The Intel Core i5-3550 was a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in April 2012, at an MSRP of $194. It is part of the Core i5 lineup, using the Ivy Bridge architecture with Socket 1155. Core i5-3550 has 6 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.3 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.7 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i5-3550 on a 22 nm production node using 1,400 million transistors. The multiplier is locked on Core i5-3550, which limits its overclocking potential. With a TDP of 77 W, the Core i5-3550 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 i5-3550 uses a PCI-Express Gen 3 connection. This processor features the Intel HD 2500 integrated graphics solution. Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i5-3550, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) can run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications.