Core i5-2410M vs Core i7-3689Y

Both the Core i5-2410M and Core i7-3689Y share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Core i5-2410M versus 2.6 GHz on the Core i7-3689Y — a 10.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-2410M (base: 2.3 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i5-2410M uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3689Y uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2410M scores 1,954 against the Core i7-3689Y's 1,967 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-3689Y. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 444 vs 507, a 13.2% lead for the Core i7-3689Y that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 913 vs 1,100 (18.6% advantage for the Core i7-3689Y). L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2410M vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3689Y.

The Core i5-2410M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3689Y uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1333 on the Core i5-2410M versus DDR3L-1600 on the Core i7-3689Y — the Core i5-2410M supports 199.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-3689Y supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM65,HM67,QM67,QS67 (Core i5-2410M) and HM77,QM77 (Core i7-3689Y).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Core i5-2410M) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-3689Y). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Core i5-2410M) and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Core i7-3689Y) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3689Y targets Ultra-Low Power Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-2410M rivals AMD A8-3500M; Core i7-3689Y rivals AMD A10-4655M.