Intel Core i5
The mid-range straddles Sandy and Ivy
Bridge, with bargains throughout
The Core i5 range is the largest group in this
Labs for two reasons: it’s Intel’s mid-range processor family and, unlike Core
i3 and i7, contains plenty of Ivy Bridge parts.
One unusual omission is Hyper-Threading,
which is included on Core i3 and Core i7 processors, but not the quad-core i5s.
And unlike Core i3 chips, mid-range silicon also includes Turbo Boost, so cores
will be overclocked when extra grunt is required.
Intel
Core i5
Ivy Bridge i5s improve on the Turbo Boost
offered by their predecessors, with the ability to reach maximum boost levels
across two cores simultaneously rather than one.
The multiple variants of Core i5 are
denoted by a selection of suffixes. As usual, “K”-branded chips have unlocked
multipliers for easier overclocking, and low-voltage chips end in “S”, with a
TDP of 65W. All of these have integrated graphics, with a mix of HD Graphics
2000 and 3000 across the Sandy Bridge parts, and HD Graphics 2500 and 4000
across Ivy Bridge. There’s one final suffix, which is “P” - this is reserved
for two chips that are sold with no integrated graphics core.
The Core i5 range is a broad church, and
prices vary widely. The cheapest i5-2310 costs $203 only $38 more than the
priciest Core i3. The most expensive is the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3570K, which
will set you back $250 - significantly more than any of this month’s AMD
processors.
Performance
Core i5 chips bring a wide variety of
performance levels to the table. At the bottom end are two low- voltage Sandy
Bridge chips and one low-voltage Ivy Bridge chip.
The Sandy Bridge Core i5-2400S and i5-2405S
both scored 0.86 in our tests - not far ahead of the best Core i3 has to offer
but the Ivy Bridge i5-3450S scored 0.99, making it the best low-voltage Core i5
part by some distance and not far off Core i7 levels of performance. It’s also
way ahead of the AMD FX-8150, which scored 0.89.
The low-voltage chips also did very well in
our thermal tests. The Core i5-2405S’s peak test rig power draw of 110W is far
below standard Sandy Bridge Core i5s - the Core i5-2500K, for example drew 165W
- but the Ivy Bridge i5-3450S trumps them all, with a 105W peak being the
lowest of all the Core i5s on test. The Ivy Bridge i5-3450S is also the cheapest
low-power chip at $218.
Intel’s standard Core i5 processors kick
off with a selection of Sandy Bridge-based parts that are looking dated. The
$206 Core i5-2300 and the $204 i5-2320 return scores of 0.92 and 0.95, and are
still worth buying over their AMD counterparts. However, further up the range,
it’s tough to argue for a Sandy Bridge part, since they’re comparatively slower
and not much cheaper than their Ivy Bridge replacements.
We’d spend more on the $255 i5-3750K; its
1.04 benchmark score is virtually as quick as last generation’s Core i7
processors. That said, there’s still plenty to like about the i5-2500K, which
is quick at its stock speeds and can be overclocked considerably.
The verdict
The i5-3570K is our mid-range chip of
choice thanks to its combination of stellar performance and reasonable price.
If you’d like to spend a little less cash, the cheaper Ivy Bridge chips and the
low-power i5-3450S are both fine, future-proof choices, with the latter a
frugal option. For those on a tight budget, a more affordable unlocked part
that’s ripe for overclocking is the venerable i5-2500K.
|
Model
|
Speed
|
Responsiveness
|
Media
|
Multitasking
|
Overall
|
Price (inc VAT)
|
Rating
|
|
i5-2400S
|
2.5GHz
|
0.89
|
0.88
|
0.8
|
0.86
|
$188 ($225)
|
2/6
|
|
i5-2405S
|
2.5GHz
|
0.88
|
0.9
|
0.8
|
0.86
|
$200 ($240)
|
2/6
|
|
i5-2300
|
2.8GHz
|
0.97
|
0.93
|
0.86
|
0.92
|
$171 ($206)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2310
|
2.9GHz
|
0.98
|
0.95
|
0.87
|
0.93
|
$168 ($203)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2320
|
3GHz
|
0.99
|
0.97
|
0.9
|
0.95
|
$170 ($204)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2380P
|
3.1GHz
|
0.94
|
1
|
0.93
|
0.96
|
$176 ($212)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2400
|
3.1GHz
|
0.94
|
1
|
0.93
|
0.96
|
$180 ($216)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2450P
|
3.2GHz
|
0.95
|
1.01
|
0.94
|
0.96
|
$191 ($230)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2500
|
3.3GHz
|
0.96
|
1.01
|
0.95
|
0.97
|
$194 ($233)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-2500K
|
3.3GHz
|
0.98
|
1.03
|
0.98
|
0.96
|
$189 ($227)
|
5/6
|
|
i5-2550K
|
3.4GHz
|
0.99
|
1.05
|
0.98
|
1.01
|
$195 ($234)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-3450S
|
2.8GHz
|
0.98
|
1.02
|
0.98
|
0.99
|
$182 ($218)
|
5/6
|
|
i5-3450
|
3.1GHz
|
0.96
|
1.04
|
0.98
|
0.99
|
$182 ($218)
|
4/6
|
|
i5-3470
|
3.2GHz
|
0.96
|
1.05
|
0.99
|
1
|
$191 ($228)
|
5/6
|
|
i5-3550
|
3.3GHz
|
0.96
|
1.1
|
1.02
|
1.02
|
$198 ($239)
|
5/6
|
|
i5-3570
|
3.4GHz
|
0.98
|
1.11
|
1.04
|
1.04
|
$212 ($255)
|
5/6
|
|
i5-3570K
|
3.4GHz
|
0.98
|
1.11
|
1.04
|
1.04
|
$212 ($255)
|
5/6
|
Intel Core i3
Intel’s budget range hasn't yet been
bolstered by Ivy Bridge, but do last year's chips still compete?
