Core 2 Quad Q9400s vs Core i3-540
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2478 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.11 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 1.25 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Clarkdale (2010−2011) | Yorkfield (2007−2009) |
| Release date | 7 January 2010 (14 years ago) | 18 January 2009 (15 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $45 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s 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) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.06 GHz | 2.66 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 0.07 GHz | 0.67 GHz |
| Bus rate | 2.5 GT/s | 1333 MHz |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 6 MB (shared) |
| L3 cache | 4 MB (shared) | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 81 mm2 | 2x 82 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 73 °C | no data |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 76 °C |
| Number of transistors | 382 million | 456 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.3625V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s 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 |
| Socket | FCLGA1156 | LGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 73 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2 | no data |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| PAE | 36 Bit | no data |
| FDI | + | no data |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
Security technologies
Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s 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 i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 16.38 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors | On certain motherboards (Chipset feature) |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 2 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 7 January 2010 | 18 January 2009 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 73 Watt | 65 Watt |
i3-540 has an age advantage of 11 months, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Core 2 Quad Q9400s, on the other hand, has 100% more physical cores, and 12.3% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-540 and Core 2 Quad Q9400s, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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