Intel Core i3-530 Processor Review
January 10th, 2010 | Viewed 65404 times
This is the new, upcoming Intel Core i3-530 processor. The Core i3-530 also part of Intel’s first line-up of 32nm CPUs, codenamed Clarkdale.
The Processor
The Core i3-530 with us today has a max TDP of only 73w, basically it consumes less power compared to the 45nm Core i5 and i7 processors.
The thing to note is that the i3-530 is technically still a dual-core processor but with hyper-threading, this means each core has 2 threads and making it 4 threads in total. This is just like how the Core i7 is a quad-core processor with hyper-threading, hence working like an Oct-Core processor.
Here’s the CPU-Z capture of the processor specification.
And here is the CPU-Z capture of the processor specification, after I overclocked it. And guess what I just pumped the vcore to 1.313 in the BIOS and kept my fingers cross as I set it to 3.9ghz – the processor reached the set speed with ease and even passed all the benchmarks I threw at it.
And I was using stock heatsink all the way! For more technical details, read this article.
Test Setup
For this article, I’ll be comparing the i3-530 to the i5-750 and Xeon 3320.
First up, the Core i3 / i5 setup.
| Processor | Intel Core i3-530 / Intel Core i5-750 |
| RAM | OCZ 1066mhz 4GB Dual-Channel Kit |
| Motherboard | MSI P55-GD65 |
| Cooler | Stock heatsink |
| Monitor | 20″ Dell Ultra-sharp Wide-screen LCD |
| Power Supply | Gigabyte Odin GT 550w |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Basic 32bit |
And the contender, the Xeon 3320 setup.
| Processor | Intel Xeon X3320 |
| RAM | Kingston HyperX 4GB Dual-channel Kit |
| Motherboard | Jetway X-Blue P45 |
| Cooler | Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme |
| Monitor | 20″ Dell Ultra-sharp Wide-screen LCD |
| Power Supply | Gigabyte Odin GT 550w |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Basic 32bit |
Benchmarks
Here are the results of the benchmarks I’ve thrown at these processors.
i3-530 is at 2.93ghz | i3-530 OC is at 3.9ghz CPU-Z validator link
i5-750 is at 2.66ghz | i5-750 OC is as 4.26ghz.
Xeon 3320 is at 2.5ghz | Xeon 3320 OC is at 3ghz.
i3 – 4MB cache. i5 – 8MB cache. Xeon 3320 – 6MB cache.
Do refer to Intel for specifications.
Super PI 1.5 Mod
The value chosen for Super PI was 1M.
| i3-530 | i3-530 OC | i5-750 | i5-750 OC | X3320 | X3320 OC |
| 14.508 | 10.889 | 15.975 | 10.623 | 20.171 | 17.056 |
| * Lower the better | |||||
At 2.93ghz the i3-530 beats the overclocked Xeon 3320. On stock it beats the i5-750 at 2.66ghz and when at 3.9ghz it’s just slightly behind the i5-750 OC. I’m just putting the table into text, this doesn’t mean the i3-530 is the clear winner. I’ve compared the i3-530 3.9ghz Super PI result for 32MB value and it was behind the i5-750 and i7-860 of similar speed by quite about 2 minutes, I don’t think any amount of memory fine-tuning could beat them.
CINEBENCH R10
| Processor | i3-530 | i3-530 OC | i5-750 | i5-750 OC | X3320 | X3320 OC |
| Single CPU | 3323 | 4425 | 2984 | 4628 | 2697 | 3250 |
| Multiple CPU | 7511 | 10004 | 10688 | 14955 | 9454 | 11330 |
While the single core scores look impressive (on stock it beats the i5-750, and even the overclocked Xeon 3320) but the multi-processor rendering score doesn’t seem so. Besides cache issue, it looks more like a bottleneck for having 2 threads on 1 core.
PCMark Vantage
| i3-530 | i3-530 OC | i5-750 | i5-750 OC | X3320 | X3320 OC |
| 5392 | 6483 | 5094 | 6440 | 4949 | 5457 |
| * Higher the better | |||||
I don’t know what to make of this one. 
