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Intel Core i5-3320M

Intel Core i5-3320M: An Outdated Warrior or a Budget Assistant in 2025?

_Analysis of the processor for those seeking simple solutions_

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: The Ivy Bridge Legacy

The Intel Core i5-3320M processor, released in 2012, belongs to the Ivy Bridge generation. This is the third reincarnation of Intel's Core microarchitecture, manufactured using a 22-nm process. Despite its age, in 2025, it can still be found in budget laptops aimed at minimalism.

- Cores and Threads: 2 physical cores with Hyper-Threading support (4 threads).

- Clock Speeds: Base — 2.6 GHz, turbo mode — up to 3.3 GHz.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 with frequencies of 650–1200 MHz.

The Ivy Bridge architecture brought improved energy efficiency compared to Sandy Bridge (32 nm), but even after 13 years, its potential is limited. The iGPU HD 4000 supports DirectX 11, but its capabilities are inadequate for modern games and GPU-accelerated applications.

Power Consumption and TDP: 35W — A Compromise Between Power and Heat

A 35W TDP is typical for mobile processors of its time. In 2025, this value seems high: modern chips (like Intel Alder Lake-U or AMD Ryzen 5 7530U) demonstrate 3-4 times the performance at 15-28W TDP.

However, 35W enables a balance:

- Laptops with such CPU do not require massive cooling systems.

- Suitable for compact form factors (up to 20 mm thick).

The downside is heating under load. In cheap devices of 2025 with passive cooling, throttling may occur.

Performance: Modest Results in Modern Reality

Geekbench 6 test results (546/1008) show that the i5-3320M handles basic tasks:

- Office Work: LibreOffice, Google Docs, email.

- Multimedia: 1080p video playback, simple editing in Shotcut (with delays).

- Gaming: Only older titles (e.g., Half-Life 2, Minecraft on low settings).

Turbo Boost temporarily increases the frequency to 3.3 GHz, which is useful for speeding up application launches. However, under prolonged load (for example, rendering in Blender), the processor quickly overheats and reduces its frequency.

Usage Scenarios: Who Needs the i5-3320M in 2025?

1. Students and Schoolchildren: For studying, working with texts, and Zoom.

2. Office Workers: Working with spreadsheets, CRM systems, browsers.

3. Older Users: Simple tasks without speed demands.

Not Suitable For:

- Modern gaming (even Fortnite requires at least Intel HD 6000).

- 4K video editing, 3D modeling.

- Running neural network tools (e.g., Stable Diffusion).

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

With a TDP of 35W and a battery capacity of 40–50 Wh, the runtime is 4–6 hours under moderate load (web surfing, documents). In comparison: laptops with Apple M2 (TDP 20W) last 12–15 hours.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency scaling.

- C-states: Disabling unused components.

Recommendation: Choose devices with a battery of at least 50Wh and a low-power screen (e.g., matte IPS with a brightness of 250 nits).

Comparison with Competitors: Who Was Stronger?

- AMD A10-4600M (2012): 4 cores, Radeon HD 7660G. Better in multi-threaded tasks, but same TDP of 35W with poor driver support in 2025.

- Intel Core i5-4300U (2013): 15W TDP, similar performance but less heat.

- Apple M1 (2020): 4 times higher performance at 10W TDP.

Conclusion: The i5-3320M is outperformed even by budget processors of 2025 (e.g., Intel N100), but it may be worthwhile if the laptop price is below $300.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Buying?

Pros:

- Low cost of laptops (new models start at $250).

- Reliability (a time-tested architecture).

- Adequate for basic tasks.

Cons:

- Outdated manufacturing process (22 nm vs. 5–7 nm of modern CPUs).

- No support for USB 3.2, Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4.

- Limited performance in multitasking.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

- Type of Device: Budget ultrabooks (e.g., HP 250 G8) or hybrid laptops for education (Lenovo ThinkPad X230 models).

- What to Look For:

- RAM size — at least 8GB (for Windows 11).

- Presence of SSD (even 128GB is sufficient for the OS).

- Ports: HDMI, USB 3.0 — mandatory.

- Prices: New devices with i5-3320M in 2025 are rare, but some brands offer them in the "economy" segment for $250-$400.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-3320M Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for the cheapest new laptop available.

- Do not plan on running "heavy" applications.

- Value repairability (many boards with it are still supported by service centers).

Key Benefits: Saving money, sufficient performance for everyday tasks, compatibility with popular software. However, if the budget allows for an additional $150-$200, it's better to opt for a laptop with Intel N200 or AMD Ryzen 3 7320U — they will last longer and not disappoint in speed.

Advice for 2025: The i5-3320M is not the future, but rather a relic of the past. Buy it only if no other options are available.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

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.

i5-3320M

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

2.60 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.

Yes

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1023 | FCPGA988

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

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

105 C

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

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.

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.

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/L/-RS 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 4000

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.

1.20 GHz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/SDVO/CRT

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® 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.

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 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

546

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1008

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

616

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1339

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1616

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2661

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

A6-7480

624 +14.3%

Xeon E5-2470

580 +6.2%

Core i5-3320M

546

Core i3-2130

505 -7.5%

A10-7850K

475 -13%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Pentium G4560T

1259 +24.9%

Core i5-3380M

1114 +10.5%

Core i5-3320M

1008

Core i5-3437U

918 -8.9%

Core i3-2120T

773 -23.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon D-1548

662 +7.5%

Celeron N5095

642 +4.2%

Core i5-3320M

616

Xeon D-1528

594 -3.6%

Xeon X5677

574 -6.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

PRO A8-9600

1469 +9.7%

A10-5800K

1395 +4.2%

Core i5-3320M

1339

Core i5-3340M

1244 -7.1%

Core i5-4210U

1153 -13.9%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i3-3250

1684 +4.2%

Athlon X4 950

1639 +1.4%

Core i5-3320M

1616

Core i5-7Y54

1579 -2.3%

Pentium G2020

1554 -3.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-5650U

3017 +13.4%

Core i7-5550U

2864 +7.6%

Core i5-3320M

2661

Core i5-3210M

2471 -7.1%

A10-6700T

2299 -13.6%