Buy on Amazon
$390.81
In Stock
Availability
Availability
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $133
Availability
MSRP in USD: $133
Key Differences
In short — Core i5-2500K outperforms the cheaper Core i3-540 on the selected game parameters. However, the worse performing Core i3-540 is a better bang for your buck. The better performing Core i5-2500K is 367 days newer than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Intel Core i5-2500K
- Performs up to 2% better in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt than Core i3-540 - 157 vs 154 FPS
Advantages of Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 77% cheaper than Core i5-2500K - $90.0 vs $390.81
- Up to 77% better value when playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt than Core i5-2500K - $0.58 vs $2.49 per FPS
- Consumes up to 23% less energy than Intel Core i5-2500K - 73 vs 95 Watts
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra+
Core i5-2500K
Desktop • Jan 9th, 2011
FPS
157
100%
Value, $/FPS
$2.49/FPS
23.293172690763047%
Price, $
$390.81
23%
FPS Winner
INTEL Core i5-2500K Processor - BX80623i52500K
Buy for $390.81 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 349274 minutes ago
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
FPS
154
98.08917197452229%
Value, $/FPS
$0.58/FPS
100%
Price, $
$90
100%
Value Winner
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Buy for $90 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 349274 minutes ago
TOP 5 Games
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra+
Core i5-2500K
Desktop • Jan 9th, 2011
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Intel Core i5-2500K | vs | Intel Core i3-540 |
|---|---|---|
Jan 9th, 2011 | Release Date | Jan 7th, 2010 |
| Core i5 | Collection | Core i3 |
| Sandy Bridge | Codename | Clarkdale |
| Intel Socket 1155 | Socket | Intel Socket 1156 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
4 | Cores | 2 |
| 4 | Threads | 4 |
3.3 GHz | Base Clock Speed | 3.1 GHz |
| 3.7 GHz | Turbo Clock Speed | Non-Turbo |
| 95 W | TDP | 73 W |
| 32 nm | Process Size | 32 nm |
33.0x | Multiplier | 23.0x |
| Intel HD 3000 | Integrated Graphics | Intel HD |
Yes | Overclockable | No |
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