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Intel Core i5-3350P

Intel Core i5-3350P: Overview and Recommendations for PC Building in 2025

Is Ivy Bridge architecture still relevant? Let's take a look at this processor for budget systems.

1. Key Specifications: Architecture, Process Technology, Performance

The Intel Core i5-3350P processor, released in 2012, belongs to the third generation of Intel Core (codename Ivy Bridge). It is built on a 22nm process technology using 3D Tri-Gate transistors, which allowed for reduced power consumption and improved performance by 10-15% compared to the previous generation (Sandy Bridge).

Key parameters:

- 4 cores / 4 threads (no Hyper-Threading).

- Base frequency: 3.1 GHz, maximum Turbo Boost: 3.3 GHz.

- TDP: 69 W (low for its time).

- L3 cache: 6 MB.

- No integrated graphics (the "P" series is intended for systems with a discrete graphics card).

Performance:

According to Geekbench 6 (2025), the processor scores 579 points in single-core and 1707 in multi-core tests. This level is sufficient for basic tasks (office work, browsing, light gaming) but inadequate for modern AAA titles or resource-intensive applications.

Key features of Ivy Bridge:

- Support for PCIe 3.0 (relevant for NVMe SSDs via an adapter).

- Improved power management.

- Intel Quick Sync Video technology (hardware acceleration for video encoding, but requires an integrated GPU which is not present here).

2. Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 1155 socket, which is supported by motherboards with chipsets:

- H61, B75, H77, Z75, Z77.

Recommendations for 2025:

- For budget builds: Motherboards with H61 or B75 (cost on the second-hand market: $20–$40). They support up to 16–32 GB of DDR3, SATA II/III, but lack overclocking capabilities.

- For enthusiasts: Motherboards with Z77 (e.g., ASUS P8Z77-V) allow CPU overclocking using multipliers, but the i5-3350P has a locked multiplier. Such boards are valued for USB 3.0 and RAID support.

Important:

- Update your motherboard BIOS to the latest version for compatibility.

- Check for SATA III (6 Gb/s) and USB 3.0 ports if you plan to use SSDs or external drives.

3. Supported Memory Types

The i5-3350P works only with DDR3:

- Frequencies: 1066–1600 MHz (officially), but some boards support overclocking up to 1866 MHz.

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

- Mode: Dual-channel (it is recommended to install two or four modules).

Tip:

Use DDR3-1600 for optimal performance. For example, a 16 GB kit (2x8 GB) will cost about $25–$35 on the second-hand market.

4. Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 69 W and no integrated graphics, the processor does not require a powerful PSU. However, your choice depends on the graphics card:

- Without a discrete GPU: A PSU rated at 300–350 W is sufficient (e.g., be quiet! Pure Power 11 350W, $45).

- With a graphics card like the GTX 1650: A PSU rated at 400–450 W (EVGA 450 BR, $50).

- For GPUs like the RTX 3050: A PSU rated at 500–550 W (Corsair CX550M, $70).

Important:

Do not skimp on the PSU. Choose models with an 80 Plus Bronze certification or higher.

5. Pros and Cons of Intel Core i5-3350P

Pros:

- Low power consumption (suitable for compact builds).

- Adequate performance for office tasks and light gaming.

- Low second-hand price ($15–$25).

Cons:

- No Hyper-Threading (underperforms in multi-threaded tasks).

- Outdated platform (DDR3, PCIe 3.0).

- Lack of integrated graphics (requires a discrete GPU).

6. Use Cases

Gaming:

- CS:GO, Dota 2, Minecraft — 60+ FPS on medium settings (when paired with a GPU like the GTX 1050 Ti).

- Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield — not recommended: low clock speed and lack of multi-threading.

Work Tasks:

- Office applications, web browsers with 10+ tabs — no issues.

- Video editing or 3D rendering — too slow (better to consider Ryzen 5 5500).

Multimedia:

- Streaming video (4K via YouTube), media servers — handles it well.

7. Comparison with Competitors

- AMD FX-6300 (2012): 6 cores, but weak IPC. In games, the i5-3350P is about 20% faster.

- Intel Core i3-12100 (2023): 3 times higher performance in single-threaded tasks.

- Ryzen 5 5600G (2021): Integrated Vega 7 graphics, support for DDR4 — a clear favorite for budget builds in 2025.

Conclusion: The i5-3350P lags behind modern CPUs but excels in price for upgrading old PCs.

8. Practical Building Tips

1. SSD is a must: Install a SATA III SSD (e.g., Samsung 870 EVO 500GB, $50) to speed up the system.

2. Graphics Card: Choose models with low power consumption (GTX 1650, RX 6400).

3. Cooling: Even the stock cooler will suffice, but for quieter operation, a DeepCool Gammaxx 400 ($20) is a good fit.

4. Check Compatibility: Ensure the motherboard supports Ivy Bridge (not all LGA 1155 boards are compatible!).

9. Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the i5-3350P in 2025?

This processor is suitable for:

- Upgrading old PCs (if you already have an LGA 1155 motherboard).

- Budget office systems (paired with an entry-level GPU).

- Media centers (for viewing 4K content).

Why not?

For new builds, it’s better to opt for modern platforms (AM5, LGA 1700) with support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.

Cost Consideration:

A complete build with the i5-3350P, 16 GB DDR3, GTX 1650, and SSD will cost around $200–$250 (on the second-hand market), making it one of the most affordable options for basic tasks.

If you're looking for a temporary solution or want to breathe new life into an old computer, the i5-3350P can still serve you well. However, for future upgrades, consider looking into newer generations.

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.

i5-3350P

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

3.10 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.

3.30 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.

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.30 GHz

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

69 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

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.

32.23 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.

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 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

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

579

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1707

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

709

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2293

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1791

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

4268

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Athlon X4 845

655 +13.1%

Xeon E5-4617

623 +7.6%

Core i5-3350P

579

Xeon E5-1410

546 -5.7%

FX-9370

504 -13%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-3570K

2039 +19.4%

Pentium Gold G6600

1858 +8.8%

Core i5-3350P

1707

FX-6300

1538 -9.9%

FX-6200

1403 -17.8%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Celeron G4920

744 +4.9%

Core i5-6500T

731 +3.1%

Core i5-3350P

709

Xeon Platinum 8180M

686 -3.2%

Xeon E5-2676 v3

666 -6.1%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2620

2597 +13.3%

Celeron G6900

2449 +6.8%

Core i5-3350P

2293

FX-6300

2125 -7.3%

Core i7-7660U

1986 -13.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon W-11155MLE

1862 +4%

Core i5-6500TE

1814 +1.3%

Core i5-3350P

1791

Athlon Gold 3150U

1766 -1.4%

Core i7-2600K

1745 -2.6%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-6300HQ

4697 +10.1%

Core i5-3550S

4475 +4.9%

Core i5-3350P

4268

FX-8100

4046 -5.2%

Pentium Gold G5500

3821 -10.5%