Fritz Chess Benchmark
| Processor | i3-530 | i3-530 OC | i5-750 | i5-750 OC | X3320 | X3320 OC |
| Relative Speed | 10.93 | 14.73 | 16.28 | 22.34 | 14.54 | 17.25 |
| Kilo Nodes/second | 5246 | 7068 | 7812 | 10722 | 6977 | 8280 |
Yet again, looks like it’s a matter of bottleneck for having 2 threads on 1 core.
SiSoft SANDRA Lite
| Processor | i3-530 | i3-530 OC | i5-750 | i5-750 OC | X3320 | X3320 OC |
| Aggregate Arithmetic | 34.6 GOPS |
46.00 GOPS |
46.74 GOPS |
65.65 GOPS |
39.28 GOPS |
47.74 GOPS |
| Dhrystone ALU | 36.45 GIPS |
48.45 GIPS |
59.82 GIPS |
83.5 GIPS |
41.88 GIPS |
51.36 GIPS |
| Whetstone iSSE3 | 32.74 GFLOPS |
43.5 GFLOPS |
33.65 GFLOPS |
47.84 GFLOPS |
36.69 GFLOPS |
44.13 GFLOPS |
| Aggregate Multi-Media | 58.79 MPixel/s |
77.75 MPixel/s |
77.38 MPixel/s |
108.2 MPixel/s |
71.31 MPixel/s |
86.73 MPixel/s |
| Multi-Media Int | 64.64 MPixel/s |
85.37 MPixel/s |
95.55 MPixel/s |
133.4 MPixel/s |
71.31 MPixel/s |
111.4 MPixel/s |
| Multi-Media Float | 53.00 MPixel/s |
70.14 MPixel/s |
59.21 MPixel/s |
83 MPixel/s |
50 MPixel/s |
62 MPixel/s |
| Multi-Media Double | 27.51 MPixel/s |
36.58 MPixel/s |
30.32 MPixel/s |
42.32 MPixel/s |
26.18 MPixel/s |
31.47 MPixel/s |
Wow, a wall of numbers! To make it simple, just compare the i3-530 stock vs the i5-750 stock and Xeon 3320 overclocked. Ideally the i3-530 works as a quad-core processor. Looks like another it’s another 2 threads on 1 core, either that or it’s the cache issue but I think it’s due to both factors.
Operating Temperature
| Processor | i3 530 | i3 530 OC |
| Idle | 34°C | 39°C |
| Load | 40°C | 50°C |
I’m very impressed. The Xeon and i5-750 that I’ve used were hot, both had max TDP of 95w. The i3-530 on the other hand is only maxxed out at 73 Watts. I’ve even tried Folding@home SMP with the overclocked setting overnight with no air-conditioning and it was alive and kicking when I checked on it 9 hours later.
Concluding Thoughts
The i5-750 is retailing for around RM 700 while the i3-530 is at around RM 450 (not official price, at least at this point of time). So that’s paying about 65% of the price of i5-750 for something that performs really close to it (subjective to application), consumes less power, generates less heat and overclocks well!
As of now, I’m a very happy user of the Core i3-530! It’s good to see powerful processors are available at affordable price.
The Intel Core i3 530 is a dual-core processor that provides you quad-core processor performance without you having to put up with higher power consumption and higher heat generation. It overclocks very well too, great for enthusiasts on a budget!
Next thing to do is to find me an Intel H55 based motherboard to test out configuring a VALUE-FOR-MONEY rig.
Related posts:
January 11th, 2010 at 8:56 am
As a power saver, I’ve always been a fan of dual-core instead of quad-core. Now with 32nm technology, even less power consumption (for an acceptable performance). @_@
I’ll consider this processor if I’ll ever set up a new rig for myself.
apamise´s last blog ..Anugerah Juara Lagu 24
January 11th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
very informative and fast review from Malaysian. Good! 530 with HT really improve the pc performance with main stream price.
January 15th, 2010 at 1:44 am
where’s the benchmark on games?
