Core i5-2430M vs Pentium G3250

CPU

GPU

Core i5-2430M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3 GHz2011

Pentium G3250

2 Cores2 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2430M

2 / 4

2,015

+0.2%

2,010

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 i5-2430M is positioned at rank 1106 and the Pentium G3250 is on rank 967, so the Pentium G3250 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 i5-2430M

#1094

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3275%

#1095

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3227%

#1096

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2962%

#1097

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2949%

#1098

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2922%

#1100

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2821%

#1101

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2705%

#1102

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2701%

#1103

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2628%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

100%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

99%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

98%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

98%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

97%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

97%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

96%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

96%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

95%

#1120

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

95%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G3250

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

26529%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

25067%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

18201%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5483%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4343%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3799%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2176%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2148%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1956%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1955%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1934%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1881%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1855%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1848%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1831%

#967

Pentium G3250

MSRP: $171|Avg: $25

100%

#968

Pentium E2200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

100%

#969

Core 2 Duo E7300

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

99%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

99%

#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

98%

#975

Core 2 Quad Q8400

MSRP: $183|Avg: $128

97%

#976

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

95%

#977

Pentium E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

95%

#978

Pentium Dual-Core E2140

MSRP: $74|Avg: $5

94%

#979

Core i7-960

MSRP: $309|Avg: $110

94%

#980

E1-1500

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

94%

#981

Core i5-2405S

MSRP: $309|Avg: $120

94%

#982

Celeron 420

MSRP: $39|Avg: $15

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium G3250 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-2430M is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i5-2430M	Pentium G3250
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ More affordable ($25)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium G3250 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 89% cheaper ($25 vs $225) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i5-2430M	Pentium G3250
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+798%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ More affordable ($25)

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 i5-2430M Benchmark Check

Pentium G3250 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2430M and Pentium G3250

Core i5-2430M

The Core i5-2430M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,015 points. Launch price was $225.

Pentium G3250

The Pentium G3250 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,010 points. Launch price was $171.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2430M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium G3250's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Core i5-2430M versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium G3250 — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Pentium G3250 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i5-2430M uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium G3250 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2430M scores 2,015 against the Pentium G3250's 2,010 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-2430M. Both processors carry 3 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-2430M	Pentium G3250
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.2 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.2 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,015	2,010

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2430M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G3250 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-2430M	Pentium G3250
Socket	PGA988	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i5-2430M) / not specified (Pentium G3250). The Core i5-2430M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Pentium G3250 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-2430M rivals AMD A8-3500M.