Core 2 Duo E6540 vs Core i5-3230M
Aggregate performance score
i5-3230M outperforms Core 2 Duo E6540 by a whopping 219% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1986 | 2760 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i5 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | no data |
| Release date | 1 January 2013 (11 years ago) | 1 July 2007 (17 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $225 | no data |
| Current price | $93 (0.4x MSRP) | no data |
Detailed specifications
Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 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) | no data |
| Threads | 4 | no data |
| Base clock speed | 2.6 GHz | 2.33 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.2 GHz | no data |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | no data |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | no data |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 4 MB L2 Cache |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 65 nm |
| Die size | 118 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | 105 °C | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.5V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 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 | no data |
| Socket | FCPGA988 | PLGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | no data |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| My WiFi | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | - |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | no data |
| Anti-Theft | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | no data |
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | no data |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | no data |
| ECC memory support | - | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | no data |
| Quick Sync Video | + | no data |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.1 GHz | no data |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | no data |
| eDP | + | no data |
| DisplayPort | + | no data |
| HDMI | + | no data |
| SDVO | + | no data |
| CRT | + | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
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 i5-3230M outperforms Core 2 Duo E6540 by 219% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i5-3230M outperforms Core 2 Duo E6540 by 217% in Passmark.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.66 | 0.52 |
| Recency | 1 January 2013 | 1 July 2007 |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 65 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 65 Watt |
The Core i5-3230M is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Duo E6540 in performance tests.
Be aware that Core i5-3230M is a notebook processor while Core 2 Duo E6540 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Duo E6540, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
