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Intel Core i7-3770S

Intel Core i7-3770S: A Comprehensive Review of an Obsolete Yet Still Relevant Processor

(Current as of April 2025)

Introduction

The Intel Core i7-3770S is a processor released in 2012 that still appears in budget builds and office PCs. Despite its age, it maintains niche popularity due to its low power consumption and sufficient performance for basic tasks. In this article, we will explore who could benefit from this "veteran" in 2025, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to build a functional system based on it.

1. Key Specifications

Architecture and Process Technology

The processor is built on the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture (third generation Core) with a 22 nm process technology. This allowed for a reduction in thermal design power (TDP — 65 W) compared to its Sandy Bridge predecessors.

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores, 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Frequency: Base — 3.1 GHz, max in turbo mode — 3.9 GHz.

- Cache: 8 MB L3 cache.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 (supports DirectX 11 but is unsuitable for modern gaming).

Performance

According to Geekbench 6:

- Single-core score: 694.

- Multi-core score: 2303.

For comparison: the modern budget Intel Core i3-12100 (2023) scores ~1800/6500 points. The i7-3770S lags behind even cheap new CPUs but surpasses many processors from its generation.

Key Features

- Power-saving technologies: Intel SpeedStep, Turbo Boost 2.0.

- Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d.

- Advanced instructions: AVX, AES-NI.

2. Compatible Motherboards

Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA1155 socket. Suitable chipsets include:

- Z77 (overclocking support, PCIe 3.0 support).

- H77 (basic features).

- B75 (budget segment).

Examples of motherboards:

- ASUS P8Z77-V Pro (Z77, ~$150 in 2012).

- Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H (H77, ~$100).

Choosing Considerations

- New motherboards unavailable: As of 2025, motherboards for LGA1155 are no longer produced. They can only be found on the second-hand market (used price — $30-70).

- BIOS: When buying a used motherboard, check the BIOS version — it should support Ivy Bridge.

3. Supported Memory

The processor works only with DDR3:

- Type: DDR3-1333/1600 MHz (official support).

- Modes: Dual-channel.

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

Recommendations:

- Use 2 modules of 8 GB DDR3-1600 for dual-channel mode (cost of new modules in 2025 — ~$25 for 8 GB).

- Avoid cheap memory without heatsinks — there may be errors under load.

4. Power Supplies

With a TDP of 65 W and no discrete graphics card, a power supply of 300-400 W will suffice. However, for gaming builds with a GPU, requirements are higher:

Recommended PSU:

- Office: 400W (80+ Bronze)

- Gaming + GTX 1660: 500W (80+ Gold)

Example Models (2025):

- Office: EVGA 400 BR (~$40)

- Gaming + GTX 1660: Corsair CX550M (~$65)

Important: Power supplies older than 10 years may degrade — it's better to buy new ones.

5. Pros and Cons

Advantages

- Energy efficiency: 65 W TDP — lower than many modern CPUs.

- Multithreading: 8 threads are beneficial for rendering and virtualization.

- Price: New (if found) — ~$50-70; used — $20-30.

Disadvantages

- Obsolete platform: No support for DDR4, PCIe 4.0, USB 3.1.

- No upgrades: The maximum for LGA1155 is the Core i7-3770K.

- Weak graphics: HD 4000 is inadequate even for YouTube 4K.

6. Use Case Scenarios

Office Tasks

- Example: Working with documents, browser (20+ tabs), Zoom.

- Recommendations: Add an SSD (e.g., Kingston A400 240 GB, ~$25) to speed up the system.

Multimedia

- Video: Streaming 1080p, basic editing in Shotcut.

- Limitations: 4K video in VLC may lag without hardware decoding.

Gaming

- Older titles: Skyrim, GTA V (on low settings, 30-40 FPS).

- Modern games: Only through cloud services (GeForce NOW).

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD FX-8350

- Pros: 8 cores, cheaper.

- Cons: Higher TDP (125 W), weaker in single-threaded tests (Geekbench 6 Single Core ~500).

Intel Core i5-3570K

- Pros: Cheaper, overclockable.

- Cons: No Hyper-Threading (4 threads).

Conclusion: The i7-3770S outperforms competitors from 2012-2013 in multi-threaded tasks.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Cooler: The boxed cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, consider the DeepCool Gammaxx 400 (~$20).

- Storage: Always use SSD + HDD (for example, 240 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD).

- Compatibility: Check Ivy Bridge support on the motherboard manufacturer's website.

9. Final Verdict: Who Is the i7-3770S For?

1. Budget users: Building a PC for internet and office work for $150-200.

2. Retro PC enthusiasts: Creating a "2012-like" system for nostalgia.

3. Servers: Virtualization of light tasks (e.g., home NAS).

Why not? If you need to work with 4K, modern games, or resource-intensive programs — opt for processors from 2023-2025 (AMD Ryzen 5 7600, Intel Core i5-13400).

Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-3770S in 2025 is a "workhorse" for specific tasks. It won't impress with its performance, but it can save money on a PC build for basic needs. The key is to clearly understand its limitations and not expect miracles from a 13-year-old processor.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

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.

i7-3770S

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.

3.90 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.90 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.

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 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.

1.15 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.

8 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

694

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2303

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

818

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3072

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2039

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

6175

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-7Y57

816 +17.6%

Xeon D-1581

749 +7.9%

Core i7-3770S

694

Core M-5Y70

650 -6.3%

Core i7-2760QM

616 -11.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Celeron G6900E

2815 +22.2%

Xeon E5-4603

2512 +9.1%

Core i7-3770S

2303

FX-8350

2076 -9.9%

FX-8150

1900 -17.5%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i3-4170

855 +4.5%

Xeon E3-1285 v3

838 +2.4%

Core i7-3770S

818

Core i7-4870HQ

803 -1.8%

Xeon Silver 4210R

785 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE

3316 +7.9%

Core i5-6685R

3199 +4.1%

Core i7-3770S

3072

Core i5-7440EQ

2937 -4.4%

Xeon E5-1410 v2

2780 -9.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-6920HQ

2088 +2.4%

Xeon E5-2687W v4

2058 +0.9%

Core i7-3770S

2039

Core i5-6287U

2010 -1.4%

Core i7-5960X

1982 -2.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon D-2123IT

6673 +8.1%

Xeon E3-1240 v2

6347 +2.8%

Core i7-3770S

6175

Core i5-7600T

5874 -4.9%

Core i3-9100T

5588 -9.5%