Intel Core i5-2300 vs Intel Core i3-540. Specifications, performance, tests

Background information about the processors being compared, series, generation and market segment.

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i5 Intel Core i3
• Generation
  2 1
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 2000 Intel Core i 500

Basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base and turbo frequency, and cache size. These parameters indirectly tell about the speed of the processor, the higher they are the better.

• Frequency
  2.80 GHz 3.06 GHz
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.10 GHz No turbo
• Hyperthreading
  No Yes
• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  normal normal

Internal Graphics does not affect the performance of the CPU, performs the work of the graphics card in its absence or on mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Intel HD Graphics 2000 Intel HD Graphics (Westmere)
• GPU frequency
  0.85 GHz 0.50 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  1.10 GHz 0.73 GHz
• Execution units
  6 12
• Shader
  48 24
• Max. displays
  2 2
• Generation
  6 5
• Technology
  32 nm 32 nm
• Release date
  Q1/2011 Q1/2010

Built-in codecs used to encode and decode content. Significantly speeds up the required operations.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• h264
  Decode / Encode Decode
• VP9
  No No
• VP8
  No No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  Decode / Encode Decode
• VC-1
  Decode No
• JPEG
  No No

Types, channel quantity of RAM supported by Intel Core i3-540 and Intel Core i5-2300. Depending on the motherboards, higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported.

• Memory type
  DDR3-1066DDR3-1333 DDR3-1066DDR3-1333
• Max. Memory
  32 GB
• ECC
  No Yes
• Memory channels
  2 2

Compare the TDP requirements of TDP Intel Core i5-2300 and Intel Core i3-540 to select a cooling system. Note, the TDP value refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  95 W 73 W

Architecture, interfaces, additional instructions supported by Intel Core i5-2300 and Intel Core i5-2300, virtual machine technologies and process technology.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT VT-x, VT-x EPT
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX SSE4.1, SSE4.2
• L3-Cache
  6.00 MB 4.00 MB
• Architecture
  Sandy Bridge S Clarkdale
• Technology
  32 nm 32 nm
• Socket
  LGA 1155 LGA 1156
• Release date
  Q1/2011 Q1/2010