Core i5-2510E vs Pentium G2120

Core i5-2510E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2011

Pentium G2120

2 Cores2 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2510E

2 / 4

1,884

+0.4%

1,876

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 i5-2510E is positioned at rank 1131 and the Pentium G2120 is on rank 753, so the Pentium G2120 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 i5-2510E

#1119

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3582%

#1120

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3530%

#1121

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3241%

#1122

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3226%

#1123

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3196%

#1125

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3087%

#1126

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2960%

#1127

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2955%

#1128

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2875%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

100%

#1134

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1142

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

#1143

Celeron 220

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

93%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

93%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G2120

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

14292%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

13505%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

9806%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2954%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2340%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2047%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1172%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1157%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1054%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1053%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1042%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1014%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

999%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

995%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

986%

#753

Pentium G2120

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

100%

#754

Core i5-3340S

MSRP: $182|Avg: $25

100%

#755

Celeron G1101

MSRP: $50|Avg: $20

100%

#756

FX-8150

MSRP: $245|Avg: $50

100%

#757

Pentium G3240

MSRP: $89|Avg: $126

99%

#758

Core i5-3550S

MSRP: $205|Avg: $100

99%

#759

FX-8140

MSRP: $225|Avg: $120

99%

#760

Athlon X2 450

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

99%

#761

Athlon II X3 450

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

98%

#762

Core i7-4790

MSRP: $339|Avg: $60

98%

#763

Pentium G640

MSRP: $64|Avg: $5

98%

#764

Pentium G840

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

98%

#765

Core i5-6440EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

98%

#767

Core i5-4590T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $130

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Analysis: Based on specifications, the Core i5-2510E shows stronger theoretical performance metrics.

Insight	Core i5-2510E	Pentium G2120
Gaming	Balanced gaming performance	Balanced gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Pentium G2120 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $20 (vs $30), it costs 33% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 49% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i5-2510E.

Insight	Core i5-2510E	Pentium G2120
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+49%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($20)

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 i5-2510E Benchmark Check

Pentium G2120 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2510E and Pentium G2120

Core i5-2510E

The Core i5-2510E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 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: 1,884 points. Launch price was $266.

Pentium G2120

The Pentium G2120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,876 points. Launch price was $88.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2510E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Pentium G2120's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i5-2510E versus 3.1 GHz on the Pentium G2120 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-2510E uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium G2120 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2510E scores 1,884 against the Pentium G2120's 1,876 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-2510E. Both processors carry 3 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-2510E	Pentium G2120
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.1 GHz+24%
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)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	1,884	1,876
Geekbench 6 Single	527	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2510E uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G2120 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Pentium G2120 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.

Feature	Core i5-2510E	Pentium G2120
Socket	PGA988	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	32 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2510E) vs VT-x (Pentium G2120). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 3000 (Core i5-2510E) and HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge) (Pentium G2120) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2510E targets Embedded, Pentium G2120 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-2510E rivals Embedded R-Series.

Feature	Core i5-2510E	Pentium G2120
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 3000	HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x
Target Use	Embedded	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-2510E launched at $230 MSRP, while the Pentium G2120 debuted at $86. At current prices ($30 vs $20), the Pentium G2120 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-2510E delivers 62.8 pts/$ vs 93.8 pts/$ for the Pentium G2120 — making the Pentium G2120 the 39.6% better value option.