Core i3-3240 vs Pentium Gold 5405U

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i3-3240 vs Pentium Gold 5405U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i3-3240 vs Pentium Gold 5405U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i3-3240

2012

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (3 MB vs 2 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,352 vs 2,357).
❌Launch MSRP is still $132 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 5405U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌266.7% higher power demand at 55W vs 15W.

Pentium Gold 5405U

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 55W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 3 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 5405U better than Core i3-3240?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-3240 is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold 5405U pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark. Core i3-3240 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (3 MB vs 2 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold 5405U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Gold 5405U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold 5405U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $132 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. Core i3-3240 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2012 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (17.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1155.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Gold 5405U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i3-3240 vs Pentium Gold 5405U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i3-3240

The Core i3-3240 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,352 points. Launch price was $75.

Pentium Gold 5405U

The Pentium Gold 5405U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,357 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i3-3240 and Pentium Gold 5405U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i3-3240 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium Gold 5405U — a 38.6% clock advantage for the Core i3-3240 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i3-3240 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium Gold 5405U uses Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-3240 scores 2,352 against the Pentium Gold 5405U's 2,357 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium Gold 5405U. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-3240 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold 5405U.

Feature	Core i3-3240	Pentium Gold 5405U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+48%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+48%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	2,352	2,357

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-3240 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 5405U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.