Key Differences
In short — Core i7-870 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 i7-870 is 121 days older than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Intel Core i7-870
- Performs up to 1% better in World of Warcraft than Core i3-540 - 155 vs 153 FPS
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i3-540 - 8 vs 4 threads
Advantages of Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 40% cheaper than Core i7-870 - $60.0 vs $100.0
- Up to 40% better value when playing World of Warcraft than Core i7-870 - $0.39 vs $0.65 per FPS
- Consumes up to 23% less energy than Intel Core i7-870 - 73 vs 95 Watts
- Works without a dedicated GPU, while Intel Core i7-870 doesn't have integrated graphics
World of Warcraft
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Maximum
Buy for $100 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 152 minutes ago
Buy for $60 on Amazon
In Stock
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TOP 5 Games
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Maximum
Desktop • Sep 8th, 2009
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Intel Core i7-870 | vs | Intel Core i3-540 |
---|---|---|
Sep 8th, 2009 | Release Date | Jan 7th, 2010 |
Core i7 | Collection | Core i3 |
Lynnfield | Codename | Clarkdale |
Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1156 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
4 | Cores | 2 |
8 | Threads | 4 |
2.9 GHz | Base Clock Speed | 3.1 GHz |
3.6 GHz | Turbo Clock Speed | Non-Turbo |
95 W | TDP | 73 W |
45 nm | Process Size | 32 nm |
22.0x | Multiplier | 23.0x |
None | Integrated Graphics | Intel HD |
No | Overclockable | No |