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Intel Core i5-520UM

Intel 520UM

The Intel Core i5-520UM is a Ultra Low Voltage dual-core processor for small and light laptops. It is clocked with 1.06 - 1.86 GHz (if Turbo Boost is enabled). Each core is based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture. Hyperthreading enables the Dual Core CPU to handle 4 threads at once (for a better usage of the pipeline). Compared to the Core i7-620UM, the i5 offers only 3MB Level 3 cache (i7 4MB) and a lower maximum Turbo Boost frequency. Other Core i5 CPUs (withouth the U in the name) are faster due to the higher clock speed, but need more power.

A feature of the new Core i5-520UM is the integrated graphics card (called Intel HD Graphics) and memory controller. Both are on a separate die that is still manufactured in 45nm whereas the CPU die is already manufactured in the new 32nm process.

Due to the integrated memory controller, the HyperThreading and Turbo Boost, the  Core i5-520UM is faster than a similar clocked Core 2 Duo (1.2 GHz) in all (us known) applications and benchmarks. Still the Turbo Boost may not trigger very often (sometimes it is even not activated in the BIOS) and therefore the maximum of 1.86 GHz is not very important. 

The 32nm cpu cores of the Westmere generation can also process some new instructions to accelerate AES encryptions. Modern applications that support AES encoding can profit significantly using the new instructions (e.g. the Communications Suite test in the PCMark Vantage boosts up to 70% using AES in the faster Core i5-520M).

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card is between 166-500 MHz (Turbo Boost) and therefore the base speed is clearly below the non low voltage versions. The performance should still be faster than the old GMA 4500MHD.

The power consumption of 18 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 17 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo SL-series (CPU alone).

SeriesIntel Core i5
CodenameArrandale

Series: Core i5 Arrandale

Intel Core i5-580M compare2.67 - 3.33 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-560M compare2.67 - 3.2 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-480M compare2.67 - 2.93 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-540M compare2.53 - 3.07 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-460M compare2.53 - 2.8 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-520M compare2.4 - 2.93 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-450M compare2.4 - 2.66 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-430M compare2.26 - 2.53 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-560UM compare1.33 - 2.13 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-470UM compare1.33 - 1.87 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-540UM compare1.2 - 2 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-520UM « 1.06 - 1.87 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-430UM compare1.2 - 1.73 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Clock Rate1060 - 1866 MHz
Front Side Bus2500
Level 2 Cache512 KB
Level 3 Cache3 MB
Number of Cores / Threads2 / 4
Power Consumption (TDP = Thermal Design Power)18 Watt
Transistor Count382+177 Million
Manufacturing Technology32 nm
Die Size81+114 mm2
Max. Temperature105 °C
SocketBGA1288
FeaturesTurbo Boost (1.86 GHz max), Hyper Threading, Enhanced Speedstep, integrated GMA HD 166-500MHz
64 Bit64 Bit support
Architecturex86
Starting Price$241 U.S.
Announcement Date01/04/2010
Product Link (external)ark.intel.com

Benchmarks

Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64 Bit
min: 1.02     avg: 1.2     median: 1.2 (2%)     max: 1.33 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (32bit)
min: 1471     avg: 1981     median: 1942.5 (12%)     max: 2569 points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit)
min: 2785     avg: 3670     median: 3778 (3%)     max: 4340 points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (64bit)
min: 3946     avg: 4600     median: 4632.5 (3%)     max: 5187 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (64bit)
min: 2263     avg: 2561     median: 2423.5 (3%)     max: 3135 Points
3DMark 06 - CPU - 3DMark 06 - CPU
min: 982     avg: 1429     median: 1492 (3%)     max: 1718 Points
PCMark 05 - PCMark 05 - Standard
min: 2848     avg: 3571     median: 3925 (8%)     max: 3940 Points
3DMark Vantage - 3DM Vant. Perf. CPU no Physx
min: 3751     avg: 4065     median: 4064.5 (4%)     max: 4378 Points
- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance

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Reviews for the Intel Core i5-520UM processor

 

Review Packard Bell EasyNote Butterfly S 520UM Subnotebook

Graceful. But not fragile. That’s our verdict on the slim but very sturdy aluminium chassis of this 13.3-inch subnotebook. We also have no complaints about the ...
Intel Core i5-520UM | NVIDIA GeForce 310M | 13.30" | 1.8 kg
 

Review Lenovo IdeaPad U160 Subnotebook

Powerless. Lenovos 11.6-incher is the cheapest alternative to the Acer Timeline X 1830T. The Core i5-520UM is a disappointing choice when it comes to performanc...
Intel Core i5-520UM | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics | 11.60" | 1.4 kg
 

Review Alienware M11x R2 Subnotebook

Mini Gamer 2.0. Alienware, up until now better known for its big luxury-gamers, has surprised the notebook branch with a high-performance subnotebook, the M11x,...
Intel Core i5-520UM | NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M | 11.60" | 2 kg
 

Review Acer Aspire 1830T Subnotebook

Energy Drink. Peeved because your netbook is too slow? Acer has the solution: Simply take Core i5! Small 12 inch size, less than 1.4 kilograms and five hour mob...
Intel Core i5-520UM | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics | 11.60" | 1.4 kg
 

Review Asus PL30JT-RO030X Subnotebook

Low Voltage Turbo. Overclocking, Turbo Boost, virtual cores and GeForce graphics. That doesn't fit to a runtime strong 13.3 incher? Asus proves us wrong. Core i...
Intel Core i5-520UM | NVIDIA GeForce 310M | 13.30" | 1.8 kg

Acer Aspire 1830T-52U4G32nk: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics, 11.60", 1.4 kg
  External Review » Acer Aspire 1830T-52U4G32nk

Asus PL80J: NVIDIA GeForce 310M, 14.00", 2.1 kg
  External Review » Asus PL80J

MSI X360: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD, 13.00", 1.5 kg
  External Review » MSI X360

Sony VAIO VPCEC2A4E/BI: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, 17.30", 3.3 kg
  External Review » Sony VAIO VPCEC2A4E/BI

Lenovo IdeaPad U160: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics, 11.60", 1.4 kg
  External Review » Lenovo IdeaPad U160

Acer Aspire 1830T-52U4G32n: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics, 11.60", 1.4 kg
  External Review » Acer Aspire 1830T-52U4G32n

Asus PL30JT-RO030V: NVIDIA GeForce 310M, 13.30", 1.9 kg
  External Review » Asus PL30JT-RO030V

Asus PL30JT-RO030X: NVIDIA GeForce 310M, 13.30", 1.8 kg
  External Review » Asus PL30JT-RO030X

Alienware M11x R2: NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M, 11.60", 2 kg
  External Review » Alienware M11x R2

Asus UL30JT: NVIDIA GeForce 310M, 13.30", 1.7 kg
  External Review » Asus UL30JT

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Benchmarklist of all known CPUs that are used in laptops (desktop and laptop CPUs)

