Today's hottest deals
IntelBX80623I52500K
$246
Intel
 $246 

4 Cores, 4 Threads @3.3GHz, Sandy Bridge.
Release date: Q1 2011.

4 Cores, 4 Threads @3.4 GHz, Haswell.
Release date ≤ Q4 2013.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 192,026 user samples
143,007 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 79% Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 4.6 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 44% Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 0.5 GHz (avg)
Poor: 44% Great: 79%
SPEED RANK: 505th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 66%
Battle cruiser
Desktop
Desktop 72%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 49%
Yacht
49,019 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 77% Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.75 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 47% Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.55 GHz (avg)
Poor: 47% Great: 77%
SPEED RANK: 489th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 66%
Battle cruiser
Desktop
Desktop 73%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 50%
Yacht
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed
65.9 % 66.5 % +1%
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
83.1 Pts +4% 80.2 Pts
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
88.4 Pts 95 Pts Slightly faster single-core speed.
+7%
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
174 Pts 186 Pts Slightly faster dual-core speed.
+7%
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
281 Pts 303 Pts Slightly faster quad-core speed.
+8%
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
300 Pts 322 Pts Slightly faster octa-core speed.
+7%
Memory
OC Memory Latency
94.9 Pts +3% 92.4 Pts
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
114 Pts Slightly faster OC single-core speed.
+9%
105 Pts
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
227 Pts Slightly faster OC dual-core speed.
+10%
207 Pts
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
380 Pts +1% 377 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
399 Pts +5% 380 Pts
Market Share
Based on 68,889,961 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0.11 % Hugely higher market share.
+83%
0.06 %
Value
Value For Money
68.2 % 112 % Much better value.
+64%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
76 % Much more popular.
+43%
53 %
Price
Price (score)
$246 $42 Hugely cheaper.
+83%
Age
Newest
165 Months 130+ Months More recent.
+21%
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
407 Pts Slightly faster OC 64-core speed.
+7%
379 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
304 Pts 322 Pts Slightly faster 64-core speed.
+6%
Launch Date
Launch Date
Q1'11 Q2'13
Instruction Set Extensions
Instruction Set Extensions
SSE4.1/4.2, AVX SSE4.1/4.2, AVX 2.0
Lithography
Lithography
32 nm 22 nm
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price
N/A $213.00 - $224.00
Max Turbo Frequency
Max Turbo Frequency
3.7 GHz 3.8 GHz
Bus Speed
Bus Speed
5 GT/s DMI 5 GT/s DMI2
Memory Types
Memory Types
DDR3 1066/1333 DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Memory Bandwidth
Max Memory Bandwidth
21 GB/s 25.6 GB/s
Processor Graphics
Processor Graphics ‡
Intel® HD Graphics 3000 Intel® HD Graphics 4600
Graphics Base Frequency
Graphics Base Frequency
850 MHz 350 MHz
Wireless Display
Intel® Wireless Display
No Yes
# of Displays Supported
# of Displays Supported ‡
2 3
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency
1.1 GHz 1.2 GHz
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡
No Yes
vPro Tech
Intel® vPro™ Technology ‡
No Yes
Trusted Execution Tech
Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡
No Yes
PCI Express Revision
PCI Express Revision
2.0 Up to 3.0

More specs » More specs »

The i5-2500K is a second generation Sandy Bridge processor which is currently two generations old and nearly three years out of date. The many users that had the good sense to purchase this processor should feel in no hurry to upgrade as it's still no slouch, even by today's standards. The benchmark figures indicate that, even at stock clock rates, in terms of real-world performance this processor is approximately 20% slower than the best currently available, not bad considering its age. Given that the 2500K has an unlocked multiplier upping its performance by 10% with stock cooling should not pose much of a problem for the majority of owners. Here is a detailed performance comparison of the 2500K vs 4670K.  [Jul '13 CPUPro]

MORE DETAILS

Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) October 2024 CPU Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
How Fast Is Your CPU? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Best User Rated

Why does UserBenchmark have a bad reputation on reddit?
Marketers operate thousands of reddit accounts. Our benchmarks expose their spiel so they attack our reputation.
Why don’t PC brands endorse UserBenchmark?
Brands make boatloads on flagships like the 4090 and 14900KS. We help users get similar real-world performance for less money.
Why don’t youtubers promote UserBenchmark?
We don't pay youtubers, so they don't praise us. Moreover, our data obstructs youtubers who promote overpriced or inferior products.
Why does UserBenchmark have negative trustpilot reviews?
The 200+ trustpilot reviews are mostly written by virgin marketing accounts. Real users don't give a monkey's about big brands.
Why is UserBenchmark the gold standard for users?
Instead of pursuing brands for sponsorship, we've spent 13 years publishing real-world data for users.
The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-12600K $165Nvidia RTX 4060 $293WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $135
Intel Core i5-12400F $112Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $82
Intel Core i5-13600K $200Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $350
Today's hottest deals
If you buy something via a price link, UserBenchmark may earn a commission
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback