Core i3-3250 vs Core i7-2600K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1447	2007
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.32	0.09
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	no data
Release date	9 January 2011 (13 years ago)	1 April 2013 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$317	no data
Current price	$120 (0.4x MSRP)	$260

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-2600K has 1367% better value for money than i3-3250.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 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	8	4
Base clock speed	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	no data
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	3 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Die size	216 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	65 °C
Number of transistors	1,160 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 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	LGA1155	FCLGA1155
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	55 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250. 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® AVX
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	+	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
FDI	+	+
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600
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 Compare	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel HD Graphics 2500
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.35 GHz	1.05 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

2

3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
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.

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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 i7-2600K outperforms Core i3-3250 by 125% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	3.55	1.58
Integrated graphics card	0.66	0.68
Recency	9 January 2011	1 April 2013
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	55 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2600K and Core i3-3250, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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