- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Features How it compares
- Our Analysis Technical breakdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Intel Core i5 2500K
- 3.3 GHz
- Quad core
- Unlocked
#2 in cheapest 10.x cpus
Released January, 2011
Rated 100% by by descifle (Nov, 2012)man no matter what anyone says an unlocked intel 2500k is the best processor it not only has 3.3ghz stock speed but its also unlocked it will destroy anything if you know how to overclock and have the money for a good cooling system.
Conclusion Check out the Intel Core i5 2500K
 | Performance | ||
Overall performance using all cores | |||
| Core i5 2500K |
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| Core i7 3770K |
| ||
| Core i5 3570K |
| ||
| Ingredients: Cinebench R10 32-bit, GeekBench and x264 HD 4.0 (Pass 1) | |||
 | Single-core Performance | ||
Performance of an individual core | |||
| Core i5 2500K |
| ||
| Core i7 3770K |
| ||
| Core i5 3570K |
| ||
| Ingredients: Cinebench R10 32-bit (1-core) and x264 HD 4.0 (Pass 2) | |||
 | Overclocking | ||
How much speed can you get out of the processor? | |||
| Core i5 2500K |
| ||
| Core i7 3770K |
| ||
| Core i5 3570K |
| ||
| Ingredients: Passmark (Overclocked), Unlocked, Maximum Overclocked Clock Speed (Air) and 2 more | |||
 | Value | ||
Are you paying a premium for performance? | |||
| Core i5 2500K |
| ||
| Core i7 3770K |
| ||
| Core i5 3570K |
| ||
| Ingredients: Performance Per Dollar | |||
| 7.8 CPUBoss Score |
Performance Real world tests of Intel Core i5 2500K
3D Mark 11 (Physics)
Core i5 2500K by P.-CarmonaOn the other hand i ran Futuremark 3dmark vantage and i did notice on the processor score a 30% difference i think, cant remember, its a bit faster than the i7.
Core i5 2500K by rusty (Nov, 2011)I haven't had after market cooler but with power set to balanced in windows the computer idols @ around 1500 - 1600mhz w temps avging23c -32c 3dmark bench testing took the temp up to 72cw\o aftermarket cooling.
Features Key features of the Intel Core i5 2500K
clock speed
Core i5 2500K by G.-WhiteThe Intel fan boys are buzzing over the new Sandy Bridge processors, particularly the overclocking friendly K-series parts (Core i5-2500K and Core i7-2600K) which have already proven stable at clock speeds of up to 5 GHz.
Core i5 2500K by PROBN4LYFE (Nov, 2011)If you don't have one...get it...just to look at...hold it...pop the plastic...smell what the CLOCKS iz cookin!
turbo clock speed
Core i5 2500K by April-Boyer (Aug, 2012)I did set the turbo speed up to 4 GHz, which it does without any other adjustments to voltage or anything.
Core i5 2500K by J.-Goodier (Jan, 2011)I have an ASUS mobo and used the OC wizard to get the turbo boost to 4.43ghz.
L2 cache
Core i5 2500K by J.L.--silver-sky (Jul, 2012)The extra cache and frequency performance boost might not be easily noticeable.
Core i5 2500K by Robert-Dale-Massingill--Jr (Nov, 2012)ok i kno my spelling is bad but pls bare with mei'm runing a Dell e520 my processor is only a 2 core and it dos not have pins in the processor only on the mutherbord SO i was wondering if the (Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Processor 3.3 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80623I52500K) had no pins on the processor cus the bord got the pins.....dos this make any since?
gpu clock speed
Core i5 2500K by Alex-Szeto--JDM (Jan, 2012)GPU : Asus HD5550 ( Since a new lineup of GPUS are being released soon this year, The old GPUS price will go down so I will be purchasing two AMD GPUS to run crossfire).
Core i5 2500K by DISenchanted (May, 2011)Add an Nviadia CUDA card and this CPU / GPU combo can't be beat.Companys like passware utilize utilities that use both CPU and GPU.
overclocked clock speed (air)
Core i5 2500K by T.-Tozawa (Oct, 2012)Definitely not demanding and even at OEM speeds, I'm sure the CPU is quick - however, the first thing I did after my build was overclock since that was the reason I purchased this CPU.
Core i5 2500K by Jody-R.-Roberts--Jody-R-Roberts (Jun, 2011)I am completely happy with my choice and have had excellent results with the overclocking capability of this CPU.
overclocked clock speed (water)
Core i5 2500K by munaim1 (Dec, 2011)This chip has been an absolute dream for overclocking, fairly easy to do and the performance boost you get in comparison with older platforms is mind blowing.