The Core i3 is Intel’s range of mainstream,
affordable processors, and it arrived on the scene back in January 2010.
They’re Sandy Bridge parts that sit in the same LGA 1155 processor socket as
most of the more expensive models, but compromises have been made.
Intel
Core i3
There’s no sign of quad-core chips yet,
with dual HyperThreaded cores throughout. They also have the last-generation
HD Graphics 2000 and 3000 cores, rather than the HD 2500 and HD 4000 GPUs that
furnish more modern processors.
Clock speeds range from 3.1GHz to 3.4GHz,
which is a little lower than you’ll find on high-end chips from the Core i5 and
Core i7 ranges, and there’s no Turbo Boost - so cores won’t automatically
overclock when under duress.
There’s also one low-power chip available -
the i3-2100T, which runs at 2.5GHz and has a 35W TDP. The rest of these parts
have a 65W TDP, which is still fairly low.
These aren’t Intel’s cheapest chips - that
honour is reserved for Celeron and Pentium CPUs - but they’re still relatively affordable.
The top-end Core i3-2130 costs $165 - $38 less than the cheapest Core i5 part -
while the bottom- end i3-2100 costs only $132, which is more expensive than all
but one of AMD’s FX processors.
Performance
The low-end Core i3 models compete with AMD.
The cheapest, the i3-2100, scored 0.77 in our tests - this is the same level as
AMD’s top FX-4000-series chip and the FX-6000 series. There isn’t much
difference in the pricing, either, with the i3-2100 costing $132 compared to
the FX-4170’s $150 and FX-6100’s $137.
The decision depends either on your
existing motherboard, if you’re upgrading, or our thermal tests if not, and
here Intel streaks ahead. The i3-2100’s peak temperature of 63°C is fine, and
the rig’s peak power draw of 92W is way below the 189W and 196W of the two
AMDs. Intel is the clear winner when it comes to efficiency.
There’s little difference in performance as
we move up the Core i3 range. The i3-2125 and i3-2130 cost $150 and $152
respectively, and both scored 0.79 in our benchmarks. However, we prefer the
former for its superior HD Graphics 3000 core - the i3-2130 makes do with HD
Graphics 2000.
Once again, AMD’s FX series isn’t far
behind but, for several reasons, it can’t fully compete. The mid-range parts
offer reasonable competition in our application benchmarks, but the Core i3
chips on test have integrated graphics, keener prices and better thermal
results. The AMD A-Series has better graphics, but it’s slower in our
application benchmarks - a trade-off some will be happy with.
The low-voltage Core i3-2100T scored 0.7,
but its $144 price is a tad high when its peak power draw of 82W isn’t far
behind the 93W average of the rest. Here, the FX-6100 is faster and cheaper,
and the FX-4100 costs only $110 for a very similar 0.71 score.
The verdict
We await the first Ivy Bridge Core i3
processors, but these Sandy Bridge parts hold their own for those on a budget.
Performance is on a par with the best AMD FX cores, they have integrated graphics,
and thermal performance is better than any of their rivals.
With little benchmark difference across the
range, we’d select a couple of chips in particular. The i3-2100 is the cheapest
and still performs well, and the i3-2125 offers similar performance with an HD
3000 graphics core.
AMD’s A-Series, meanwhile, offers strong
competition if you’re happy to lose a little application performance in
exchange for a better integrated graphics chip.
The low-power i3-2100T is the only Core i3
to truly disappoint. In the context of a whole PC at this level, its TDP
savings make little difference, so unless every watt is vital, we prefer AMD’s
A8-3870K, which is as quick, costs less and includes a better GPU as well.
|
Model
|
Speed
|
Responsiveness
|
Media
|
Multitasking
|
Overall
|
Price (inc VAT)
|
Rating
|
|
i3-2100T
|
2.5GHz
|
0.91
|
0.67
|
0.53
|
0.7
|
$120 ($135)
|
2/6
|
|
i3-2100
|
3.1GHz
|
0.94
|
0.77
|
0.62
|
0.77
|
$110 ($132)
|
4/6
|
|
i3-2105
|
3.1GHz
|
0.94
|
0.77
|
0.62
|
0.77
|
$125 ($150)
|
3/6
|
|
i3-2120
|
3.3GHz
|
0.94
|
0.77
|
0.62
|
0.78
|
$113 ($135)
|
4/6
|
|
i3-2125
|
3.3GHz
|
0.94
|
0.79
|
0.65
|
0.79
|
$125 ($150)
|
4/6
|
|
i3-2130
|
3.4GHz
|
0.96
|
0.78
|
0.64
|
0.79
|
$137 ($165)
|
3/6
|
