Intel Core i3-3110M Ivy Bridge versus i3-2370M Sandy Bridge (page 8: Conclusion)

Let’s be clear, removing Turbo mode on the x86 cores of the Core i3s means a lower running clock in practice. It's therefore no surprise to see an impact on performance; in our tests there’s around a 15% difference between the Core i5 3210M and the Core i3 3110M. This is a significant gap but it should be noted that the base performance is still relatively solid. In practice this Core i3 3110M remains in front of the AMD quad cores in all our processor tests, in spite of its low clock and the fact that it has two less cores.

Compared to the equivalent Sandy Bridge model, the 2370M, there's not a very big gap in performance. Around 5% separates the two chips, corresponding to an architectural gain and the gain in bandwidth given by the DDR3-1600.

When playing games however, the gap between Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge is extended. This is no surprise as apart from the points highlighted above and which remain relevant here, HD 4000 often gives Ivy Bridge the advantage. Often, but not all the time. The lower clock has an impact on graphics performance to the point where HD 4000 graphics isn’t exploited to its full potential. In practice however, HD 4000 performance, whether on a Core i3 or a Core i5, only really gives access to games that aren’t graphically demanding. This terrain is one where AMD stands out with its Trinity processors, which offer significantly higher performance.

Of course, when we start talking pricing, the mobility question becomes much more complicated! Intel does of course provide prices on its site, but in practice it should perhaps not bother. The Core i3 2370M, 3110M and Core i5 2410M and 3210M are according to Intel's site, priced at the same level!

In practice, the only reliable measure is the price of laptop PCs, though even then it’s impossible to find identical machines which use the Core i3 2370M, 3110M and Core i5 3210M. If we consider that the Core i3 3110M is priced at the same level as the 2370M and therefore should be at the same price in new configurations on the market, the price difference between Core i3 and Core i5 machines is very variable. Manufacturers often take advantage of including, say, a slightly bigger hard drive to increase prices by as much as €100!

Obviously you have to weigh up this sort of increase against needs, while keeping in mind the fact that the Core i3 already offers a comfortable level of performance for most uses and that while an i5 does bring a real gain in performance (in the order of 15% between the Core i5 3210M and the Core i3 3110M), this gain isn't anything like that generally found between i3 and i5 on desktop.