Intel Core i5 3570  vs 3470 

Buying computer parts is tricky; you really have to do your research in order to get the best value possible. It’s even trickier when comparing two models within the same generation: should you get the base model, or the higher one? For this matchup, we’re comparing two desktop Core i5 processors: the Intel Core i5 3570 versus the Intel Core i5 3470. Which is the better value?

The 3570 is part of the i5 line, which is Intel’s mainstream Quad Core offering. It’s geared towards delivering amazing performance with a boost. It has a clock speed of 3.4 GHz, with 4 threads, 6MB cache, and consumes 77W TDP power. Even better, it comes with Turbo Boost technology which gives an automatic speed burst of up to 3.8 GHz for demanding applications.

Essentially similar is the 3470, but it’s the lower specced i5 chip as evident in the lower model number. It has the very same Quad Core specs, the only difference is in the clock speed: it’s clocked lower at 3.2 GHz, and Turbo Boosts up to 3.6 GHz only. Specifications aside, how do they fare in terms of real world performance?

Benchmarks show that the 3570 leads by a significant margin. Even though the single core test shows that core performance is just 4.3% better, the impact is more apparent in overall system benchmarks: by 6% in 3DMark11 physics, by 7% in GeekBench 32-bit, and up to a staggering 30% in the GeekBench 64-bit benchmark. Consider that even a 10% margin is standard when comparing two processors which are a generation apart.

In conclusion, the Core i5 is a good chip for gaming, rendering videos, and other tasks which require mainstream Quad Core performance. To get the best value possible, we recommend investing in the improved performance of the Intel Core i5 3570, which is worth every penny.