The Core i3-540 is a much slower gaming CPU than the Core i5-2500K, however, it's a much better value for money, as it's $115.35 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i3-540
- Up to 79% cheaper – $31.53 vs $146.88
- A much better value for money for gaming
- Consumes up to 23% less energy – 73 vs 95 Watts
Advantages of the Core i5-2500K
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
Core i3-540 vs Core i5-2500K for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Average FPS
166
97%
Min 1% FPS
112
98%
Price, €
€31.53
100%
Value, €/FPS
€0.18/FPS
100%
Core i5-2500K
Jan 9th, 2011
Average FPS
171
100%
Min 1% FPS
114
100%
Price, €
€146.88
21%
Value, €/FPS
€0.85/FPS
21%
Core i3-540 vs Core i5-2500K in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-540 vs Core i5-2500K in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-540 vs Core i5-2500K in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Cores
2-core
50%
L3 Cache
4 MB
67%
Base Frequency
3.07 GHz
93%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
83%
Core i5-2500K
Jan 9th, 2011
Cores
4-core
100%
L3 Cache
6 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
3.7 GHz
100%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i3-540 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i5-2500K |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Jan 9th, 2011 |
$133.00 | MSRP | $216.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1155 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Sandy Bridge |
73 W | Power Consumption | 95 W |
| Performance | ||
| 2 | Cores | 4 |
| 4 | Threads | 4 |
| 3.1 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.3 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Frequency | 3.7 GHz |
| 4 MB | L3 Cache | 6 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1333 MHz | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
| Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