Other CPUs of the series Core i5

» Intel Core i5-8305G
   4x 2.8 GHz - 3.8 GHz
» Intel Core i5-8365U
   4x 1.6 GHz - 4.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-8265U
   4x 1.6 GHz - 3.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6440HQ
   4x 2.6 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6350HQ
   4x 2.3 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6300HQ
   4x 2.3 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5350H
   2x 3 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6287U
   2x 3.1 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6267U
   2x 2.9 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5287U
   2x 2.9 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4340M
   2x 2.9 GHz - 3.6 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4210H
   2x 2.9 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4330M
   2x 2.8 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4200H
   2x 2.8 GHz - 3.4 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5257U
   2x 2.7 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4308U
   2x 2.8 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4310M
   2x 2.7 GHz - 3.4 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4400E
   2x 2.7 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4300M
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6360U
   2x 2 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4210M
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6300U
   2x 2.4 GHz - 3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4288U
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4278U
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3380M
   2x 2.9 GHz - 3.6 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3360M
   2x 2.8 GHz - 3.5 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4200M
   2x 2.5 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3340M
   2x 2.7 GHz - 3.4 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6260U
   2x 1.8 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3320M
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4258U
   2x 2.4 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3230M
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6198DU
   2x 2.3 GHz - 2.8 GHz
» Intel Core i5-6200U
   2x 2.3 GHz - 2.8 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5300U
   2x 2.3 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5350U
   2x 1.8 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3210M
   2x 2.5 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2540M
   2x 2.6 GHz - 3.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4310U
   2x 2 GHz - 3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4360U
   2x 1.5 GHz - 3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5200U
   2x 2.2 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-5250U
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4300U
   2x 1.9 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4350U
   2x 1.4 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2520M
   2x 2.5 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2450M
   2x 2.5 GHz - 3.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-580M
   2x 2.67 GHz - 3.33 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2435M
   2x 2.4 GHz - 3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2430M
   2x 2.4 GHz - 3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2415M
   2x 2.3 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2410M
   2x 2.3 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3437U
   2x 1.9 GHz - 2.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-560M
   2x 2.67 GHz - 3.2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4210U
   2x 1.7 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4260U
   2x 1.4 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3427U
   2x 1.8 GHz - 2.8 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4402E
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4200U
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.6 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4250U
   2x 1.3 GHz - 2.6 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3337U
   2x 1.8 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-480M
   2x 2.67 GHz - 2.93 GHz
» Intel Core i5-540M
   2x 2.53 GHz - 3.07 GHz
» Intel Core i5-460M
   2x 2.53 GHz - 2.8 GHz
» Intel Core i5-520M
   2x 2.4 GHz - 2.93 GHz
» Intel Core i5-450M
   2x 2.4 GHz - 2.66 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3317U
   2x 1.7 GHz - 2.6 GHz
» Intel Core i5-430M
   2x 2.26 GHz - 2.53 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4300Y
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4302Y
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2557M
   2x 1.7 GHz - 2.7 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3439Y
   2x 1.5 GHz - 2.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4202Y
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4220Y
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4210Y
   2x 1.5 GHz - 1.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2467M
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-3339Y
   2x 1.5 GHz - 2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-4200Y
   2x 1.4 GHz - 1.9 GHz
» Intel Core i5-2537M
   2x 1.4 GHz - 2.3 GHz
» Intel Core i5-560UM
   2x 1.33 GHz - 2.13 GHz
» Intel Core i5-470UM
   2x 1.33 GHz - 1.87 GHz
» Intel Core i5-540UM
   2x 1.2 GHz - 2 GHz
» Intel Core i5-520UM
   2x 1.06 GHz - 1.87 GHz
» Intel Core i5-430UM
   2x 1.2 GHz - 1.73 GHz

Surrounding CPUs

+ AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64
   2x 2.2 GHz
+ Intel Core 2 Duo SL9300
   2x 1.6 GHz
+ Intel Core 2 Duo T5600
   2x 1.83 GHz
+ AMD Athlon II M300
   2x 2 GHz
+ AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
   2x 2.1 GHz
» Intel Core i5-520UM
   2x 1.06 GHz - 1.87 GHz
- Intel Celeron N2840
   2x 2.16 GHz - 2.58 GHz
- AMD A6-9220e
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.4 GHz
- Intel Celeron J1750
   2x 2.41 GHz
- Intel Celeron N3060
   2x 1.6 GHz - 2.48 GHz
- AMD Athlon X2 QL-65
   2x 2.1 GHz
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Benchmarks / Tech > Notebook Processors > Intel Core i5 520UM Notebook Processor
Klaus Hinum (Update: 2012-05-26)