January 15th, 2010 at 11:47 am
thanks all.
@syazwanreno – sorry dude, no benchmark on games. I see there are other sites that benchmark processor with games but I’m not doing so as I find it misleading because FPS is heavily reliant on the graphic system than the processor.
January 16th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Intel Core i3 launch for Malaysia is on 13th January, but my fren bought his at low yat last year. water product??
January 18th, 2010 at 1:11 am
@soket
no its not water product, its product introduction and supply to the retail channels and logistics before the official launch.
think of it this way. when the products are launched you expect it to be at retail stores already right?
@goldie,
mana my pic :p
February 1st, 2010 at 3:16 am
I need help, I have to say i am bad at these computer terminologies & analysis like the above mentioned article…..I have a question………with core i3 530 & H55 chipset with DDR3 RAM, ..can i install Windows XP? ( (Because i brought a new XP SP3 8 months ago, also have XP SP2)) will it run with optimum levels? or should i buy a new OS like Windows 7 to run it……….Will the above mentioned System configuration run on Win XP at all?…………….Any advice or suggestions are atmost welcome..
February 25th, 2010 at 3:56 am
[...] to be confused with the Intel Core i3-530 Processor Review, this article is about the performance of the Core i3-530’s Integrated Graphics [...]
March 6th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Sweet…. This is what I’m looking for
March 14th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Hi
Can we install the windows XP on the new i3 based system. And can it run effectively and faster than Core 2 duo. somebody has told me that windows XP do not run fast on the new i3. Please advise me urgently.
March 16th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Tej / Padam – Windows XP works fine on any other system old or new.
They will run just fine, some people claimed the feel XP is faster as well.
March 29th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Hi, I just installed XP sp2 on my i3 330m processor but its creating problem at the time of start up it takes around 5 minutes to start, so i think that xp is not working properly on this processor.
April 1st, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Faruque ,your system may be duplicate thats why your system is slow if u r using xp.
April 20th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
i feel that core i7 extreme is superb………no waiting……with high graphics support……but it is power consuming…………better than core quad@xeon…………………hureeeeeeeeeee………………
April 25th, 2010 at 1:09 am
please sir
April 27th, 2010 at 1:47 am
Hi ~~Faruque or anybody
I’m thai boy Now i have a problem to set windows xp on my laptop, my laptop is compaq cq41-203tu cpu corei3 m33o,i have find this problem on website treeday,but can’t find any web to let me download windowsxp or guideline to finish my question..so want somebody to help me,thank you.. chingyer@hotmail.com
May 9th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Can windowsXP operating system runs on corei3 processor?
Bcoz i heard dat it ‘ll not work on windows XP?
And again,windows7 con not supports maximum software which greatly works on windows XP,,
plz, give me rply as fast as possible…
boz i want to bye new laptop,so if core i3 with windows7 will not support my reqd software,then tell me what i ‘ll do?
May 15th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Can windowsXP operating system runs on corei3,corei5 & corei7 processor?
June 14th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Can we install XP Service Pack 2 on Corei3, i have purchased laptop with Corei3 & having Windows 7 ultimate, but windows 7 wnt support Shree Lipi 7.1 (its an language software) so plz reply me fast can i install XP Service pack 2 (i have Original one)
Thankzzzzzzzzz
June 15th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
does core i3 runs windows XP ?
June 17th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Hi
i am looking forward to assemble a new desktop wit i3 processors, can anyone suggest me with a mother board which supports i3 processors and come up wit configurations.?
June 25th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
its true that core i3 has issue with xp ,xp will run fine but it will be deadly slow
June 26th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Hi
I bought a i3 530 with DH55TC board and 4GB DDR3 RAM (2 X 2GB). I installed genuine windows xp professional 32 bit OS. Eventhough i have not installed any programs It takes 2-3 mins to boot. i am surprised because my core 2 duo 2.93 GHz with 41RQ board and 2GB RAM with lot of programs boots faster than time. the supplier has no say about this. pl check before buying a computer and OS with the above configuration. may be faster with 64 bit OS.
