Core i5-3450 vs Core i3-1115GRE

The Core i5-3450 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-1115GRE offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3450 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-3450 versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i3-1115GRE — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i3-1115GRE (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-3450 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i3-1115GRE uses Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-3450 scores 4,517 against the Core i3-1115GRE's 4,588 — a 1.6% lead for the Core i3-1115GRE. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-3450 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-1115GRE.

The Core i5-3450 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-1115GRE uses FCBGA1449 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1600 on the Core i5-3450 versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i3-1115GRE — the Core i5-3450 supports 199% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-1115GRE supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-3450) vs 4 (Core i3-1115GRE) — the Core i5-3450 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Virtualization support: true (Core i5-3450) vs Yes (Core i3-1115GRE). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 2500 (Core i5-3450) and Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3-1115GRE) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU.

The Core i5-3450 launched at $184 MSRP, while the Core i3-1115GRE debuted at $338. At current prices ($95 vs $480), the Core i5-3450 is $385 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-3450 delivers 47.5 pts/$ vs 9.6 pts/$ for the Core i3-1115GRE — making the Core i5-3450 the 133% better value option.