Turion II P540
VS
Core i5-3437U

Turion II P540 vs Core i5-3437U

AMD

Turion II P540

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Core i5-3437U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2013

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 Turion II P540 is positioned at rank 247 and the Core i5-3437U is on rank 164, so the Core i5-3437U 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 Turion II P540

#64
Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
100%
#235
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
407%
#236
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
402%
#237
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
369%
#238
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
367%
#239
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
364%
#241
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
351%
#242
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
337%
#243
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
336%
#244
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
327%
#247
Turion II P540
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-3437U

#152
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
339%
#153
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
334%
#154
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
306%
#155
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
305%
#156
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
302%
#158
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
292%
#159
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
280%
#160
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
279%
#161
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
272%
#164
Core i5-3437U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#173
Celeron N3060
MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A
97%
#176
Core 2 Duo T9300
MSRP: $316|Avg: $20
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-3437U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Turion II P540 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightTurion II P540Core i5-3437U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightTurion II P540Core i5-3437U
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 Turion II P540 and Core i5-3437U

AMD

Turion II P540

The Turion II P540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,160 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Core i5-3437U

The Core i5-3437U 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 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,166 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Turion II P540 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-3437U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Turion II P540 versus 2.9 GHz on the Core i5-3437U — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-3437U. The Turion II P540 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-3437U uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II P540 scores 2,160 against the Core i5-3437U's 2,166 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i5-3437U.

FeatureTurion II P540Core i5-3437U
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.4 GHz
2.9 GHz+21%
Base Clock
1.9 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
256K (per core)
Process
45 nm
22 nm-51%
Architecture
Champlain (2010−2011)
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark
2,160
2,166
Geekbench 6 Single
440
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,080
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Turion II P540 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-3437U uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureTurion II P540Core i5-3437U
Socket
S1g4
BGA1023
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Turion II P540) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-3437U). The Core i5-3437U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Turion II P540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-3437U targets Business Ultrabook. Direct competitor: Core i5-3437U rivals AMD A8-4555M.

FeatureTurion II P540Core i5-3437U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Business Ultrabook