Core i3-4370 vs Core i5-2400

The Core i3-4370 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-2400 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-2400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-4370 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-2400 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Core i3-4370 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i3-4370 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-2400 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4370 scores 3,854 against the Core i5-2400's 3,870 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-2400. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 904 vs 595, a 41.2% lead for the Core i3-4370 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-4370 vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2400.

The Core i3-4370 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-2400 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel H81,Intel B85,Intel H87,Intel Z87,Intel H97,Intel Z97 (Core i3-4370) and H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2400).

Virtualization support: true (Core i3-4370) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2400). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 4600 (Core i3-4370) and HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2400) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2400 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-2400 rivals Phenom II X4 975.

The Core i3-4370 launched at $149 MSRP, while the Core i5-2400 debuted at $184. At current prices ($41 vs $25), the Core i5-2400 is $16 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-4370 delivers 94.0 pts/$ vs 154.8 pts/$ for the Core i5-2400 — making the Core i5-2400 the 48.9% better value option.