Core i5-670 vs Core i5-3230M

Core i5-670

2 Cores4 Thrd73 WWMax: 3.73 GHz2010

Core i5-3230M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-670

2 / 4

2,553

0.0%

2,565

+0.5%

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 i5-670 is positioned at rank 1013 and the Core i5-3230M is on rank 30, so the Core i5-3230M 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 i5-670

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

34674%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

32763%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

23789%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

7167%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5677%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4966%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2844%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2807%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2556%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2556%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2527%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2459%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2425%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2415%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2393%

#1013

Core i5-670

MSRP: $284|Avg: $100

100%

#1014

Core i5-680

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

99%

#1015

Core 2 Duo E4300

MSRP: $113|Avg: $5

99%

#1017

Core 2 Duo E4500

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

97%

#1019

Core 2 Duo E7600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $50

96%

#1020

Core i7-3970X

MSRP: $990|Avg: $60

96%

#1021

Core 2 Duo E8700

MSRP: $256|Avg: $30

96%

#1022

Core 2 Duo E6550

MSRP: $163|Avg: $20

95%

#1023

Phenom X3 8450

MSRP: $145|Avg: $147

94%

#1024

Core i7-3960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $60

94%

#1025

Celeron 2.70

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

93%

#1027

A10 PRO-7850B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $140

90%

#1028

Core 2 Quad Q8200

MSRP: $224|Avg: $36

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-3230M

#18

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

172%

#19

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

169%

#20

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

155%

#21

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

155%

#22

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

153%

#24

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

148%

#25

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

142%

#26

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

142%

#27

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

138%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

100%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

100%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

99%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

97%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

90%

#39

Atom 330

MSRP: $43|Avg: $30

89%

#43

Core 2 Duo SU7300

MSRP: $289|Avg: N/A

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i5-670 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-3230M is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.5% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i5-670	Core i5-3230M
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)	✅ More affordable ($13)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i5-3230M stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 87% cheaper ($13 vs $100) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i5-670	Core i5-3230M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+673%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)	✅ More affordable ($13)

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 i5-670 Benchmark Check

Core i5-3230M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-670 and Core i5-3230M

Core i5-670

The Core i5-670 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.46 GHz, with boost up to 3.73 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,553 points. Launch price was $252.

Core i5-3230M

The Core i5-3230M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,565 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-670 and Core i5-3230M share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.73 GHz on the Core i5-670 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-3230M — a 15.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-670 (base: 3.46 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-670 uses the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-3230M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-670 scores 2,553 against the Core i5-3230M's 2,565 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i5-3230M. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 638 vs 565, a 12.1% lead for the Core i5-670 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i5-670 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-3230M.

Feature	Core i5-670	Core i5-3230M
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.73 GHz+17%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.46 GHz+33%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,553	2,565
Geekbench 6 Single	638+13%	565
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,128

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-670 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-3230M uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. The Core i5-3230M 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. Chipset compatibility: H55,H57,P55,Q57 (Core i5-670) and HM76,HM77 (Core i5-3230M).

Feature	Core i5-670	Core i5-3230M
Socket	LGA1156	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR3L-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 i5-670) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-3230M). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Core i5-670) and HD Graphics 4000 (Core i5-3230M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-670 targets Legacy Desktop, Core i5-3230M targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-670 rivals Phenom II X4 955; Core i5-3230M rivals Ryzen 5 3500U.

Feature	Core i5-670	Core i5-3230M
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics	HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Legacy Desktop	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-670 launched at $284 MSRP, while the Core i5-3230M debuted at $225. At current prices ($100 vs $13), the Core i5-3230M is $87 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-670 delivers 25.5 pts/$ vs 197.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-3230M — making the Core i5-3230M the 154.2% better value option.