Home / Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i5-2380P: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i5-2380P

Intel Core i5-2380P: Review of an Obsolete Yet Still Relevant Processor for Budget Systems (2025)

Introduction

In an era dominated by multi-core processors built on 5nm technology with DDR5 support, the Intel Core i5-2380P appears to be a relic. However, even in 2025, this chip remains in demand for budget builds and upgrading old PCs. Let's explore who could benefit from this 14-year-old processor and why.

1. Key Specifications: Sandy Bridge in Detail

Architecture and Process Technology

The Core i5-2380P was released in 2012 on the Sandy Bridge architecture (codename “Sandy Bridge”), built on a 32nm process. This is the first generation of Intel processors to support Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, which automatically increases core frequency from 3.1 GHz to 3.4 GHz under load. The chip features 4 physical cores without Hyper-Threading, limiting its multi-threading performance.

Key Features:

- No integrated graphics (the "P" suffix in the name);

- Support for AVX instructions, enhancing performance with encryption and rendering tasks;

- L3 cache — 6 MB;

- Maximum temperature — 72.6°C.

Performance in 2025

According to Geekbench 6 tests (2025):

- Single-Core: 624 points — comparable to modern budget processors like the Intel Celeron G6900 (≈650 points);

- Multi-Core: 1957 points — close to the AMD Athlon 3000G (4 threads, ≈2000 points).

For office tasks and light video editing, the performance is adequate, but in resource-intensive applications (Blender, DaVinci Resolve), the chip noticeably lags behind modern counterparts.

2. Compatible Motherboards: Searching the Secondary Market

Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the outdated LGA 1155 socket. Compatible chipsets include:

- H61/H67 — basic models without overclocking;

- P67/Z68/Z77 — support for multiplier overclocking (for processors with a "K" index), more SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and USB 3.0 support.

Examples of Relevant Motherboards in 2025

New motherboards for LGA 1155 are not being produced, but you can find on the secondary market:

- ASUS P8Z68-V Pro (Z68) — ≈$40–60 (used);

- Gigabyte GA-H61M-S2PV (H61) — ≈$25–40 (used).

Important:

- Check the BIOS version — some boards require updates to work with the i5-2380P;

- PCIe 2.0 limits the speed of modern graphics cards (for example, RTX 3050 loses approximately 5–7% performance).

3. Supported Memory: Only DDR3

The processor works with DDR3-1066/1333 MHz (officially), but on Z68/Z77 chipsets, memory can be overclocked to 1600–1866 MHz. Dual-channel configuration is recommended: 2 modules of 4–8 GB.

Example Configuration:

- 2×8 GB DDR3-1600 (Kingston HyperX) — ≈$30–40 per kit (used).

Limitations:

- Maximum capacity — 32 GB (depends on the motherboard);

- DDR3 consumes more power than DDR4/DDR5;

- Bandwidth is 2–3 times lower than DDR5-6000.

4. Power Supply: Calculations for 2025

With a TDP of 95 W and no integrated graphics, the minimum power supply requirements are:

- System without a discrete graphics card: 300–350 W (for example, be quiet! Pure Power 11 400W — ≈$60);

- With a graphics card like the NVIDIA GTX 1650: 450–500 W (Corsair CX550 — ≈$70);

- For gaming builds with RTX 3060: 600–650 W (Seasonic Focus GX-650 — ≈$120).

Advice: Don’t skimp on the power supply! Older processors are sensitive to voltage spikes.

5. Pros and Cons of the i5-2380P in 2025

Advantages:

- Low cost on the secondary market (≈$15–25);

- Sufficient performance for basic tasks;

- Compatibility with inexpensive components (DDR3, HDD);

- Reliability — without overclocking, chips rarely fail.

Disadvantages:

- No support for PCIe 3.0/4.0, USB 3.1, NVMe (only through adapters);

- High power consumption by 2025 standards;

- Limited upgrade options: the maximum processor for LGA 1155 is the Core i7-3770K.

6. Use Cases: Where the i5-2380P is Still Relevant

- Office PCs: working with documents, browsers, Zoom.

