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Intel Core i3-3240

Intel Core i3-3240: Review and Relevance in 2025

Ivy Bridge Architecture for Budget Systems

Key Specifications: What Does the i3-3240 Offer?

The Intel Core i3-3240 processor, released in 2012, is based on the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture (the third generation of Core). This 22nm chip features two physical cores and supports Hyper-Threading, allowing it to handle up to four threads simultaneously. The base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with an L3 cache of 3 MB and a TDP of 55 W.

Key Features:

- Hyper-Threading: Increases performance in multi-threaded scenarios (e.g., working with office applications).

- Integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500: Supports basic video and simple games, but is insufficient for modern tasks.

- Energy Efficiency: Low thermal output allows for compact cooling systems.

Performance:

According to Geekbench 6 tests (2025):

- Single-thread score — 577 points — acceptable for basic tasks, but significantly lags behind modern budget CPUs (e.g., Celeron G5920 scores ~1200).

- Multi-thread score — 1186 points — a poor rating for multitasking.

Compatible Motherboards: What to Choose?

The processor uses the LGA1155 socket, which limits motherboard options to older models. Suitable chipsets include:

- H61, B75, H77, Z75, Z77 — all discontinued, but still occasionally available for sale as new (price: $60-100, e.g., ASUS P8B75-M).

Selection Features:

1. BIOS: Ensure the board supports Ivy Bridge (not all models on H61 work without a firmware update).

2. Ports: Many boards only have SATA II and USB 2.0, limiting SSD speeds.

3. PCIe Slots: Version 3.0 is only available on Z75/Z77 chipsets, but this is still inadequate for modern graphics cards (e.g., RTX 3050 requires PCIe 4.0).

Tip: If building a system from scratch in 2025, consider modern platforms — even budget LGA1700 or AM5 will offer better prospects.

Supported Memory: DDR3 and Its Limitations

The i3-3240 only works with DDR3-1333/1600 MHz. The maximum volume is theoretically 32 GB, but in practice, most boards support 16 GB.

Recommendations:

- Use a dual-channel configuration (2x4 GB or 2x8 GB) to boost performance.

- DDR3 will be hard to find in new condition by 2025. Prices for an 8 GB module are $25-35 (new, e.g., Kingston HyperX Fury).

Important: No support for DDR4/DDR5 — this is critical for modern games and applications that require high bandwidth.

Power Supply: How Much Wattage Do You Need?

With a TDP of 55W, the i3-3240 does not require a powerful PSU. However, when assembling a system with a discrete graphics card, consider its power requirements:

- Integrated Graphics: A 300-400W PSU is sufficient (for example, be quiet! System Power 10 400W — $45).

- Discrete Graphics Card: For a GTX 1650 (TDP 75W), a PSU of 450-500W is necessary (Corsair CX450 — $55).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU — older models often degrade. Choose units with an 80+ Bronze certification.

Pros and Cons of the i3-3240 in 2025

Pros:

- Low Cost: A used processor can be found for $15-25.

- Energy Efficiency: Suitable for compact PCs or home servers.

- Compatibility with Windows 10/11: Works with current OS (with limitations).

Cons:

- Outdated Architecture: Lags in IPC by 40-50% compared to modern Core i3s.

- No NVMe or USB 3.1 Support: Limits peripheral speeds.

- Weak Multi-threading Potential: Struggles with rendering or streaming.

Use Cases: Where is the i3-3240 Still Relevant?

1. Office Tasks: Working with documents, browsers, Zoom.

2. Multimedia: Watching videos in 1080p (4K not supported).

3. Retro Gaming: Running games from the 2010s (e.g., Skyrim, GTA V on low settings).

4. Home Server: File storage or media center based on Linux.

Practical Example: A user built a PC using the i3-3240 + 8 GB DDR3 + 240 GB SSD for their parents — the system quickly launches the browser and office applications.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD Phenom II X4 965 (2010):

- Pros: 4 physical cores.

- Cons: Higher TDP (125 W), weaker in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single Core ~350).

Modern Counterparts (2025):

- Intel Celeron G5920 (LGA1200): 2 cores, 4 threads, Geekbench 6 Single Core ~1200, priced at $50 (new).

- AMD Athlon 3000G (AM4): 2 cores, Vega 3 GPU, DDR4 support — a better choice for budget builds ($60).

Conclusion: The i3-3240 falls behind even new budget CPUs but has an advantage in price on the used market.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Use an SSD: A SATA SSD (e.g., Kingston A400 480 GB — $35) will speed up system performance.

2. Check the BIOS: Update the motherboard firmware for stability.

3. Don't Overpay for Memory: DDR3 is more expensive than DDR4 due to scarcity — better to buy used.

4. Choose a Graphics Card: If gaming is needed, look for a GTX 1050 Ti (used, $80) — it doesn’t require additional power.

Important: Building with the i3-3240 is justified only if free/cheap components are available.

Final Conclusion: Who Is This Processor Suitable For?

The Intel Core i3-3240 in 2025 is a niche solution for:

- Upgrading Old PCs: If the motherboard and memory are already in place.

- Building Ultra-Budget Systems: When the budget is tight at $100-150.

- Retro Computer Enthusiasts: For experimenting with old hardware.

Why Not Use It for a New Build? Modern processors priced at $50-70 offer double the performance, support for DDR4, and NVMe.

If you're looking for a temporary solution or want to revive an old computer — the i3-3240 can still serve you. However, for future upgrades, plan to transition to modern 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.

i3-3240

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

3.40 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.

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

55 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.

2.0

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.

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.

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.

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

577

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1186

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

648

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1416

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1789

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2315

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-5010U

652 +13%

PRO A6-8570E

617 +6.9%

Core i3-3240

577

Celeron G3900T

544 -5.7%

Athlon X4 860K

500 -13.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2673 v3

1516 +27.8%

A10-9700E

1354 +14.2%

Core i3-3240

1186

Pentium G4400T

1058 -10.8%

Core i5-2540M

951 -19.8%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core m7-6Y75

689 +6.3%

Ryzen 3 3250U

670 +3.4%

Core i3-3240

648

Xeon E5-4640 v4

624 -3.7%

Core m5-6Y57

600 -7.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-6600U

1584 +11.9%

Core i3-7100H

1490 +5.2%

Core i3-3240

1416

Celeron G3930

1353 -4.4%

Celeron 7305E

1267 -10.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-6267U

1858 +3.9%

Core i5-3470T

1812 +1.3%

Core i3-3240

1789

Xeon E5-2623 v4

1762 -1.5%

Core i5-6360U

1740 -2.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

FX-4130

2676 +15.6%

Core i7-2640M

2494 +7.7%

Core i3-3240

2315

A8-3820

2174 -6.1%

Core i3-5005U

2016 -12.9%

Intel Core i3-3240