Intel Core i3 4130  vs 3220 

The average desktop user is someone who browses the web, plays the occasional game and listens to music on his computer. But what if he wants to do more, such as edit videos or work on Photoshop? He needs an entry level CPU which is capable enough and yet won’t cost a King’s ransom. For this matchup, we’re comparing two such CPUs: the Intel Core i3 4130 versus the Intel Core i3 3220.

The 4130 is newer than the 3220 by 10 months, and is based on the new Haswell platform. Essentially, they still share quite a few similarities: they’re Dual core processors with 4 threads, and 3 MB cache. They also pack Hyperthreading, which optimizes multi-threaded programs and maximizes the performance of each processor core.

Going into specifics, the 4130 has a 3.4 GHz clock speed, a newer HD 4400 integrated graphics, and consumes 65W TDP of power. In contrast is the 3220, which is clocked slower at 3.3 GHz, has an older HD 2500 graphics but sips 10W less power.

Looking at the benchmarks, the 4130 was able to outshine the 3220 in most tests: it fared 18% better in the PassMark test and 15% in the Single Core matchup. Keep in mind that the 4130 is only $15 more expensive than the 3220.

Wrapping things up, we recommend the Intel Core i3 3220 if you’re upgrading from an older Celeron within the LGA 1155 socket. It’s quite a noticeable improvement and would improve your day to day computing experience. On the other hand, if you’re looking towards a new system altogether, then get the new Intel Core i3 4130 and its LGA1150 motherboard. Though the initial cost would be higher, you’ll get rock solid performance in return, and will be future-proofed for the next Broadwell generation.