Intel

Core i3 540

Core i3 540
BENCHMARKS (24,563)
MKT (0%)
BUILDS
SPECS
(4)
BUY • $60

Effective Speed -132%Effective Speed -132%Average Score -268%Memory -30%, 1-Core -179%, 2-Core -212%, 4-Core -323%, 8-Core -596%Overclocked Score -242%1-Core -159%, 2-Core -164%, 4-Core -298%, 8-Core -565%, Memory -27%Value & Sentiment User Rating -82%, Market Share -∞%, Price 202%, Value -75%Nice To Haves -731%64-Core -902%, 64-Core -961%, Age -331%

Average Bench: 45.9% (927^th of 1459)

Based on 24,563 user benchmarks. Devices: BFEBFBFF00020655, BFEBFBFF00020652 Model: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU 540 @ 3.07GHz

Poor: 33%Average: 45.9% Great: 52%

Gaming 46%

Yacht

Desktop 52%

Yacht

Workstation 33%

Sail boat

Popular builds with this CPU

Below average average bench

The Intel Core i3 540 averaged 54.1% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This isn't a great result which indicates that there are much faster alternatives on the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Memory Latency 63.5Pts

Avg. Single Core Speed 66.8Pts

See where your CPU ranks →

Very good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i3 540 is just 18.5%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i3 540 performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 170Pts

Avg. Octa Core Speed 169Pts

Average Bench

(Based on 24,563 samples)

Rank 92745.9%

Min	Avg	Max
47.3	Memory 63.5	72.1
42.7	1-Core 66.8	75.8
69.2	2-Core 117	147
49.6% 82.6 Pts

Min	Avg	Max
101	4-Core 165	190
110	8-Core 169	190
22.2% 167 Pts

Min	Avg	Max
108	64-Core 170	191
10.5% 170 Pts

User Benchmarks

Bench

Normal

Heavy

Server

The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%

GBR-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

49.5% Average

Memory 68.8

1-Core 69.4

2-Core 126

53% 88.1 Pts

4-Core 176

8-Core 177

24% 177 Pts

64-Core 169

10% 169 Pts

USA-User, 19 days ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

49.2% Average

Memory 67.1

1-Core 73.6

2-Core 135

54% 92 Pts

4-Core 183

8-Core 182

24% 182 Pts

64-Core 183

11% 183 Pts

DZA-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

48.9% Average

Memory 67.1

1-Core 76

2-Core 124

54% 88.9 Pts

4-Core 179

8-Core 180

24% 180 Pts

64-Core 180

11% 180 Pts

FRA-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

47.6% Average

Memory 65.2

1-Core 68.8

2-Core 113

50% 82.4 Pts

4-Core 177

8-Core 173

24% 175 Pts

64-Core 175

11% 175 Pts

IND-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

47.5% Average

Memory 65.8

1-Core 73.4

2-Core 132

54% 90.3 Pts

4-Core 171

8-Core 173

23% 172 Pts

64-Core 172

11% 172 Pts

BRA-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

CPU 1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

45.9% Average

Memory 67.1

1-Core 70.6

2-Core 124

52% 87.2 Pts

4-Core 144

8-Core 157

20% 150 Pts

64-Core 146

9% 146 Pts

MNE-User, 11 days ago.Core i3 540,

CPU1, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

42.7% Average

Memory 56.1

1-Core 73.4

2-Core 110

48% 79.9 Pts

4-Core 170

8-Core 173

23% 172 Pts

64-Core 178

11% 178 Pts

FIN-User, 1 month ago.Core i3 540,

LGA1156, 1 CPU, 2 cores, 4 threads

Base clock 3.05 GHz, turbo 3.05 GHz (avg)

17.6% Very poor

Memory 13.5

1-Core 57.6

2-Core 102

29% 57.6 Pts

4-Core 124

8-Core 132

17% 128 Pts

64-Core 156

10% 156 Pts

24,563 MORE »

Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 68,303,554 CPUs tested

Custom PC Builder (Start a new build) Build your perfect PC: compare component prices, popularity, speed and value for money

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

CPU

GPU

SSD

HDD

RAM

MBD

Typical Core i3 540 Builds (Compare 24,648 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings

Gaming 2%

Tree trunk

Desktop 45%

Yacht

Workstation 2%

Tree trunk

Disqualified System: bin bin

CPU
Core i3 540Intel $60Bench 46%, 24,563 samples	1x

GPU
HD 2000 (Desktop 1.1 GHz)IntelBench 1%, 150,891 samples	1,322x
SVGA 3DVmwareBench 20%, 11,474 samples	1,149x
GTX 1050-TiNvidia $59Bench 29%, 946,701 samples	1,066x

SSD
A400 240GBKingston $28Bench 66%, 424,288 samples	832x
Virtual NVMe Disk 64GBVmwareBench 62%, 2,103 samples	458x
A400 480GBKingston $34Bench 74%, 237,487 samples	436x

RAM
2x2GBUnknownBench 20%, 446,702 samples	521x
4x2GBUnknownBench 25%, 183,252 samples	381x
1x8GBUnknownBench 38%, 168,538 samples	301x

EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER

Value: 55% - Above average

Total price: $88

Popular Core i3 540 systems:

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

Gaming

Desktop

ProGaming

CPU

GPU

SSD

HDD

RAM

USB

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

Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) July 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.

