Intel Core i5-2500S vs AMD Athlon 64 3500+

Comparative analysis of Intel Core i5-2500S and AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Graphics, Graphics interfaces, Compatibility, Peripherals, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

Intel Core i5-2500S

AMD Athlon 64 3500+

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Core i5-2500S

CPU is newer: launch date 10 year(s) 0 month(s) later
3 more cores, run more applications at once: 4 vs 1
Around 68% higher clock speed: 3.70 GHz vs 2.2 GHz
A newer manufacturing process allows for a more powerful, yet cooler running processor: 32 nm vs 90 nm
2x more L1 cache, more data can be stored in the L1 cache for quick access later
2x more L2 cache, more data can be stored in the L2 cache for quick access later
Around 3% lower typical power consumption: 65 Watt vs 67 Watt
2.7x better performance in PassMark - Single thread mark: 1646 vs 620
6.3x better performance in PassMark - CPU mark: 3388 vs 539
2.1x better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 1968 vs 954

Specifications (specs)
Launch date	January 2011 vs January 2001
Number of cores	4 vs 1
Maximum frequency	3.70 GHz vs 2.2 GHz
Manufacturing process technology	32 nm vs 90 nm
L1 cache	64 KB (per core) vs 128 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core) vs 512 KB
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	65 Watt vs 67 Watt
Benchmarks
PassMark - Single thread mark	1646 vs 620
PassMark - CPU mark	3388 vs 539
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	1968 vs 954

Reasons to consider the AMD Athlon 64 3500+

Around 50% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 1008 vs 670

Benchmarks
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	1008 vs 670

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Core i5-2500S
CPU 2: AMD Athlon 64 3500+

PassMark - Single thread mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

1646

620

PassMark - CPU mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

3388

539

Geekbench 4 - Single Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

670

1008

Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

1968

954

Name	Intel Core i5-2500S	AMD Athlon 64 3500+
PassMark - Single thread mark	1646	620
PassMark - CPU mark	3388	539
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	670	1008
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	1968	954
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	2.684
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	64.965
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.34
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	1.505
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	3.83

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Core i5-2500S	AMD Athlon 64 3500+
Essentials
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge	San Diego
Launch date	January 2011	January 2001
Launch price (MSRP)	$75	$59
Place in performance rating	2552	2540
Price now	$74.99	$108.95
Processor Number	i5-2500S
Series	Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors
Status	Discontinued
Value for money (0-100)	20.88	1.46
Vertical segment	Desktop	Desktop
Performance
64 bit support
Base frequency	2.70 GHz
Bus Speed	5 GT/s DMI
Die size	216 mm	115 mm
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	128 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	512 KB
L3 cache	6144 KB (shared)
Manufacturing process technology	32 nm	90 nm
Maximum core temperature	69.1°C
Maximum frequency	3.70 GHz	2.2 GHz
Number of cores	4	1
Number of threads	4
Transistor count	1160 million	105 million
Memory
Max memory channels	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s
Maximum memory size	32 GB
Supported memory types	DDR3 1066/1333
Graphics
Device ID	0x102
Graphics base frequency	850 MHz
Graphics max dynamic frequency	1.10 GHz
Graphics max frequency	1.1 GHz
Intel® Clear Video HD technology
Intel® Flexible Display Interface (Intel® FDI)
Intel® InTru™ 3D technology
Intel® Quick Sync Video
Processor graphics	Intel® HD Graphics 2000
Graphics interfaces
Number of displays supported	2
Wireless Display (WiDi) support
Compatibility
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Package Size	37.5mm x 37.5mm
Sockets supported	LGA1155	939
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	65 Watt	67 Watt
Peripherals
Max number of PCIe lanes	16
PCI Express revision	2.0
Security & Reliability
Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Intel® Identity Protection technology
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)
Advanced Technologies
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Flexible Display interface (FDI)
Idle States
Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX
Intel 64
Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)
Intel® AES New Instructions
Intel® Fast Memory Access
Intel® Flex Memory Access
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Intel® vPro™ Platform Eligibility
Thermal Monitoring
Virtualization
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)