Buy on Amazon
$60
In Stock
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $133
Availability
MSRP in USD: $133
Availability
Availability
Key Differences
In short — Core i5-2550K outperforms the cheaper Core i3-540 on the selected game parameters. However, the worse performing Core i3-540 is a better bang for your buck. The better performing Core i5-2550K is 753 days newer than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 14% cheaper than Core i5-2550K - $60.0 vs $70.0
- Up to 13% better value when playing Forza Horizon 4 than Core i5-2550K - $0.2 vs $0.23 per FPS
- Consumes up to 23% less energy than Intel Core i5-2550K - 73 vs 95 Watts
- Works without a dedicated GPU, while Intel Core i5-2550K doesn't have integrated graphics
Advantages of Intel Core i5-2550K
- Performs up to 1% better in Forza Horizon 4 than Core i3-540 - 299 vs 296 FPS
Forza Horizon 4
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Max
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
FPS
296
98.99665551839465%
Value, $/FPS
$0.2/FPS
100%
Price, $
$60
100%
Value Winner
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Buy for $60 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 58289 minutes ago
Core i5-2550K
Desktop • Jan 30th, 2012
FPS
299
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.23/FPS
86.95652173913044%
Price, $
$70
85%
FPS Winner
BX80623I52550K Intel Core i5 Quad-core i5-2550K 3.4GHz Desktop Processor BX80623I52550K
Buy for $70 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 58289 minutes ago
TOP 5 Games
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Max
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Core i5-2550K
Desktop • Jan 30th, 2012
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Intel Core i3-540 | vs | Intel Core i5-2550K |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Jan 30th, 2012 |
| Core i3 | Collection | Core i5 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Sandy Bridge |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1155 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| 2 | Cores | 4 |
| 4 | Threads | 4 |
| 3.1 GHz | Base Clock Speed | 3.4 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Clock Speed | 3.8 GHz |
73 W | TDP | 95 W |
| 32 nm | Process Size | 32 nm |
| 23.0x | Multiplier | 34.0x |
Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | None |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
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