i3-4170 vs i5-2550K

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1734	1821
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.65	0.55
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	2.59	4.00
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
Release date	January 2012 (12 years ago)	1 May 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$189	$117

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-2550K has 200% better value for money than i3-4170.

Detailed specifications

Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 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	4 (Quad-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	3.4 GHz	3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	3.7 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	6144 KB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Die size	216 mm2	177 mm2
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	1160 million	1,400 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 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	FCLGA1155,LGA1155	FCLGA1150
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	54 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
FDI	-	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 are enumerated here.

VT-d	-	-
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600
Maximum memory size	32 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	Intel HD Graphics 4400
Max video memory	no data	2 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	-	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	1.15 GHz
InTru 3D	-	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	no data	3
eDP	no data	+
DisplayPort	-	+
HDMI	-	+
DVI	no data	+
VGA	no data	+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096x2304@24Hz
Max resolution over eDP	no data	3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over VGA	no data	1920x1200@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	11.1/12
OpenGL	no data	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170.

PCIe version	2.0	Up to 3.0
PCI Express lanes	16	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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	2.60	2.28
Physical cores	4	2
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	54 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2550K and Core i3-4170, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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