Core i5-540M vs Core i3-2310E

General info

Comparing Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	2219	2230
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i3	Intel Core i5
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
Release date	1 February 2011 (13 years old)	7 January 2010 (14 years old)
Launch price (MSRP)	$225	$257
Current price	$225 (1x MSRP)	$210 (0.8x MSRP)

Technical specs

Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	2 (Dual-core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	2.1 GHz	2.53 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.1 GHz	3.07 GHz
Bus support	4 × 5 GT/s	2500 MHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	32 nm
Die size	149 mm2	81+114 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	105 °C
Number of transistors	624 million	382+177 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	Intel BGA1023	BGA1288,PGA988
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	no data	+
FMA	+	+
AVX	+	no data
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	no data	+
Hyper-Threading Technology	no data	+
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	no data	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	+
PAE	no data	36 Bit
FDI	no data	+
Fast Memory Access	no data	+
Status	no data	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M are enumerated here.

VT-d	no data	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	no data	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	16 GB	8 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21.335 GB/s	17.1 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	no data	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	766 MHz

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

2

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M.

PCIe version	no data	2.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Core i3-2310E outperforms Core i5-540M by 2% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Advantages and disadvantages

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Performance score	1.20	1.18
Recency	1 February 2011	7 January 2010
Cost	$225	$257

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-2310E and Core i5-540M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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