i3-5020U vs i5-2540M

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2140	2208
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i3
Power efficiency	4.04	8.75
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Broadwell-U (2015)
Release date	1 February 2011 (13 years ago)	1 March 2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$266	$281

Detailed specifications

Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U 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	2 (Dual-core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	2.6 GHz	2.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	2.2 GHz
Bus type	DMI 2.0	no data
Bus rate	4 × 5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Multiplier	26	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Die size	149 mm2	82 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	105 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	105 °C
Number of transistors	624 million	1,300 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U 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 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	FCBGA1023,PPGA988	FCBGA1168
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	+	-
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	+
Smart Response	no data	+
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
FDI	+	+
Fast Memory Access	+	+

Security technologies

Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	+
OS Guard	no data	+
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	+
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	16 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21.335 GB/s	25.6 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel HD Graphics 5500
Max video memory	no data	16 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	900 MHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	2	3
eDP	+	+
DisplayPort	+	+
HDMI	+	+
SDVO	+	no data
CRT	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	2560x1600@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over VGA	no data	N/A

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	11.2/12
OpenGL	no data	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	12

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	1.55	1.44
Integrated graphics card	0.66	1.51
Recency	1 February 2011	1 March 2015
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2540M and Core i3-5020U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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