System builders -- both OEM and the DIY variety -- will soon have a new Intel processor to play with. Slated for release in the third quarter of 2010 is the Core i5 760, one of several mainstream performance parts Intel has in the pipeline.

The Core i5 760 will come clocked at 2.8GHz on each of its four cores and contain 8MB of cache. It will support DDR3-1066/1333 memory and come with a TDP set at 95W. Like all Core i5 chips, this one is for socket 1156 owners.

No word yet on price, but for comparison, the Core i5 750 sells for about $200 street. It's essentially the same chip as the 760, but clocked slightly lower at 2.66GHz. Otherwise, both CPUs feature the same amount of cache, RAM support, and TDP rating.

It will be interesting to see where Intel prices the 760, given that the Santa Clara chip maker also sells an unlocked Core i5 655K clocked at 3.2GHz for $210. Built around a 32nm manufacturing process rather than 45nm like both other chips, the 655K targets overclockers with an unlocked multiplier, though it only has 4MB of cache.

Panasonic today released what it claims is the "most powerful fully-rugged mobile computer" on the planet, the Panasonic Toughbook 31.

"The Toughbook 31 combines the best of three worlds – mobility, performance and ruggedness," said Erik Reid, mobile client marketing director, Intel Corporation. "This is achieved by combining the high performance of the Intel® Core™ i5 and i3 Processor technology with the ruggedness of the Panasonic design which enables users to perform compute intensive applications in almost any kind of conditions."

The Toughbook sports a 13.1-inch screen rated at 1,100 nits. Processor choices include an Intel Core i3 350M (2.26GHz), Core i5 520M (2.4GHz), or Core i5 540M (2.5GHz). Other specs include 2GB of DDR3 1066 memory (expandable to 8GB), up to a 250GB hard drive, HM55, QM57, or Radeon HD 5650+QM57 video controller, Wi-Fi, HDMI, four USB 2.0 ports, webcam, and other odds and ends. But the Toughbook's real claim to fame is its rugged design. Panasonic says the new model is certified to MIL-STD-810G and beyond, giving it protection from drops of up to six feet, as well as protection against water and dust.

Panasonic's Toughbook 31 is available now starting at $3,800.

Overclockers who decided to save a little jingle by opting for Intel's socket 1156 platform rather than jump on a pricier X58 foundation (socket 1366) are being rewarded with a second unlocked chip to play around with.

We found out earlier this week that Intel plans on releasing a Core i7 875K part, which is essentially the same as the existing Core i7 870, but with an unlocked multiplier. Now we've learned that there will be another, less expensive unlocked chip, the Core i5 655K.

This CPU will be identical to the Core i5 650 part, except that it comes with an unlocked multiplier. For those of you new to the overclocking scene, an unlocked processor allows the end-user can jack up the multiplier above its stock setting, which in some cases can lead to easier overclocking without stressing any other subsystems.

Like the Core i7 875K, the Core i5 650K is expected to surface in early June.

Even as early as this morning, industry sources were quoting March 22 as the release date for Acer's revamped Timeline notebooks. Coming in ahead of schedule, however, Acer today officially unveiled its Aspire TimelineX 1830T thin and light laptop, as well as a handful of other models.

Built around Intel's Calpella platform, the TimelineX 1830T sports an 11.6-inch display and weighs 3 pounds. Acer didn't get too specific with the processor, saying only that it feature an Intel Core 2 Solo chip, but reports suggest it will come outfitted with Intel's Core i5 520UM CPU clocked at 1.06GHz.

Other accouterments include Wi-Fi, a pair of memory card slots, HDMI port, optical audio, three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 2.1, and up to 8-hours of run time on the 9-cell battery (a step up from the 6-cell battery found on previous Timeline models).

Other specs are so far unknown, including RAM and hard drive capacity. So too is the price.