Intel Core i3 vs i5 Processors

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.

Price Difference :

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.

Performance Difference : 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.

Hyper-Threading : Intel Core 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.

Turbo Boost : The i5 supports Turbo Boost while it is not available in i3 series. Turbo Boost is the most hyped and the key feature of the Core i series. The turbo boost enables the processor to increase the CPU’s clock speed on demand.

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.

Intel vPro Technology Virtualizaton : The Core i5 support this technology while it is absent on Core i3.

AES Encryption Technologies : This Technology is the present on the Core i5 while it is not available in i3 series.

Integrated Graphics Processor : Intel has taken the IGP integration a step further and worked the IGP into the CPU architecture. It even shares cache with the processor. It also enables Quick Sync, a video transcoding feature that provides blazing performance when converting videos to a different format. Intel created two versions of the IGP: 2000 and 3000. The 2000 has 6 execution units, while the 3000 has 12 execution units. The 3000 can process graphical information 50% quicker than the 2000. Both the Core i3 and Core i5 support IGP 3000 and IGP 2000.

Intel Core i3 vs i5 Specifications

Product Name	Core i3 (2100T)	Core i5 (2500K)
Price	$124.99	$216
Number of Cores	2	4
Number of Threads	4	4
Clock Speed	3.1 GHz	3.3 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	Not Applicable	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 Graphic 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	No	2.0
Intel vPro Technology	No	Yes
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology	Yes	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

Conclusion : 

Core i5’s four cores are somewhat negated by Core i3’s dual core with hyper threading. Overall, the additional cores and the Turbo Boost feature on the i5 makes it a clearly quicker processor in virtually all usage scenarios. Both processors are actually equal in terms of performance with only the price as the deciding factor. So in the battle between the i3 vs i5, we think that the i5 processors are putting up a higher hand as they have Quad cores for higher speeds, Turbo boost for extra speedy performance and quite a fit in the pocket price tags. But the average user with a tight budget will likely be fine with what the i3 has to offer.