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Intel Core i5-3330S

Intel Core i5-3330S: Budget Processor for Basic Tasks in 2025

Overview, Specifications, and Build Recommendations

1. Key Specifications: Architecture and Performance

Ivy Bridge Architecture and 22nm Manufacturing Process

The Intel Core i5-3330S, released in 2012, belongs to the third generation of Intel Core (codename Ivy Bridge). It is manufactured using a 22-nanometer process, which was a step forward compared to the 32nm Sandy Bridge of its time. This advancement helped reduce power consumption and improve thermal dissipation.

Key Parameters:

- 4 cores / 4 threads — the absence of Hyper-Threading limits multitasking, but is sufficient for basic tasks.

- Base Clock: 2.7 GHz, Turbo Boost: 3.2 GHz — automatic overclocking under load on 1–2 cores.

- TDP 65W — the energy-efficient version (the "S" suffix indicates optimization for low power consumption).

- Cache: 6MB L3 — standard capacity for the i5 lineup of that generation.

Performance in 2025:

- Geekbench 6: 604 (Single-Core) / 1752 (Multi-Core) — modest performance even for office tasks. For instance, Chrome with 10 tabs and background video will run smoothly, but rendering in Blender will take 3-4 times longer compared to modern CPUs.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 2500 — suitable only for image output and HD video playback.

Features for Its Time:

- PCIe 3.0 support — relevant for NVMe SSDs (through adapters, as Ivy Bridge chipsets lack native NVMe support).

- Intel vPro and TXT technologies — rarely used in consumer builds but beneficial in corporate environments.

2. Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

Socket LGA 1155: Finding Motherboards in 2025

The i5-3330S uses the LGA 1155 socket, supported by chipsets H61, B75, H77, Z75, Z77. In 2025, new motherboards for this socket are not being produced, but you can find models on the secondary market or in leftover stocks:

- ASUS P8H77-V (used price: $25–40) — a reliable option with USB 3.0 and SATA III.

- Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H (used price: $20–35) — a compact board for budget builds.

Selecting Tips:

- Support for SATA III and USB 3.0 — available only in B75, H77, Z75/Z77 chipsets. It is crucial to choose a board with SATA III for SSDs.

- BIOS Update — if the board was released before 2012, a firmware update may be required to support Ivy Bridge.

3. Supported Memory: Only DDR3

The i5-3330S works exclusively with DDR3 memory, which is considered outdated in 2025.

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

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

Example Configuration:

- 2 × 8GB DDR3-1600 — optimal for Windows 10/11 and light tasks. A new kit costs around $45–60 (but the DDR3 market is gradually shrinking).

4. Power Supply: Calculation for a System with i5-3330S

With a TDP of 65W, the processor does not require a powerful PSU. However, the choice depends on the graphics card:

- Without discrete graphics: a PSU in the range of 300–400W is sufficient (for example, the be quiet! System Power 10 400W — $45).

- With a graphics card like NVIDIA GTX 1650 (TDP 75W): a PSU in the 450–500W range (Corsair CX450 — $55).

Important:

- Choose a PSU with an 80+ Bronze certification for stability.

- Avoid cheap noname PSUs — they can damage components.

5. Pros and Cons of i5-3330S in 2025

Pros:

- Low cost: a new processor (if still available) — $40–50.

- Energy efficiency: suitable for systems with passive cooling.

- Sufficient performance for basic tasks (office, browsing, HD video).

Cons:

- No support for DDR4, PCIe 4.0, USB 3.2.

- Weak IPC (instructions per clock) compared to modern CPUs.

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

6. Use Case Scenarios

Gaming

Suitable only for less demanding projects:

- CS:GO — 60–80 FPS on low settings (with a GTX 1050 Ti GPU).

- Minecraft — 90–120 FPS (without shaders).

- Modern AAA games (2023–2025) — not recommended even on minimum settings.

Work Tasks

- Office applications (Word, Excel) — no issues.

- Photoshop/Lightroom — works with small files (up to 10 MP).

- Virtualization — limited to 4 threads, but suitable for testing environments.

Multimedia

- Watching 4K video through VLC with hardware decoding.

- Media center based on Kodi or Plex (with transcoding up to 1080p).

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD FX-6300 (Piledriver):

- Pros: 6 cores, cheaper ($30–40 used).

- Cons: TDP 95W, worse performance in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single-Core: ~450).

Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 (Ivy Bridge):

- Pros: 4 cores / 8 threads, ECC memory support.

- Cons: more expensive ($60–80 used), no integrated graphics.

Conclusion: The i5-3330S outperforms the FX-6300 in energy efficiency but falls short against the Xeon in multi-threading.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

1. Use SSDs: Even a SATA III drive (for example, the Crucial MX500 500GB — $50) will speed up the system.

2. Cooling: An adequate cooler with a TDP of 65–80W will suffice (Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 — $20).

3. Drivers: Install the latest versions from Intel’s website, including power management.

4. BIOS: Update to the latest version for stability.

9. Final Conclusion: Who Is i5-3330S For?

This processor should only be considered in very limited scenarios:

- Budget Office PCs: For document handling and browsing.

- Home Media Center: Combined with SSD and HDD for movie storage.

- Retro Gaming: A build for games from the 2010s (like Skyrim, GTA V on medium settings).

Alternative for New Builds: For $100–150, you can buy a modern Intel Celeron G6900 (Alder Lake) or AMD Ryzen 3 5300G with DDR4 and PCIe 4.0 support.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-3330S in 2025 is a choice for those looking to build an extremely budget-friendly system from leftover components. It is suitable as a temporary solution or for specific tasks, but for modern requirements, it is better to consider newer platforms.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

July 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.

i5-3330S

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

2.70 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.

3.20 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.20 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

65 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.

1.05 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

604

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1752

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

690

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2232

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1708

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3872

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-2500K

684 +13.2%

PRO A12-9800E

643 +6.5%

Core i5-3330S

604

Xeon E5-4610 v3

568 -6%

Xeon X5647

530 -12.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i3-4160

2093 +19.5%

Xeon E7-8867 v3

1914 +9.2%

Core i5-3330S

1752

Core i7-2675QM

1591 -9.2%

Core i5-2500

1459 -16.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen 3 3350U

733 +6.2%

Xeon D-1520

714 +3.5%

Core i5-3330S

690

Core i7-2600S

671 -2.8%

Xeon Silver 4214

649 -5.9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-6500TE

2550 +14.2%

Ryzen 5 3500U

2402 +7.6%

Core i5-3330S

2232

Core i3-7320

2076 -7%

Core i7-2720QM

1945 -12.9%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Celeron 6600HE

1764 +3.3%

Pentium G4400T

1743 +2%

Core i5-3330S

1708

Xeon E5-2658A v3

1688 -1.2%

PRO A6-8570

1646 -3.6%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

FX-6130

4353 +12.4%

Pentium Gold G5620

4102 +5.9%

Core i5-3330S

3872

Core i5-7300U

3676 -5.1%

Xeon E5-2407 v2

3504 -9.5%