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Intel Core i7-3610QM

Intel Core i7-3610QM in 2025: Is it Worth Considering an Outdated Processor?

Analysis of Architecture, Performance, and Relevance in Modern Conditions

Architecture and Specifications: The Legacy of Ivy Bridge

The Intel Core i7-3610QM processor, released in 2012, became part of Intel's third generation of mobile CPUs, codenamed Ivy Bridge. Its architecture was based on a 22nm manufacturing process, which appears archaic by 2025 standards (modern chips use 3–5nm norms). Nevertheless, it was groundbreaking for its time: the reduction in transistor size led to lower power consumption and improved performance compared to its predecessors (Sandy Bridge).

Key Parameters:

- 4 cores / 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base Clock: 2.3 GHz, Max Turbo Boost: 3.3 GHz.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 (16 EU, frequency up to 1.1 GHz).

- Cache: 6 MB L3.

The integrated GPU supported DirectX 11 and Quick Sync technologies for video encoding acceleration. However, even in 2012, it was inferior to entry-level discrete graphics cards, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Heat

The processor's TDP is 45 watts — a typical figure for performance mobile CPUs from the early 2010s. In comparison, modern 15-watt chips (like the Intel Core i5-1335U) deliver comparable multi-threaded performance with half the power consumption.

Thermal Characteristics:

- Laptops equipped with the i7-3610QM required efficient cooling systems with dual fans and large heat sinks.

- Under sustained loads (rendering, gaming), temperatures could reach 90–95°C, leading to throttling (frequency reduction).

Performance in 2025: What Can the i7-3610QM Do?

Geekbench 6 test results (566 points in Single-Core, 1822 in Multi-Core) indicate that the processor significantly lags behind contemporary counterparts. For context, the budget Intel Core i3-1215U (2022) scores approximately ~1800/4500 points, while the Apple M1 (2020) achieves around ~2300/8300.

Real-World Use Cases:

1. Office Tasks:

- Document work, browsing (10–15 tabs), Zoom — the processor can handle this, but there may be slowdowns when multiple background applications run concurrently.

2. Multimedia:

- 4K video playback: possible only with hardware acceleration (e.g., via VLC Player). Rendering 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve will take 3–4 times longer than on a Ryzen 5 7600X.

3. Gaming:

- With a discrete GPU like the NVIDIA GTX 1050: games from 2015-2018 at medium settings (The Witcher 3 — 25–30 FPS at 720p). Integrated graphics can only handle older titles like CS:GO (30–40 FPS at low settings).

Turbo Boost: In turbo mode, a single core's frequency can reach 3.3 GHz, but under full load across all cores, the maximum is 3.0 GHz. This provides a temporary boost in tasks like file archiving.

Use Scenarios: Who Might Benefit from the i7-3610QM in 2025?

1. Budget Laptops for Basic Tasks:

- Suitable for studying, text work, web browsing.

2. Retro Gaming:

- Running games from the 2000s–2010s (Half-Life 2, GTA: San Andreas).

3. Temporary Solution:

- If a cheap laptop is needed as a "stopgap" until a modern device can be purchased.

Important! For professional tasks (programming, video editing, 3D modeling), the processor is not recommended due to low performance and lack of support for modern APIs (e.g., Vulkan).

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

Laptops with the i7-3610QM typically came equipped with batteries ranging from 48 to 56 Wh. In 2025, such devices (if still operational) will last:

- 3–4 hours under office load (50% brightness, Wi-Fi).

- 1–1.5 hours in gaming or rendering mode.

Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep — dynamic frequency adjustment based on load.

- C-states — disabling unused cores.

However, even these technologies do not mitigate the high power consumption compared to modern chips.

Comparison with Competitors: How Outdated is the i7-3610QM?

1. AMD A10-4600M (2012):

- 4 cores / 4 threads, TDP of 35 watts.

- Weaker Single-Core performance but better graphics (Radeon HD 7660G). In multi-threaded tasks, the i7-3610QM is 30–40% faster.

2. Intel Core i5-1240P (2022):

- 12 cores (4P+8E), TDP of 28 watts.

- Multi-Core performance is 3.5 times higher, and battery life can extend up to 8 hours.

3. Apple M1 (2020):

- Energy efficiency is 4 times higher, performance is 2.5–3 times greater.

Conclusion: The i7-3610QM is no longer competitive, even against budget processors from 2022–2025.

Pros and Cons: Should You Buy?

Pros:

- Low price on the secondary market ($100–150 for a laptop).

- Supports up to 32 GB DDR3-1600 MHz (suitable for light tasks).

- Reliability: many devices still operational.

Cons:

- No support for USB 3.1, NVMe, Wi-Fi 6.

- High power consumption.

- Outdated security: lack of hardware protection against Spectre/Meltdown.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

If you still decide to purchase a device with the i7-3610QM in 2025:

1. Check Battery Condition: Batteries lose capacity after 10+ years.

2. An SSD is Essential: Replacing HDD with SSD will speed up the system by 2–3 times.

3. Consider Discrete Graphics: Such as the NVIDIA GTX 660M or AMD Radeon HD 7870M — this will allow for comfortable gameplay in older titles.

Tip: If the budget allows, consider new laptops based on the Intel Core i3-1215U ($400–500) or AMD Ryzen 5 7530U ($450–550). They will offer 2–3 times better performance and 8–10 hours of battery life.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i7-3610QM For?

This processor is a relic that may only be useful in exceptional cases:

- As a temporary solution for a limited budget ($100–150).

- For retro gaming or working with legacy software.

- As a "donor" for refurbishing older laptops.

Key Benefit: Minimal investment here and now. However, for any serious tasks in 2025, it is recommended to choose modern devices — they are not only faster but also more economical, secure, and functional.

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.

i7-3610QM

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

2.30 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.

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

45 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.

1.10 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.

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.

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 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

566

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1822

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

615

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2386

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1670

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5114

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-6006U

643 +13.6%

Pentium Silver N6005

603 +6.5%

Core i7-3610QM

566

Core i5-3230M

527 -6.9%

Xeon Bronze 3104

492 -13.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-2700K

2157 +18.4%

Core i3-4130

1976 +8.5%

Core i7-3610QM

1822

Athlon X4 845

1656 -9.1%

Core i7-4578U

1510 -17.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Gold 6222V

661 +7.5%

Pentium G3450T

642 +4.4%

Core i7-3610QM

615

Core i5-3570T

592 -3.7%

Core i5-4210U

574 -6.7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon Gold 6240L

2660 +11.5%

Ryzen 7 3700C

2537 +6.3%

Core i7-3610QM

2386

Pentium Silver N6005

2226 -6.7%

Xeon E5607

2067 -13.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Platinum 8352M

1719 +2.9%

Xeon Gold 6130T

1698 +1.7%

Core i7-3610QM

1670

Core i5-L16G7

1634 -2.2%

A10-6800K

1607 -3.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-3820QM

5696 +11.4%

Core i7-3770T

5444 +6.5%

Core i7-3610QM

5114

Athlon Gold 7220U

4753 -7.1%

Pentium Gold G6605

4509 -11.8%