i5-2540M vs i7-4790K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1204	2142
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.92	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	Intel Core i5
Power efficiency	5.46	4.04
Architecture codename	Devil's Canyon	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	June 2014 (10 years ago)	1 February 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$339	$266

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M 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	4 GHz	2.6 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.4 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 2.0
Bus rate	5 GT/s	4 × 5 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	26
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	177 mm2	149 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	624 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M 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	FCLGA1150	FCBGA1023,PPGA988
Power consumption (TDP)	88 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

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

Security technologies

Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	+
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	21.335 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 4600	Intel HD Graphics 3000
Max video memory	2 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.25 GHz	1.3 GHz
Execution Units	20	no data
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	2
eDP	+	+
DisplayPort	+	+
HDMI	+	+
DVI	+	no data
VGA	+	no data
SDVO	no data	+
CRT	no data	+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

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

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.2/12	no data
OpenGL	4.3	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
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	5.27	1.55
Integrated graphics card	1.84	0.66
Recency	on June 2014	1 February 2011
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	88 Watt	35 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4790K and Core i5-2540M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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