Specifications

Essentials

Description	Intel® Core™ i3-540 Processor (4M Cache, 3.06 GHz)
Code Name	Clarkdale
Launch Date	Q1'10
Processor Number	i3-540
# of Cores	2
# of Threads	4
Cache	4 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set	64-bit
Instruction Set Extensions	SSE4.2
Embedded Options Available	Yes
Lithography	32 nm
VID Voltage Range	0.6500V-1.4000V
Recommended Price	$109.00 - $117.00
Clock Speed	3.06 GHz
Bus Speed	2.5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP	73 W

Graphics

Processor Graphics	Intel® HD Graphics
Graphics Base Frequency	733 MHz
# of Displays Supported	2
Clear Video HD Tech	Yes
Flexible Display Interface	Yes

Memory

Max Memory Size	16 GB
Memory Types	DDR3 1066/1333
Memory Channels	2
Memory Bandwidth	21 GB/s
Physical Address Extensions	36-bit

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision	2.0
PCI Express Configurations	1x16, 2x8
Max # of PCI Express Lanes	16

Data Protection

AES New Instructions	No

Advanced Technologies

Virtualization Tech (VT-x)	Yes
Intel 64	Yes
Idle States	Yes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Tech	Yes
Thermal Monitoring Technologies	No
Turbo Boost Tech	No
Hyper-Threading Tech	Yes
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)	Yes
Demand Based Switching	No
vPro Tech	No

Package

Package Size	37.5mm x 37.5mm
Graphics and IMC Lithography	45 nm
Max CPU Configuration	1
Sockets Supported	FCLGA1156
Processing Die Size	81 mm2
# of Processing Die Transistors	382 million
Graphics and IMC Die Size	114 mm2
# of Graphics and IMC Die Transistors	177 million

Platform Protection

Execute Disable Bit	Yes
Trusted Execution Tech	No

Comments

Added n/a ago.

USA-User

level
9,918

Excellent (edit your comment) Add link

20 months ago.

SRB-User

level
2,820

Excellent

5 years ago.

I am gamer and I see that this processor is good for gaming I play games like fortnite. This processor is very good for games like fortnite.

NZL-User

level
2,152

Average

5 years ago.

Good value. I bought mine secondhand and it cost me 15 NZD, 5 of which was for shipping. Haven't benchmarked, but an increased clock speed is handy for web browsing and light gaming.

ColdSpy

level
330

Good

4 years ago.

This hyperthreaded dual core Clarkdale processor was great for most users as this CPU comes very cheap and offered strong performance for that price. Still worth it today albeit for light gaming and modern basic tasks.

Your
opinion?

▲Like ▼Dislike

Ready to retire
Age: 10 years

Speed Comparisons

vs Intel Core i5-12600K
vs Intel Core i5-12400F
vs Intel Core i5-13600K
vs Intel Core i7-14700K
vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
vs Intel Core i3-13100F
vs Intel Core i7-13700K
vs Intel Core i5-12400
vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

1459 Processors (Compared) Thousands of user benchmarks compiled into one comparison list

See how consistently different CPUs perform with varying real world conditions. The charts also illustrate overall performance, popularity and rank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Processors FAQ

AMD vs Intel: Gaming performance 2012-2021

How does IPC compare between AMD's Ryzen and Intel's Kaby Lake?

What is multi core mixed speed?

What is multi core integer speed?

What is multi core floating point speed?

What is single core mixed CPU speed?

What is quad core mixed CPU speed?

What is quad core floating point speed?

What is quad core integer speed?

What is single core floating point speed?

What is single core integer speed?

What is the GeekBench single core score?

What is a CPU?

What is the effective CPU speed index?

What is overclocking?

What is thermal design power (TDP)?

ALL FAQs »

CPU	GPU	SSD
Intel Core i5-12600K $175	Nvidia RTX 4060 $293	WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $145
Intel Core i5-12400F $110	Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389	WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-13600K $235	Nvidia RTX 4070 $499	Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $342

Intel

Core i3 540

Average Bench: 45.9% (927^th of 1459)

Popular builds with this CPU

Below average average bench

Strengths

Very good consistency

Weaknesses

Average Bench

Market Share (See Leaders)

Prices

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

Disqualified System: bin bin

Popular Core i3 540 systems:

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

Group Test Results

Specifications

Essentials

Graphics

Memory

Expansion Options

Data Protection

Advanced Technologies

Package

Platform Protection

Comments

Excellent (edit your comment) Add link

Excellent

Average

Good

Speed Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Best User Rated

Intel

Core i3 540

Average Bench: 45.9% (927th of 1459)

Popular builds with this CPU

Below average average bench

Strengths

Very good consistency

Weaknesses

Average Bench

Market Share (See Leaders)

Prices

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

Disqualified System: bin bin

Popular Core i3 540 systems:

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

Group Test Results

Specifications

Essentials

Graphics

Memory

Expansion Options

Data Protection

Advanced Technologies

Package

Platform Protection

Share a related link

Comments

Excellent (edit your comment) Add link

Excellent

Average

Good

Speed Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Best User Rated

Feedback

Average Bench: 45.9% (927^th of 1459)