Example: A build with 8 GB of DDR3, a 240 GB SSD, and a 350 W power supply would cost around ≈$100–150 (excluding the monitor).

- Home Media Center: streaming video (1080p), music, light gaming.

Real-world experience: A user streamed Netflix in 4K through the Intel Arc A380 GPU (with AV1 support), but lacked the power for HDR.

- 2020s Games on Low Settings:

- CS2 — 60–80 FPS (GeForce GTX 1650, Low);

- GTA V — 45–60 FPS (Medium);

- Cyberpunk 2077 — 25–35 FPS (Low, FSR Performance).

- Entry-Level Servers: NAS, VPN, web hosting.

7. Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Phenom II X4 965 (2009):

- Pros: cheaper (≈$10), unlocked multiplier.

- Cons: 30% slower in single-threaded tasks, TDP 125 W.

2. Intel Core i3-10100F (2020):

- Pros: DDR4 support, PCIe 3.0, 4 cores/8 threads.

- Cons: Newer platform is more expensive (motherboard + memory).

3. Modern Alternatives:

For $150–200, you can build a system based on the Intel Core i3-13100F (DDR4, PCIe 5.0), which will outperform the i5-2380P by 3–4 times.

8. Assembly Tips

1. Be sure to add an SSD: even a SATA drive (like Kingston A400 480 GB — $35) will boost system boot times by 3–4 times.

2. Cooler selection: the stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, the Deepcool Gammaxx 400 V2 (≈$20) is a good option.

3. Check compatibility: some H61 motherboards do not support Ivy Bridge (a BIOS update may be required with an older processor).

4. Don't overspend: a graphics card priced over $200 (such as the RTX 3060) will be a "bottleneck" due to PCIe 2.0.

9. Conclusion: Who is the i5-2380P Suitable for in 2025?

This processor should only be considered in three scenarios:

1. Upgrading an old PC: if you already have an LGA 1155 motherboard and DDR3.

2. Super-budget builds: when you need to stay within $100–150 for basic tasks.

3. Temporary solution: until you save for a modern platform (AM5/LGA 1700).

Alternative: For $200–250, you can build a system based on the Intel Core i3-12100F (new components) that will be more energy-efficient and 2–3 times more powerful.

In summary: The Intel Core i5-2380P is an example of a "workhorse" that has outlived its time. It is suitable for enthusiasts, retro-upgrade lovers, or those who need a simple PC for "mail and YouTube." However, for modern tasks, it’s better to choose something more current.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 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.

i5-2380P

Code Name

Sandy 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

3.10 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.

3.40 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 Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.40 GHz

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 | LGA1155

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.

32 nm

TDP

95 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

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

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

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 1066/1333

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).

21 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.

Miscellaneous

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.

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

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.

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

Intel Flex Memory Access

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

624

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1957

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

655

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1927

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1607

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3797

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Pentium G4560

706 +13.1%

Pentium G4600T

658 +5.4%

Core i5-2380P

624

Xeon E5-2643 v2

581 -6.9%

Celeron G3930T

548 -12.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-9100HL

2373 +21.3%

Xeon X5687

2117 +8.2%

Core i5-2380P

1957

Athlon 320GE

1776 -9.2%

Athlon Gold 3150U

1631 -16.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2670 v3

693 +5.8%

Core i5-6200U

675 +3.1%

Core i5-2380P

655

EPYC 7251

630 -3.8%

Xeon E5-2630L v3

609 -7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Pentium Gold 7505

2206 +14.5%

Xeon E5-2608L v3

2061 +7%

Core i5-2380P

1927

Core i3-4150

1773 -8%

Core i5-6360U

1648 -14.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

PRO A12-9800

1674 +4.2%

Core i3-6100TE

1636 +1.8%

Core i5-2380P

1607

Core i7-4770TE

1575 -2%

Xeon X5672

1545 -3.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-3475S

4250 +11.9%

Core i7-2720QM

4028 +6.1%

Core i5-2380P

3797

Pentium G4600

3624 -4.6%

Core i7-6600U

3446 -9.2%