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Intel Core i5-3570T

Intel Core i5-3570T: Review of an Outdated Yet Relevant Processor for Budget Systems (2025)

Introduction

Despite its release in 2012, the Intel Core i5-3570T still captures the attention of enthusiasts and users building PCs for less demanding tasks. In 2025, this processor is an example of a "survivor" chip that continues to operate in offices, media centers, and home servers. Let's analyze who it suits now, and who should look for more modern solutions.

1. Key Specifications: Architecture, Performance, and Features

Ivy Bridge Architecture

The processor is based on the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture (3rd generation Intel Core), fabricated using a 22nm process. This was Intel's first commercial chip to use three-dimensional transistors (Tri-Gate), reducing power consumption by 20-30% compared to its predecessors (Sandy Bridge). However, in 2025, 22nm is an archaic standard: modern processors utilize 5-7 nm processes.

Cores and Frequency

- 4 cores, 4 threads (No Hyper-Threading).

- Base frequency: 2.3 GHz, turbo frequency: up to 3.3 GHz.

- Cache: 6 MB L3.

Performance

- Geekbench 6 (2025):

- Single-Core: 635 — comparable to budget mobile processors from the 2020s (e.g., Intel Celeron N5105: ~620).

- Multi-Core: 1861 — equivalent to AMD Athlon 3000G (2019).

Key Features

- Integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 2500 (supports DirectX 11, 4K via DisplayPort).

- Support for technologies: Intel Quick Sync Video (video encoding), Virtualization (VT-x).

2. Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

LGA 1155 Socket

The processor requires motherboards with the LGA 1155 socket. In 2025, no new boards for this socket are being released, but you can find models on the secondhand market:

- Chipsets: H61, B75, H77, Z75, Z77.

- Example Models:

- ASUS P8H77-V (price for leftovers: $70-90).

- Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H ($60-80).

Selection Tips

- USB 3.0: Available only on B75, H77, Z75/Z77 chipsets.

- SATA III: Up to 2 ports on H77/Z77.

- PCIe 3.0: Supported, but only 16 lanes (a limitation for modern graphics cards).

Tip: Look for boards with functioning capacitors and BIOS updated to the latest version (for compatibility with NVMe SSDs through adapters).

3. Supported Memory: DDR3 and Its Limitations

Memory Type

- DDR3-1333/1600 MHz (dual-channel mode).

- Maximum size: 32 GB (depends on the motherboard).

Issues in 2025

- High power consumption of DDR3 vs. DDR4/DDR5.

- Limited speed: The bandwidth of DDR3-1600 is 25.6 GB/s, while DDR4-3200 is 51.2 GB/s.

Recommendations:

- Use 2 modules of 8 GB DDR3-1600 (for example, Kingston HyperX Blu — $25 per module).

- Avoid cheap memory without heat sinks — there's a high risk of overheating.

4. Power Supply: Minimalism and Reliability

Power Consumption

- TDP: 45W (actual consumption under load can reach up to 65W).

- System without a discrete graphics card: ~100-150W.

Recommended PSUs

- Without a graphics card: 350-400W (e.g., be quiet! Pure Power 11 400W — $55).

- With a graphics card: 500-600W (for GTX 1650 or similar — Corsair CX550M, $70).

Important: Don’t skimp on the power supply! Cheap units (like Apevia) can damage older components.

5. Pros and Cons of i5-3570T in 2025

Pros

- Low power consumption: Ideal for PCs running 24/7 (servers, NAS).

- Sufficient performance for office tasks, web surfing, 1080p video.

- Compatibility with Windows 7/8.1 — relevant for specialized software.

Cons

- No support for modern standards: USB 3.1, PCIe 4.0, NVMe (only through adapters).

- Weak IPC: Falls behind even budget Intel Core 10th generation chips by 30-40%.

- Limited upgrade options: Maximum upgrade is to i7-3770K (4C/8T).

6. Use Cases: Where the Processor is Still Relevant

Office Tasks

- Document work, browsing (10-15 tabs), Zoom.

- Example: Office PC based on i5-3570T + 16 GB DDR3 + 256 GB SSD — Windows 10 boot time: 12-15 seconds.

Multimedia

- Watching 4K on YouTube (with stutters at high bitrates).

- Tip: Use a graphics card with VP9 decoder (such as GTX 1050 Ti).

Gaming

- Capabilities: CS:GO (60 FPS at medium), GTA V (40-50 FPS), Minecraft.

- Limitations: Modern AAA titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield) will either not run or operate at 10-15 FPS.

Home Server

- NAS based on FreeBSD/OpenMediaVault.

- System power consumption: ~40W during idle.

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Phenom II X4 965 (2010)

- Pros: Cheaper ($15 vs. $30 for used).

- Cons: TDP 125W, no AVX support.

Intel Core i3-10100 (2020)

- Pros: 4C/8T, DDR4, PCIe 3.0.

- Cons: Price (new — $120).

Conclusion: The i5-3570T only wins in energy efficiency. For gaming and multitasking, it's better to go for i3-10100 or Ryzen 3 4100.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

Budget Optimization

- Motherboard: Look for models with a warranty (such as refurbished ASUS).

- Memory: 16 GB DDR3-1600 — minimum for multitasking.

- Storage: An SSD is essential (Kingston A400 480 GB — $35).

Cooling

- The BOX cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation — Arctic Freezer 7 X ($20).

Upgrading

- Add a graphics card, like the GTX 1650 ($150), for gaming.

- Use a PCIe-SATA adapter to connect M.2 SSD.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-3570T Suitable for in 2025?

This processor is a choice for:

1. Enthusiasts building retro computers.

2. Budget offices where saving on electricity is important.

3. Home servers with low power consumption.

Why Not to Choose It:

- If you need to work with modern applications or games.

- For tasks requiring multi-threading (rendering, streaming).

Alternative: New Intel Alder Lake-N processors (N100, $120) or AMD Ryzen 3 7300U ($130) offer 2-3 times higher performance at similar TDP.

Final Note: The i5-3570T is a legend of its time, but in 2025, it should only be considered for niche scenarios.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2012

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i5-3570T

Code Name

Ivi Bridge

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.30 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1155

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

22 nm

TDP

45 W

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8 & 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3 1333/1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

25.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 2500

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

650 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.15 GHz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

6 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

635

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1861

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

592

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1882

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1754

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

4107

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-4960X

725 +14.2%

Xeon E3-1220

667 +5%

Core i5-3570T

635

Xeon E3-1265L v2

593 -6.6%

Core i3-3225

558 -12.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-3840QM

2265 +21.7%

FX-8370

2057 +10.5%

Core i5-3570T

1861

Core i5-2400

1724 -7.4%

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

1547 -16.9%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Pentium G3450T

642 +8.4%

Core i7-3610QM

615 +3.9%

Core i5-3570T

592

Core i5-4210U

574 -3%

A10-5700

556 -6.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 PRO 1300

2146 +14%

Celeron G6900T

2006 +6.6%

Core i5-3570T

1882

Core i7-7560U

1732 -8%

FX-6330

1622 -13.8%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-4440S

1802 +2.7%

Celeron G3930

1778 +1.4%

Core i5-3570T

1754

Core i3-10100TE

1715 -2.2%

Xeon E5-2670

1695 -3.4%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Athlon Silver 3050GE

4545 +10.7%

Pentium Gold G6505

4371 +6.4%

Core i5-3570T

4107

Pentium Gold G6500T

3874 -5.7%

FX-6100

3676 -10.5%