Intel
IntelBX80623I52500K
$246

2 Cores, 2 Threads @2.9 GHz, Sandy Bridge.
Release date ≤ Q1 2014.

 $246 

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

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 148,707 user samples
5,700 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 58% Base clock 2.9 GHz
Worst Bench: 37% Base clock 2.9 GHz, turbo 2.9 GHz (avg)
Poor: 37% Great: 58%
SPEED RANK: 793rd / 1442
Gaming
Gaming 50%
Yacht
Desktop
Desktop 59%
Gunboat
Workstation
Workstation 34%
Sail boat
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
49.9 % 65.9 % Much faster effective speed.
+32%
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
78.1 Pts 83.1 Pts Slightly lower memory latency.
+6%
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
68.3 Pts 88.4 Pts Faster single-core speed.
+29%
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
126 Pts 174 Pts Much faster dual-core speed.
+38%
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
129 Pts 281 Pts Hugely faster quad-core speed.
+118%
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
132 Pts 300 Pts Hugely faster octa-core speed.
+127%
Memory
OC Memory Latency
90.5 Pts 94.9 Pts +5%
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
76.3 Pts 114 Pts Much faster OC single-core speed.
+49%
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
152 Pts 227 Pts Much faster OC dual-core speed.
+49%
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
152 Pts 380 Pts Hugely faster OC quad-core speed.
+150%
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
152 Pts 399 Pts Hugely faster OC octa-core speed.
+162%
Market Share
Based on 67,808,167 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0 % 0.16 % Insanely higher market share.
+∞%
Value
Value For Money
73 % Slightly better value.
+7%
68.2 %
User Rating
UBM User Rating
51 % 76 % Much more popular.
+49%
Price
Price (score)
$70 Much cheaper.
+72%
$246
Age
Newest
123+ Months More recent.
+23%
160 Months
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
151 Pts 407 Pts Hugely faster OC 64-core speed.
+170%
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
131 Pts 304 Pts Hugely faster 64-core speed.
+132%
Launch Date
Launch Date
Q3'12 Q1'11
Cache
Cache
3 MB SmartCache 6 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set Extensions
Instruction Set Extensions
SSE4.1/4.2 SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Recommended Price
Recommended Customer Price
$64.00 N/A
Expected Discontinuance
Expected Discontinuance
Q3'2013 Q1'2013
Memory Types
Memory Types
DDR3 1066 DDR3 1066/1333
Memory Bandwidth
Max Memory Bandwidth
17 GB/s 21 GB/s
Processor Graphics
Processor Graphics ‡
Intel® HD Graphics Intel® HD Graphics 3000
Quick Sync Video
Intel® Quick Sync Video
No Yes
InTru 3D Tech
Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology
No Yes
Clear Video HD Tech
Intel® Clear Video HD Technology
No Yes
Intel Insider
Intel® Insider™
No Yes
Turbo Boost Tech
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡
No 2.0
AES New Instructions
Intel® AES New Instructions
No Yes

More specs » More specs »
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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) May 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]

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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.
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 Frequently Asked Questions

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CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $254Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $39
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $163Nvidia RTX 4070 $539Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $40SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $31Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $37SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
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