Core i3-4150 vs Core i7-880

The Core i3-4150 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-880 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-880 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i3-4150 versus 3.73 GHz on the Core i7-880 — a 6.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-880 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Core i3-4150 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-880 uses Lynnfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4150 scores 3,406 against the Core i7-880's 3,429 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-880. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,071 vs 507, a 71.5% lead for the Core i3-4150 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-4150 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-880.

The Core i3-4150 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-880 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. The Core i3-4150 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H81,B85,Q85,H87,Q87,Z87,H97,Z97 (Core i3-4150) and P55,H55,H57,Q57 (Core i7-880).

Virtualization support: VT-x, EPT (Core i3-4150) vs Yes (Core i7-880). The Core i3-4150 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4400), while the Core i7-880 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4150 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i3-4150 rivals FX-6300.

The Core i3-4150 launched at $281 MSRP, while the Core i7-880 debuted at $583. At current prices ($70 vs $40), the Core i7-880 is $30 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-4150 delivers 48.7 pts/$ vs 85.7 pts/$ for the Core i7-880 — making the Core i7-880 the 55.2% better value option.