Intel
IntelBX80623I52500K
$246

2 Cores, @2.8 GHz, Wolfdale.
Release date ≤ Q4 2013.

 $246 

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

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 157,361 user samples
14,354 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 45% Base clock 3.5 GHz
Worst Bench: 27% Base clock 2.8 GHz
Poor: 27% Great: 45%
SPEED RANK: 1112th / 1442
Gaming
Gaming 38%
Jet ski
Desktop
Desktop 44%
Speed boat
Workstation
Workstation 26%
Raft
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: 484th / 1442
Gaming
Gaming 66%
Battle cruiser
Desktop
Desktop 72%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 49%
Yacht
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed
38.4 % 65.9 % Much faster effective speed.
+72%
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
64.1 Pts 83.1 Pts Lower memory latency.
+30%
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
40.2 Pts 88.4 Pts Hugely faster single-core speed.
+120%
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
75 Pts 174 Pts Hugely faster dual-core speed.
+132%
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
76.1 Pts 281 Pts Hugely faster quad-core speed.
+269%
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
77.5 Pts 300 Pts Hugely faster octa-core speed.
+287%
Memory
OC Memory Latency
74.9 Pts 94.9 Pts Lower OC memory latency.
+27%
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
44.8 Pts 114 Pts Hugely faster OC single-core speed.
+154%
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
89.4 Pts 227 Pts Hugely faster OC dual-core speed.
+154%
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
89.3 Pts 380 Pts Hugely faster OC quad-core speed.
+326%
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
89.2 Pts 399 Pts Hugely faster OC octa-core speed.
+347%
Market Share
Based on 67,718,208 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0 % 0.21 % Insanely higher market share.
+∞%
Value
Value For Money
47.3 % 68.2 % Much better value.
+44%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
52 % 76 % Much more popular.
+46%
Price
Price (score)
$130 Much cheaper.
+47%
$246
Age
Newest
123+ Months More recent.
+23%
159 Months
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
89 Pts 407 Pts Hugely faster OC 64-core speed.
+357%
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
77.4 Pts 304 Pts Hugely faster 64-core speed.
+293%
Launch Date
Launch Date
Q1'08 Q1'11
Cache
Cache
3 MB L2 6 MB SmartCache
Embedded Options Available
Embedded Options Available
Yes No
Lithography
Lithography
45 nm 32 nm
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price
$110.00 - $125.00 N/A
Bus Speed
Bus Speed
1066 MHz FSB 5 GT/s DMI
Virtualization Tech (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ‡
See Ordering Info Yes
Turbo Boost Tech
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡
No 2.0
AES New Instructions
Intel® AES New Instructions
No Yes

More specs » More specs »
ADVERTISEMENT

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) April 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]

ADVERTISEMENT

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

The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $279Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $40
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $182Nvidia RTX 4070 $409Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $40SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $30Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $43SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
If you make a purchase via one of these links, our site may earn a commission
Today's hottest deals
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback