i7-6660U vs i5-3210M

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2128	1826
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i7
Power efficiency	4.19	14.32
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Skylake (2015−2016)
Release date	1 June 2012 (12 years ago)	20 March 2016 (8 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$225	$415

Detailed specifications

Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U 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	2.5 GHz	2.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.1 GHz	3.4 GHz
Bus type	no data	OPI
Bus rate	5 GT/s	4 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	24
L1 cache	64K (per core)	128 KB
L2 cache	256K (per core)	512 KB
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	4 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Die size	118 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	105 °C	100 °C
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U 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 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCPGA988	FCBGA1356
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U. 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	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
eDRAM	no data	64 MB
My WiFi	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	+
SIPP	-	+
Smart Response	no data	+
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
MPX	-	+
Identity Protection	+	+
SGX	no data	Yes with Intel® ME
OS Guard	no data	+
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600
Maximum memory size	32 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	34.134 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 4000	Intel Iris Graphics 540
Max video memory	no data	32 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.1 GHz	1.05 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs.

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

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	no data	+
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096x2304@24Hz
Max resolution over eDP	no data	4096x2304@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	4096x2304@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	12
OpenGL	no data	4.5

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
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.

---

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.

---

Pros & cons summary

---

Performance score	1.55	2.27
Integrated graphics card	1.18	3.27
Recency	1 June 2012	20 March 2016
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-3210M and Core i7-6660U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---