June 26th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
I for one, couldn’t be bothered about boot time since my machines are rarely off to begin with.
It’s not just the software bit but rather it could be just the OS itself. It’s not surprising if Windows Vista / 7 boost faster.
Being XP doesn’t mean it will boot faster. In fact, why XP? It’s nearly a decade old or so and inferior to Vista / 7 in many ways.
If you look at computers today, you’ll see no one uses i3 with XP. All the XP based machines are using slow processors.
June 26th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
hi goldfries
thanks for your reply. leave alone the OS. my point is if anyone wishs to use XP why should they go for costly and high end i3. they will get better performance with less expensive core 2 duo. i have to install an engineering software and that will work only in XP 32 bit, which forced me to go for xp instead of windows 7. can u suggest anything to improve the performance of my system ?
June 26th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
ahh ok. i think some people go for i3 because it’s something new, it is after all, better to get something of a newer technology. let’s not forget that the LGA1156 setup gives a wider and better upgrade option.
as to your case, XP 32 bit is limited. 4GB RAM (with 3.x GB usable) and other ways to improve, probably by going SSD or having HD / SSD in RAID setup.
June 26th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
thanks goldfries. i dont know anything about HD / SSD in RAID setup. could you pleas help?
June 27th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I just built a system with an i3-540 and tried installing XP. Its running pretty slow! I’m going to reformat and try windows 7.
June 27th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Mr Ian
Is there any other way to improve the performance with xp? i have some limitations in going for windows 7.
July 16th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Awwww Lisent,Im fromArgentina Sry for my Bad english..i buy a pc Whit Core i3 530 2Gb Ram on Windows 7 and to much programs dont work!, If i put XP the core i 3 Work fast or Slow?
August 30th, 2010 at 12:14 am
icore3 is not sutable for xp. so if u use xp then u can buy c2d processor.
September 5th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Ty anuj,now i put 2 Gb of ram more and the Pc its very fast! im think there is the problem this procesor need more ram to go fast
September 16th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
can i install winxp on intel i5 processor
September 17th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Hey goldfries,what software did you use to check the i3 temperatures? I oc mine to 3.6 and when i check with real temp its a whopping 81 C on prime95
September 28th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Hi everyone
I had an i3 processor machine too with windows 7 installed
it has multiple issues which Intel hasn’t solved yet
The processor is pretty slow even slower than a core 2 duo processor
Gaming software run quite slow and it takes lot of time in booting
Tried all possible solutions until i returned it to HP and bought a new i5 notebook
and don’t forget the processor overheats and a blue screen appears and system shuts down
September 28th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Samuel is having exactly the same problems as I had
Better to go for an i5 processor
October 26th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Windows xp2 is 32 bit operating system it can not work properly on icore3 processor. With icore3 u can use windows764 bit OS.
October 28th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Hello,
I have a laptop hp g62 with procesor I3 330 , but i can’nt install windows xp in this laptop, and i have a lot of applications don’t work with windows seven pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease help me ????????????????/
November 3rd, 2010 at 6:52 pm
i am santosh and i am doing my engineering. i want to know that do i 3 processor support engineering software like c language and solitary edge ? please suggest me
November 7th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
if anybody want c2d system then go for ddr3 supported intel originol board or gigabyte board.
March 19th, 2011 at 3:11 am
Hello, to all the people ask for XP installation, they work fine on i3, but before you must change the number of active cores to 1 in BIOS setup, and disable hyperthreading. Then update to SP3 and apply all the rest of updates. (Of course, when you finish, active all cores and HT). The i3 is fast than core 2′s.
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:06 am
877737 beers on the wall. sck was here
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December 7th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
i3 is trouble to put into socket. I had to use wood block and tap it into the socket before could close lid. After close lid, could not put fansink on because not straight because socket not proper close. Must undo all work and start from again. After start from again socket too loose and lid not close without glue.
December 11th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
if you find i3 is a trouble to put on socket, then you’re doing something really wrong.
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January 8th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
corei3 530 is working too slow in both7 and xp even the start up takes 100secs to open..
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