Core i7-2600S vs Core i3-1115GRE

Core i7-2600S

4 Cores8 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2011

Core i3-1115GRE

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-2600S

4 / 8

4,637

+1.1%

4,588

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 i7-2600S is positioned at rank 889 and the Core i3-1115GRE is on rank 1009, so the Core i7-2600S 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 i7-2600S

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19969%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18869%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13700%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4127%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3269%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2860%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1638%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1617%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1472%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1472%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1455%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1416%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1396%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1391%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1378%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

95%

#889

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

100%

#890

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

100%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

100%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

100%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

100%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

99%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

99%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

98%

#898

Core i5-4570TE

MSRP: $202|Avg: $40

98%

#899

Core i3-2130

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

96%

#902

Core i3-6100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $50

94%

#903

Core i3-4330TE

MSRP: $138|Avg: $15

94%

#904

Pentium E5700

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-1115GRE

#996

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2162%

#997

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2130%

#998

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1956%

#999

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1947%

#1000

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1929%

#1002

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1863%

#1003

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1786%

#1004

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1783%

#1005

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1735%

#1008

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

100%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

100%

#1010

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1011

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

99%

#1012

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1013

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1014

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

97%

#1015

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

97%

#1016

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

96%

#1017

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

96%

#1018

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

95%

#1019

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

94%

#1020

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

94%

#1021

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

#1022

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i3-1115GRE (2020) utilizes 10 nm technology and DDR4, LPDDR4X, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i7-2600S	Core i3-1115GRE
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($99)	⚠️ Higher cost ($480)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-2600S (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i7-2600S	Core i3-1115GRE
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+390%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($99)	⚠️ Higher cost ($480)

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 i7-2600S Benchmark Check

Core i3-1115GRE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-2600S and Core i3-1115GRE

Core i7-2600S

The Core i7-2600S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,637 points. Launch price was $210.

Core i3-1115GRE

The Core i3-1115GRE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1449. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, LPDDR4X. Passmark benchmark score: 4,588 points. Launch price was $338.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-2600S packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i3-1115GRE offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i7-2600S has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-2600S versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i3-1115GRE — a 2.6% clock advantage for the Core i3-1115GRE (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-2600S uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-1115GRE uses Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-2600S scores 4,637 against the Core i3-1115GRE's 4,588 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i7-2600S. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 630 vs 1,175, a 60.4% lead for the Core i3-1115GRE that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Core i7-2600S vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-1115GRE.

Feature	Core i7-2600S	Core i3-1115GRE
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	3.9 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+27%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	8192 kB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	32 nm	10 nm-69%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021)
PassMark	4,637+1%	4,588
Geekbench 6 Single	630	1,175+87%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,233

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-2600S uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-1115GRE uses FCBGA1449 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i7-2600S versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i3-1115GRE — the Core i3-1115GRE supports 28.6% 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 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-2600S) vs 4 (Core i3-1115GRE) — the Core i7-2600S offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H61,H67,Z68,B75 (Core i7-2600S) and SoC (Core i3-1115GRE).

Feature	Core i7-2600S	Core i3-1115GRE
Socket	LGA1155	FCBGA1449
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 4.0+100%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR4-3200+33%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	64 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16+300%	4

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i3-1115GRE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-2600S) vs Yes (Core i3-1115GRE). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 2000 (Core i7-2600S) and Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3-1115GRE) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2600S targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i7-2600S rivals Phenom II X4 910e.

Feature	Core i7-2600S	Core i3-1115GRE
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 2000	Intel UHD Graphics
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	Yes
Target Use	Low Power Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-2600S launched at $297 MSRP, while the Core i3-1115GRE debuted at $338. At current prices ($99 vs $480), the Core i7-2600S is $381 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-2600S delivers 46.8 pts/$ vs 9.6 pts/$ for the Core i3-1115GRE — making the Core i7-2600S the 132.2% better value option.