i5-520E vs i3-3240

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2129	not rated
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.62	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	no data	Intel Core i5
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Westmere (2010−2011)
Release date	3 September 2012 (12 years ago)	7 January 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$75	$210

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E 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	3.4 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 1.0
Bus rate	5 GT/s	1 × 2.5 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	18
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	128 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	512 KB
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	3 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	94 mm2	81 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	65 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	382 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E 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	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1155	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	-	+
FMA	-	+
AVX	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	-	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
FDI	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	-	no data
Identity Protection	+	-
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3-1066
Maximum memory size	32 GB	8 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	17.051 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 2500	Intel HD Graphics
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.05 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

3

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	16

Pros & cons summary

---

Integrated graphics card	0.69	0.78
Recency	3 September 2012	7 January 2010
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	55 Watt	35 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-3240 and Core i5-520E, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---