Core i5-520UM
VS
Turion II M520

Core i5-520UM vs Turion II M520

Intel

Core i5-520UM

2 Cores4 Thrd18 WWMax: 1.87 GHz2010
VS
AMD

Turion II M520

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 i5-520UM is positioned at rank 130 and the Turion II M520 is on rank 303, so the Core i5-520UM 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 i5-520UM

#36
Core i5-11500B
MSRP: $185|Avg: $185
95%
#118
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
302%
#119
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
298%
#120
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
273%
#121
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
272%
#122
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
269%
#124
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
260%
#125
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
250%
#126
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
249%
#127
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
242%
#130
Core i5-520UM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#137
N200
MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A
97%
#138
Core 2 Duo SP9600
MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A
97%
#140
Core 2 Duo P8700
MSRP: $241|Avg: $85
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Turion II M520

#291
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
450%
#292
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
444%
#293
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
407%
#294
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
405%
#295
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
402%
#297
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
388%
#298
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
372%
#299
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
371%
#300
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
361%
#303
Turion II M520
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Turion II M520 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-520UM in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i5-520UMTurion II M520
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i5-520UMTurion II M520
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-520UM and Turion II M520

Intel

Core i5-520UM

The Core i5-520UM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.07 GHz, with boost up to 1.87 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800. Passmark benchmark score: 1,943 points. Launch price was $241.

AMD

Turion II M520

The Turion II M520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Core i5-520UM packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Turion II M520's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.87 GHz on the Core i5-520UM versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion II M520 — a 20.6% clock advantage for the Turion II M520. The Core i5-520UM uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Turion II M520 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-520UM scores 1,943 against the Turion II M520's 1,955 — a 0.6% lead for the Turion II M520.

FeatureCore i5-520UMTurion II M520
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.87 GHz
2.3 GHz+23%
Base Clock
1.07 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB
L2 Cache
512 kB
1 MB+100%
Process
32 nm-29%
45 nm
Architecture
Arrandale (2010−2011)
Caspian (2009)
PassMark
1,943
1,955
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-520UM uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Turion II M520 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-520UMTurion II M520
Socket
BGA1288
S1g3
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
800
Max RAM Capacity
8
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i5-520UM) / not specified (Turion II M520). The Core i5-520UM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Turion II M520 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-520UM rivals Core 2 Duo SU9400.

FeatureCore i5-520UMTurion II M520
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
true