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Intel Core i3-3250T

Intel Core i3-3250T: A Comprehensive Review of an Outdated Yet Relevant CPU

April 2025

Key Features: Architecture and Performance

The Intel Core i3-3250T, released in 2013, belongs to the Ivy Bridge generation (3rd generation Core). Despite its age, it maintains niche popularity due to its low power consumption (TDP 35W) and compatibility with budget systems.

Architectural Features:

- Process Technology: 22 nm — a breakthrough for its time, reducing heat and increasing energy efficiency.

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 4 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Clock Speed: Base — 3.0 GHz (no turbo boost).

- Cache: 3 MB L3 cache — modest for modern tasks, but sufficient for basic operations.

- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 2500 — supports DirectX 11, but is not suitable for gaming.

Performance:

According to Geekbench 6 (2025):

- Single-Core: 555 points — on par with Intel Celeron G5905 (2020).

- Multi-Core: 1146 points — close to AMD A6-9500 (2017).

Key Features:

- Virtualization support (VT-x).

- Power-saving technologies (SpeedStep, C-states).

- Integrated graphics for office tasks.

Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

The i3-3250T uses the LGA1155 socket, limiting motherboard options to outdated models.

Suitable Chipsets:

- H61/B75: Budget boards without PCIe 3.0 support (max 2 x USB 3.0 for B75). Example: ASUS P8H61-M LX3 (price in 2025 — $40-60 for a new one in stock).

- H77/Z77: Boards with RAID support and SSD caching (e.g., ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP).

Choosing Considerations:

- Check for BIOS updates — some boards require flashing for Ivy Bridge compatibility.

- Avoid boards with damaged capacitors — a common problem for used components.

Supported Memory: DDR3 and Its Limitations

The processor works only with DDR3 (does not support DDR4/DDR5).

Recommendations:

- Frequencies: Up to 1600 MHz (officially), but some boards allow overclocking to 1866 MHz.

- Capacity: Maximum 32 GB (4 slots × 8 GB).

- Compatibility: It's better to use dual-channel kits (2 × 4 GB or 2 × 8 GB) for improved performance.

Example: Kingston HyperX Blu 1600 MHz (8 GB) — $25 for a new module.

Power Supply: Calculation for the System

With a TDP of 35W, the i3-3250T does not require a powerful PSU, but it's important to consider the other components.

Scenarios:

- Office PC (without a graphics card): A 300W PSU is sufficient (e.g., be quiet! SFX Power 3, $45).

- Multimedia System (with GPU): For a discrete graphics card like the GTX 1650, a 450W PSU will be needed (EVGA 450 BR, $55).

Advice: Avoid cheap noname PSUs — they might operate unstably even under low load.

Pros and Cons of i3-3250T

Pros:

- Energy efficiency (ideal for HTPCs or mini-PCs).

- Support for Hyper-Threading for light multitasking.

- Low cost in the second-hand market ($15-25 for a new unit).

Cons:

- Outdated architecture: 40-50% worse IPC compared to Core i3-12100 (2022).

- No AVX2 or PCIe 3.0 support.

- Limited upgrade options: LGA1155 socket is dead.

Usage Scenarios: Where Is It Relevant in 2025?

1. Office Tasks: Document work, browsing (up to 10 tabs), Zoom.

2. Home Theater: Streaming 1080p video via Plex/Kodi.

3. Thin Client: Connecting to cloud services or terminal solutions.

4. Backup PC: For basic tasks in the garage or workshop.

Not Suitable For:

- Modern gaming (even Counter-Strike 2 on low settings results in frame rates below 30 FPS).

- Video editing or 3D rendering.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD A8-5500 (2012):

- Pros: Better graphics (Radeon HD 7560D).

- Cons: Higher TDP (65W), weaker in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single Core: ~400).

Intel Pentium G2130 (2013):

- Pros: 3.2 GHz clock speed.

- Cons: No Hyper-Threading (2 cores/2 threads), worse for multitasking.

Conclusion: The i3-3250T outperforms competitors in energy efficiency and support for Hyper-Threading.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. SSD is a Must: Even a SATA SSD (e.g., Kingston A400 240 GB, $30) will speed up the system 3-4 times.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, choose a Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T ($18).

3. Graphics Card: If gaming is needed, add a GTX 1050 Ti (does not require extra power).

4. BIOS: Update to the latest version to fix security issues.

Example Build for $200 (without GPU):

- CPU: i3-3250T ($20)

- Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M LX3 ($50)

- Memory: 8 GB DDR3 ($25)

- SSD: 240 GB ($30)

- PSU: 300W ($45)

- Case: Mini-Tower ($30).

Final Conclusion: Who Is the i3-3250T Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for:

- Minimalism Enthusiasts: Building a compact PC for YouTube and office tasks.

- Owners of Old Systems: Upgrading from Pentium/Celeron on LGA1155.

- IT Administrators: Creating cheap terminals for businesses.

Why in 2025?

Despite its age, the i3-3250T remains a "workhorse" for undemanding tasks. Its main advantages are price, energy efficiency, and availability of components. However, for any serious workloads, it's better to opt for a modern CPU (e.g., Intel N100 or Ryzen 3 5300U).

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2013

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.

i3-3250T

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

3.00 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.

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.

Yes

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

35 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.

2.0

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

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

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.

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

Bus Speed

5 GT/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 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.

1.05 GHz

Graphics Base Frequency

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

650 MHz

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.

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.

3 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.

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

555

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1146

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1684

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2650

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-3540M

634 +14.2%

Core i3-3245

592 +6.7%

Core i3-3250T

555

Celeron G3900TE

514 -7.4%

Xeon E5-2648L

481 -13.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-2405S

1480 +29.1%

Core i5-7Y57

1303 +13.7%

Core i3-3250T

1146

Core i3-1005G1

1029 -10.2%

Phenom II X4 850

934 -18.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-3520M

1735 +3%

Celeron G3930TE

1706 +1.3%

Core i3-3250T

1684

Athlon X4 950

1639 -2.7%

Xeon W3690

1615 -4.1%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-6200U

3000 +13.2%

A8-6500B

2855 +7.7%

Core i3-3250T

2650

Core i7-8500Y

2464 -7%

A8-3870K

2294 -13.4%