Core i5 2500K by firelife101 (Mar, 2012)While the base setup of this processor is nice and runs everything smoothly, I decided to overclock it a tad bit.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
AES, AVX, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, Supplemental SSE3 -
Built-in -
An unlocked multiplier allows for easier overclocking -
3.3 GHz -
LGA 1155 -
850 MHz -
6 MB -
A separate graphics adapter is not required -
5.05 GHz -
6,316 -
13,525 -
125.6W -
72.6 °C -
273 -
265 -
4,877 -
5,433.6 -
16,354 -
296 -
1.5 MB/core -
5.14 GHz
cons
-
1 MB -
112.55W -
0.25 MB/core -
2 -
Jan, 2011 -
41.29 $/year -
110.03 $/year
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 | Rated by 165 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by goodgirl (Sep, 2011) Rated 100% by by K.-Barresi (Jul, 2011) Rated 100% by by Igor-V.-Zavoychinskiy (Aug, 2011) |
 | Rated by 26 users at www.overclock.net Rated 100% by by Derek1387 (Nov, 2011) Rated 100% by by Sean-Webster (Nov, 2011) Rated 100% by by mend0k (Dec, 2011) |
Socket Type
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by CrazyZach (Feb, 2012)Considering that Windows Experience Index is rated on a scale of 1 to 7.9, a 7.5 is very good.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by L2MICRO (Sep, 2011)i5 2500k is easily overclocked to 4.1ghz with BIOS tweaks or third party software.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by L2MICRO (Sep, 2011)This core processor works just as good with H67 or P67 motherboards perfectly.
Socket
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by Robert-A.-Schmidt (Jul, 2011)We're talking about 800 pictures at 10-20MB each.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by jx (Feb, 2011)Overlocking this thing to 4.5 rock stable 24/7, gaming and benchmarking, well, is another story altogether:) significant increase in Crysis performance (the only game I've tested so far) with GTX570, about 15-20 FPS increase actually.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by dennis-b--dennis-barbier.com (Jul, 2011)This thing reminds me of the old Celeron 300A's that everyone under the sun was running at 450Mhz - a 50% overclock , which at the time was almost unheard of.
Overclocking
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by PROBN4LYFE (Nov, 2011)Pros: Fast,Solid...and overclocks like nothing you've ever seen...on air.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by S.-Siegel (Apr, 2011)This chip (Intel's Sandy Bridge) is a significant step from the prior Intel i5/i7 model (Nehalem) in that it runs real cool, and is simple to overclock, and is fast.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by Sean (Sep, 2011)No but seriously, this thing is stupid fast, and overclocks so easily.
Applications
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by turbosocks (May, 2011)the on-board graphics is great so far, haven't really played any games to really test it out.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by shadowhero18 (May, 2012)i use this for absolutely everything in between the lines of hardcore gaming and 3D modeling and this processor has never let me down.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by drouze041 (Jun, 2011)Excellent gaming speed..... lots of speed no matter what you are using it for.
Gaming
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by TheTruthHurtsIf you're building a new gaming system, you'd be crazy to consider anything other than the 2500k, given its ridiculously high performance/price ratio.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by L2MICRO (Sep, 2011)Gaming, in general, does not support and may even decrease your gaming performances with a hyper threaded enabled Intel core processor, which means, you can compromise with confidence.
Intel Core i5 2500K | Rated 100% by by Carlos-D.-Hopkins (Feb, 2013)Great processor, the best value for money, if all you need is a home computer to which you want to run heavy programs and games without spending much money, this is an excellent choice.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Intel Core i7 3770K Is hyperthreaded Core i7 3770K vs Core i5 2500K |
 | 2 | Intel Core i5 3570K 2-way tie: OK turbo clock speed 3570K vs 2500K |
 | 3 | AMD FX 8350 High clock speed AMD FX 8350 vs Intel Core i5 2500K |
 | 4 | AMD FX 6300 OK performance per dollar AMD FX 6300 vs Intel Core i5 2500K |
 | 5 | AMD A10 5800K Quite high Maximum Operating Temperature AMD A10 5800K vs Intel Core i5 2500K |
 | 6 | AMD FX 8320 2-way tie: Lots of l2 cache AMD FX 8320 vs Intel Core i5 2500K |
 | 7 | Intel Core i5 3330 Low typical power consumption 3330 vs 2500K |
 | 8 | Intel Core i5 3470 Low idle power consumption 3470 vs 2500K |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
March 13, 2013
Best cpu around $200 - $260
I am updating my pc ,my budget is $200-$260,my cousin have a intel hd 3000 and he is running cod mw 3 at ultra high settings with 4 gb ram , is it good .thnx for help :)
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