i3-540 vs A10-7890K

Primary details

Comparing A10-7890K and Core i3-540 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1830	2483
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.32	0.11
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	2.22	1.26
Architecture codename	Godaveri (2014−2016)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
Release date	11 January 2016 (8 years ago)	7 January 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$150	$45

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

A10-7890K has 191% better value for money than i3-540.

Detailed specifications

A10-7890K and Core i3-540 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	4 GHz	3.06 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.3 GHz	0.07 GHz
Bus rate	no data	2.5 GT/s
L1 cache	256 KB	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	4096 KB	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	0 KB	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	28 nm	32 nm
Die size	246 mm2	81 mm2
Maximum core temperature	72 °C	73 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	74 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,178 million	382 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on A10-7890K and Core i3-540 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FM2+	FCLGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	73 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by A10-7890K and Core i3-540. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	+	-
FMA	FMA4	-
AVX	AVX	-
FRTC	+	-
FreeSync	+	-
PowerTune	+	-
DualGraphics	+	-
TrueAudio	+	-
PowerNow	+	-
PowerGating	+	-
Out-of-band client management	+	-
VirusProtect	+	-
HSA	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	no data	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	no data	+
Idle States	no data	+
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
PAE	no data	36 Bit
FDI	no data	+

Security technologies

A10-7890K and Core i3-540 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	-
EDB	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by A10-7890K and Core i3-540 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	-
VT-x	no data	+
EPT	no data	+
IOMMU 2.0	+	-

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by A10-7890K and Core i3-540. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-2133	DDR3
Maximum memory size	no data	16.38 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	no data	21 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	AMD Radeon R7 Graphics	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
iGPU core count	8	no data
Number of pipelines	512	no data
Clear Video HD	no data	+
Enduro	+	-
Switchable graphics	+	-
UVD	+	-
VCE	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of A10-7890K and Core i3-540 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	no data	2
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-

Graphics API support

APIs supported by A10-7890K and Core i3-540 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	DirectX® 12	no data
Vulkan	+	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by A10-7890K and Core i3-540.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	2.23	0.97
Recency	11 January 2016	7 January 2010
Physical cores	4	2
Chip lithography	28 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	73 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between A10-7890K and Core i3-540, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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