Core i3-540 vs Core i9-10920X

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	350	2377
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	17.43	0.11
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Architecture codename	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
Release date	19 October 2019 (4 years ago)	7 January 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	no data	$45
Current price	$594	$43 (1x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i9-10920X has 15745% better value for money than i3-540.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 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	12 (Dodeca-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	24	4
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.06 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.8 GHz	0.07 GHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	1 MB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	19.25 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	no data	81 mm2
Maximum core temperature	94 °C	73 °C
Number of transistors	no data	382 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 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	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	73 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540. 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-512	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	no data
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	no data	-
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
PAE	no data	36 Bit
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
FDI	no data	+
Status	Launched	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 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 i9-10920X and Core i3-540. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4-2933	DDR3
Maximum memory size	256 GB	16.38 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	94 GB/s	21 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
Clear Video HD	no data	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

2

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	48	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.

Core i9-10920X outperforms Core i3-540 by 1614% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	16.97	0.99
Recency	19 October 2019	7 January 2010
Physical cores	12	2
Threads	24	4
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	73 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-10920X and Core i3-540, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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