This post explains the Difference Between the Intel Core i3 and Core 2 Duo processors.
Just like the Intel Core i7, the Core i3 is based on a new architecture – Clarkdale which is based on the new Westmere microarchitecture. The Intel Core i3 range offers only dual core processors unlike the Core i5 and i7 which offer Quad cores as well.
Intel Core 2 Duo
Codenamed: Conroe, Allendale, Wolfdale – Core 2
Fabrication: 65 nm / 45 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.1
Socket: LGA 775
Bus: 1333 MHz FSB
RAM: DDR2
Chipset Support: 965, P3x, G3x, P45, X48
Intel Core i3
Codenamed: Clarkdale
Fabrication: 32 nm
Instruction set: X86, X86-64, MMX, SSE 4.2
Socket: LGA 1156
Bus: Direct Media Interface
RAM: DDR3
Chipset Support: P55, H55, H57, Q57
LGA 1156, Direct Media Interface, Smart Cache
Both the Intel Core i3 and Intel Core 2 Duo processors are native dual cores; they have both processors on the same die which leads to better processing speeds. The Intel Core 2 Duo processors work on the LGA 775 socket, the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors use the LGA 1156 socket. The Core i3 processors support motherboards based on the following chipsets – P55, H55, H57, Q57.
As the Core i3 processors have a 32 nm fabrication, they are much more power efficient and run faster than Core 2 Duo processors which have a 65 / 45 nm fabrication. There are two processors in the Core i3 series – Core i3 530 (2.93 GHz) and the Core i3 540 (3.06 GHz). Both have 2 x 256 KB L2 cache and 4 MB of L3 cache. Both the Core i3 processors sport the DMI (Direct Media Interface) which is much faster than the FSB used in Core 2 Duo processors but is not as fast as Quick Path Interconnect in the Core i7.
The Core i3 processors also have a on die graphics processor which offer much better graphics performance. They also support Hyperthreading which means that each core can run 2 threads simultaneously which results in 2×2=4 virtual cores. They also have a on die memory controller which helps in much faster memory access than the Core 2 Duo processors. Also their chipsets are compatible with DDR3 RAM. The whole combination of Core i3 + DDR3 RAM offers much better performance than Core 2 Duo + DDR2 RAM. The Core i3 processors also support Smart Cache which allows cache memory sharing between the two cores reducing memory latencies.
However, unlike the Core i5 and Core i7 processors, the Core i3 processors also don’t support Turbo Boost which allows dynamic overclocking for better performance. Nevertheless, they are priced very low, which makes them a very good deal for budget PCs.
Intel Core i3 i540 – Rs. 4600
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