i3 vs i5
i3 vs i5 – Intel Core Processors
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Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture is a major upgrade from the previous one, Nehalem. This new architecture aims for a better computing performance and to do this, it must have a better set of processors. This made Intel re-launch its popular i3/i5/i7 line of processors which features faster computing speeds as well as other improvements. We have compared the upper two processors on our i5 vs i7 page. In here we will have an i3 vs i5 clash.
Contents
THE PRICE – i3 vs i5
One will know right away which one is pricier based on the numbers on their 
name. The i5 is more expensive than the i3 while the i7 is the most expensive among them.
The price on the Core i5 could be from $160 to $200, depending on the processor clock speed. The highest clock speed for an i5 is 3.3 Ghz while the lowest is 1.4 Ghz. Most Sandy Bridge architectures use i5 as their processor.
The Core i3 can be bought for as low as $90 and as high as $135. The same range of speed is available for the Core i3 which means the difference in price between the two is not related to their clock speeds. Comparing prices for the i3 vs i5 gives the edge to the i3.
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THE PERFORMANCE – i3 vs i5
If the cheaper i3 can give me the same clock speed as the i5 then why would I have to choose the latter? The simple answer here is the number of cores. The i3 is a dual core processor while the i5 is a quad core device. This means i5 is better at multitasking than the i3.
The odd thing is that i3 can do hyper-threading while the i5 cannot. Hyper-threading is a technology for improving the processors multitasking capabilities. It works by telling the OS that it has virtual cores in addition to the actual works. Thus, even though the i3 is a dual core processor, it can also work like a quad core device.
Although i3 might be similar in performance with the i5 based on the above statement, there are other significant differences. One is Turbo Boost, a technology which enables a processor to increment its clock speed. The i5 supports this which means 3.3 GHz of clock speed is not really its ceiling. The Core i3, in contrast, has no Turbo Boost.
Besides clock speed, another good measure of a processor’s performance is the cache memory. The Core i5 at 3.3 Ghz has a cache memory of 6 MB while the Core i3 at the same clock speed only contains 3 MB of cache memory. Another minor difference is the presence of vPro virtualization and AES Encryption technologies on the Core i5.
The IGP or Integrated Graphics Processor is a noteworthy addition to the new Core processors. Although buying a separate graphics card is still the better choice, the IGP can still do the job at lower power consumption.
Intel created two versions of the IGP: 2000 and 3000. The 3000 can process graphical information 50% quicker than the 2000. Both the Core i3 and Core i5 support IGP 3000 and IGP 2000.
Below are some i3 and i5 powered laptop computers:
Too Low to Display Too Low to Display Too Low to Display $599.95 $697.99 $1192.99Merchant Product Price Buy Now 
Asus U52F-BBL9 Notebook, Intel Core i5-460M Mobile Processor, 4GB, 640GB, 15.6-Inch HD+,Webcam,Windows7 Home Premium 64-
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Dell Inspiron i14R-2265MRB 14 Inch Laptop, Intel Core i5-450M 2.4GHz, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 500GB HDD, Windows 7 Professional
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ASUS K53E-BD4TD Laptop / Intel Core i5-2430M Processor / 15.6" Display / 4GB Memory - Matte Brown Suite
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Acer Aspire 5742-6838 15.6' Notebook - Intel Core i5-460M
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HP Pavilion dm4-2070us Intel Core i5-2410M 14.0-Inch Notebook PC (Steel Gray Aluminum)
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Lenovo ThinkPad 4178A53 14" LED Notebook - Intel Core i5 i5-2520M 250 GHz - Black
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i3 vs i5 Specifications
|
Product Name |
Core i3 (2100T) |
Core i5 (2500K) |
|
Price |
$124.99 |
$216 |
|
# of Cores |
2 |
4 |
|
# of Threads |
4 |
4 |
|
Clock Speed |
3.1 GHz |
3.3 GHz |
|
Max Turbo Frequency |
n/a |
3.7 GHz |
|
Cache |
3 MB |
6 MB |
|
Bus/Core Ratio |
31 |
33 |
|
System Bus |
5 GT/s |
5 GT/s |
|
Instruction Set |
64-bit |
64-bit |
|
Lithography |
32 nm |
32 nm |
|
Max TDP |
65 W |
95 W |
|
Memory Specifications |
||
|
Max Memory Size |
32 GB |
32 GB |
|
Memory Types |
DDR3-1066/1333 |
DDR3-1066/1333 |
|
# of Memory Channels |
2 |
2 |
|
Max Memory Bandwidth |
21 GB/s |
21 GB/s |
|
Graphics Specifications |
||
|
Processor Graphics |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Graphics Model |
Intel® HD Graphics 2000 |
Intel® HD Graphics 3000 |
|
Intel® Quick Sync Video |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology, |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® Insider™ |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® Wireless Display |
No |
No |
|
Intel® Flexible Display Interface (Intel® FDI) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® Clear Video HD Technology |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Dual Display Capable |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Advanced Technologies |
||
|
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
Intel® vPro Technology |
No |
No |
|
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology |
No |
No |
|
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) |
No |
Yes |
|
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) |
Yes |
No |
|
Intel® Trusted Execution Technology |
Yes |
No |
|
AES New Instructions |
No |
Yes |
|
Intel® 64 |
No |
Yes |
|
Idle States |
No |
Yes |
|
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Thermal Monitoring Technologies |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® Fast Memory Access |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Intel® Flex Memory Access |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Execute Disable Bit |
Yes |
Yes |
i3 vs i5 – THE VERDICT
Unless you use your computer for high-end software then the difference between the Core i3 and Core i5 is not significant. Core i5’s four cores are somewhat negated by Core i3’s dual core with hyper threading. Both processors are actually equal in terms of performance with only the price as the deciding factor. But since i3 is cheaper then we give the i3 vs i5 victory trophy to it.
Click Here for the Best Prices on CPU Processors
We hope you found this i3 vs i5 comparison useful. You may also be interested in our i5 vs i7 article.
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best, simple, understandable review and comparioson i’ve have ever seen. thank you. made my decision so much easier
Can I ask a question? I currently have a laptop that has the i5-480M processor that is only 3MB cache and only 2 cores not 4 like your story states. Am I missing something here or is your story not entirely correct?
http://ark.intel.com/products/52952
Hi Dale,
The i5-4XXXM series is part of the “Arrandale” group of Intel processors which follows Nehalem architecture. The article is referring to the newer Sandy Bridge architecture. Specifically, we are referring to the 2XXX, 2XXXS, 2XXXT, and 2XXXM i5 desktop processors, all having four cores.
this article is very nice and easy to understand. thanks and keep it up……
This is the best aricle I have read on this subject. If it were more condensed it would even be better. I think people want to know what’s what and there’s no need to include anymore than the very basic technical information.
Great article, I just purchased a system with the i3 processor can I later upgrade it to an I5 or I7
Thank you! You helped answer my questions in a clear and concise manner helping me make my decision for a new family computer. I’d “like” you if I was on facebook.