i5-2500K vs Apple M4 (10 cores)
Aggregate performance score
Apple M4 (10 cores) outperforms Core i5-2500K by a whopping 749% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 240 | 1736 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.39 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple Apple M4 | Core i5 (Desktop) |
| Power efficiency | 52.27 | 2.59 |
| Architecture codename | no data | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 7 May 2024 (less than a year ago) | 9 January 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $216 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K 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 | 10 (Deca-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 10 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.4 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 4 MB | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | no data | 216 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 73 °C |
| Number of transistors | 28 Million | 1,160 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K 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 | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | LGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 40 Watt | 95 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | + |
| FDI | no data | + |
| Fast Memory Access | no data | + |
Security technologies
M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | - | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | - |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 21 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Intel HD Graphics 3000 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 2 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 22.08 | 2.60 |
| Recency | 7 May 2024 | 9 January 2011 |
| Physical cores | 10 | 4 |
| Threads | 10 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 40 Watt | 95 Watt |
Apple M4 (10 cores) has a 749.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 13 years, 150% more physical cores and 150% more threads, a 966.7% more advanced lithography process, and 137.5% lower power consumption.
The M4 (10 cores) is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i5-2500K in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M4 (10 cores) and Core i5-2500K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
