have two systems - one uses the 3450 which I upgraded from an i3-2120. The other system uses its' bigger brother - the unlocked 3570K. The difference is night and day using a quad core as opposed to a dual core. I had doubts about dropping it into my existing motherboard - a Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3P - but after updating the BIOS to version F7 it detected the processor automatically and even ran the turbo boost to 3.5GHz - and so far even over heavy workloads I have yet to see the temperature increases that I've been hearing about with Ivy Bridge CPUs.

Cons: None so far.

Overall Review: I paired this with a Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P, 16GB Corsair RAM, EVGA GTX 470, and a Hyper 212+. So far this thing runs beautifully and was incredibly easy to upgrade from my existing CPU - I'd do it again easily.

Pros: This ran a bit faster than my old sandy bridge i5 and with 1600 CL9 memory, achieved a 7.8 WEI rating so that's one heck of a memory controller! It doesn't get nearly as hot either. It even has a copper cored heatsink, unlike the higher wattage sandy i5's! Amazing!

Cons: Lowest clock speed chip. Also, the fan quality is a bit dodgy for the money and the wiring to it is very unusual and unintelligently designed. Even the way they package the wires is very odd and potentially damaging to the blades. It's identical to the old sandy design as well. I haven't had one fail yet though.

Overall Review: Technically there are faster ivy i5's on sale all the time for cheaper so you may be able to get away with a faster one without spending more.

Pros: It just works - fast. This was a big step up from my Core 2 Quad Q8200. I like the integrated 1600 MT/s DDR3 memory controller. I never had to touch my memory in the UEFI. I'm not sure if I need PCIe 3.0, but it's always nice to have the latest and greatest. I set the max clock multiplier to 39 and she runs at 3.7 GHz on all 4 cores under load. Gets up to 3.9 GHz on single threaded applications. Fast enough for today AND tomorrow.

Cons: The stock cooler is seriously weak. My case is a HAF912 with 6 fans and lots of airflow. This thing still gets into the 70s, even with the stock fan set at full speed (~ 2200 rpm). I just ordered a Hyper 212+.

Overall Review: Just make sure you get a good Z77 motherboard, 1600 MT/s RAM, and set the max clock multiplier to 39. A good cooler is also recommended. I didn't order one because I wanted to wait and see if I really needed it. Ended up ordering one anyway - just like everyone else.

Pros: Purchased this for my 1st time build for a mid-priced gaming rig and couldn't be much happier. Immediately after buying this proc the 3570k dropped 10$ for a few days(not sure why newegg's prices fluctuate almost daily it seems) to $220 and I felt almost sick thinking that I had made the wrong choice, but I'm extremely satisfied. I have it OC'd to 3.855GHz using the Asus Suite II (which has been an awesome tool for a 1st time builder/OC'r to show me safe OC options) and it is blazing through anything I've done with it. I play a lot of Blizzard games and they tend to be more CPU dependent than others, but it made easy work of a 40v40 AV battle(Ultra), a stress test custom map (Extreme), and Diablo III is great!! This computer is always waiting on me now lolol.

Cons: None whatsoever! Intel could start selling cheaper chips though =/

Overall Review: Did I mention it's cool? Paired with a Hyper 212+ I have yet to see it break temps of 40c-ish range under any gaming load. Idles around 30. It just doesn't change much more than 10c. Very satisfied!

Pros: Fast at stock speeds, runs really cool

Cons: None other than non-k (not a con actually)

Overall Review: I built this for a customer on an MSI B75 mATX motherboard and the installation was absolutely flawless. The processor was very fast at default speeds. Built with a Coolermaster Elite 430 case/Coolermaster 460W PSU, and added a used 8800GT. I recommend this processor for someone that may not want to OC (in his case never as it's a family PC). You can still OC a non K version but not on a B75 mainboard.

Pros: bought this with a $15 coupon, end up paying $179. better than what i expected, working fine.

Cons: it comes with hd2500 which is an old integrated graphics, not a con though most people will put their own gpus

Pros: I bought this a couple of weeks ago for my first gaming rig. It works great and flawlessly. I have not encountered any problems as of 10/31/12. With the Intel Turbo Boost feature, I find that playing processor heavy games are a breeze to run.

Cons: No cons so far.

Overall Review: It's a great processor. I can't complain about it. I would definitely recommend this to anyone building a mid range gaming pc. PC Specs: NZXT Source 210 Mid Tower Intel i5 3450 EVGA GTX 660 SC 2GB GSkill Ares 8GB RAM 500GB WD Caviar Blue ASUS DVD RW Drive Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified MSI Z77A-G41 MoBo

Pros: Easy, breezy install. Works like a dream.

Cons: None as of yet. Will update as necessary.

Overall Review: Upgraded from a 2.1GHz Core2Duo to this one. AMAZING difference. I definitely recommend it.