Core i3-540 vs Core i3-2340UE

Core i3-540

2 Cores4 Thrd73 WWMax: 0.07 GHz2010

Core i3-2340UE

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-540

2 / 4

1,554

+0.6%

1,545

0.0%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i3-540 is positioned at rank 970 and the Core i3-2340UE is on rank 1137, so the Core i3-540 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-540

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

26688%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

25217%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

18310%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5516%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4369%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3822%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2189%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2161%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1967%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1967%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1945%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1893%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1866%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1859%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1842%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

100%

#972

Phenom II X3 700e

MSRP: $125|Avg: $40

99%

#973

Core i5-760

MSRP: $230|Avg: $61

99%

#974

Core i3-7102E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $80

99%

#975

Core 2 Quad Q8400

MSRP: $183|Avg: $128

97%

#976

Pentium E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

96%

#977

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

96%

#978

Pentium Dual-Core E2140

MSRP: $74|Avg: $5

94%

#979

E1-1500

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

94%

#980

Core i7-960

MSRP: $309|Avg: $110

94%

#981

Core i5-2405S

MSRP: $309|Avg: $120

94%

#982

Celeron 420

MSRP: $39|Avg: $15

93%

#983

Athlon II X4 615e

MSRP: $186|Avg: $30

93%

#984

Athlon X2 BE-2350

MSRP: $90|Avg: $10

93%

#985

Core 2 Quad Q8300

MSRP: $179|Avg: $10

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-2340UE

#1125

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3796%

#1126

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3740%

#1127

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3433%

#1128

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3418%

#1129

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3387%

#1131

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3270%

#1132

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3136%

#1133

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3131%

#1134

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3047%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

100%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

100%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

99%

#1142

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

99%

#1143

Celeron 220

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

99%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

98%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

98%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

98%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

97%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

97%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

96%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i3-2340UE leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-540 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.6% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i3-540	Core i3-2340UE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i3-540 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 98% cheaper ($5 vs $200) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i3-540	Core i3-2340UE
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+3923%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-540 Benchmark Check

Core i3-2340UE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-540 and Core i3-2340UE

Core i3-540

The Core i3-540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,554 points. Launch price was $45.

Core i3-2340UE

The Core i3-2340UE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,545 points. Launch price was $250.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-540 and Core i3-2340UE share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Core i3-540 versus 1.3 GHz on the Core i3-2340UE — a 179.6% clock advantage for the Core i3-2340UE. The Core i3-540 uses the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-2340UE uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-540 scores 1,554 against the Core i3-2340UE's 1,545 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-540. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-540 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-2340UE.

Feature	Core i3-540	Core i3-2340UE
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	1.3 GHz+1757%
Base Clock	3.06 GHz	—
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,554	1,545
Geekbench 6 Single	—	230

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-540 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-2340UE uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-540	Core i3-2340UE
Socket	LGA1156	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-540) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-2340UE). The Core i3-2340UE includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Core i3-540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2340UE targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-2340UE rivals Embedded G-Series.

Feature	Core i3-540	Core i3-2340UE
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, EPT
Target Use	—	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-540 launched at $133 MSRP, while the Core i3-2340UE debuted at $200. At current prices ($5 vs $200), the Core i3-540 is $195 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-540 delivers 310.8 pts/$ vs 7.7 pts/$ for the Core i3-2340UE — making the Core i3-540 the 190.3% better value option.