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Intel Core i5-460M vs Intel Core i5-540M

Intel Core i5-460M

► remove from comparison Intel 460M

The Intel Core i5-460M is a high end dual core CPU for laptops and clocks (due to the Turbo Mode) from 2.53 to 2.8 GHz. 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 i5-540M, the 460M does not support AES, VT-d and Trusted Execution functions and features a slower Turbo Boost (2.8 versus 3.06 GHz).

A feature of the new Core i5-460M is the integrated graphics card called GMA HD 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.

The performance of the Core i5-460M is on average faster than a 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo T9800 and in some benchmarks even faster than the fastest Core 2 Duo T9900 (e.g. 3DMark 06 CPU Score). Therefore, the Core i5-460M is a high end dual core cpu which should handle all daily work and gaming tasks. Only the quad core i7 CPUs can be noticeably faster at tasks that require four or more threads (e.g. rendering).

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card is known to be clocked up to 500-766 MHz and should be clearly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. A GeForce 9400M (ION) should still be a faster (especially as Nvidia and ATI cards have a better driver support than Intel up to now). According to rumors, the GMA core will also use the Turbo Mode regulate the clock speed.

The power consumption of 35 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 35 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo T-series (CPU alone). Due to the Turbo Boost, the Core i5 is likely to use the whole TDP of 35 Watt under load and therefore can use more power than a similar specified Core 2 Duo. In Idle mode, the i5 uses clearly less power than the Core 2 Duo CPUs.

Intel Core i5-540M

► remove from comparison Intel 540M

The Intel Core i5-540M is a mid-range dual core CPU for laptops and clocks (due to the Turbo Mode) from 2.53 to 3.06 GHz. 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 faster Core i7-620M, the 540M only has 3 MB Level 3 Cache and a lower clock speed.

A feature of the new Core i5-540M is the integrated graphics card called GMA HD 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.

The performance of the Core i5-540M is on average faster than a 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo T9800 and in some benchmarks even faster than the fastest Core 2 Duo T9900 (e.g. 3DMark 06 CPU Score). Therefore, the Core i5-540M is a high end dual core cpu which should handle all daily work and gaming tasks. Only the quad core i7 CPUs can be noticeably faster at tasks that require four or more threads (e.g. rendering).

The 32nm cpu cores of the Westmere generation can also process some new instructions to accelerate AES encryptions.

The integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card is known to be clocked up to 500-766 MHz and should be clearly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. A GeForce 9400M (ION) should still be a faster (especially as Nvidia and ATI cards have a better driver support than Intel up to now). According to rumors, the GMA core will also use the Turbo Mode regulate the clock speed.

The power consumption of 35 Watt TDP (max.) counts for the whole package and therefore it is clearly better than the 35 Watt TDP of the Core 2 Duo T-series (CPU alone). Due to the Turbo Boost, the Core i5 is likely to use the whole TDP of 35 Watt under load and therefore can use more power than a similar specified Core 2 Duo. In Idle mode, the i5 uses clearly less power than the Core 2 Duo CPUs.

ModelIntel Core i5-460MIntel Core i5-540M
SeriesIntel Core i5Intel Core i5
CodenameArrandaleArrandale
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 i5-540M2.53 - 3.07 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-460M « 2.53 - 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 compare1.06 - 1.87 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-430UM compare1.2 - 1.73 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
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 « 2.53 - 3.07 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-460M2.53 - 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 compare1.06 - 1.87 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Intel Core i5-430UM compare1.2 - 1.73 GHz2 / 4 cores3 MB L3
Clock2530 - 2800 MHz2530 - 3066 MHz
FSB24002500
L1 Cache128 KB128 KB
L2 Cache512 KB512 KB
L3 Cache3 MB3 MB
Cores / Threads2 / 42 / 4
TDP35 Watt35 Watt
Transistors382+177 Million382+177 Million
Technology32 nm32 nm
Die Size81+114 mm281+114 mm2
max. Temp.105 °C105 °C
SocketBGA1288, PGA988BGA1288, PGA988
Featuresintegrated DDR3 memory controller, GMA HD Graphics, MMX, SSE (1,2,3,3S, 4.1, 3.2), EM64T, VT-xTurbo Boost, Hyper Threading, Enhanced Speedstep, integrierte GMA HD 733MHz,
Architecturex86x86
Announced
Manufacturerark.intel.comark.intel.com
$257 U.S.

Benchmarks

Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64 Bit
100%
460M +
min: 1.7     avg: 2.2     median: 2.3 (3%)     max: 2.48 Points
min: 2.16     avg: 2.2     median: 2.2 (3%)     max: 2.29 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (32bit)
100%
460M +
min: 2971     avg: 3106     median: 3080 (19%)     max: 3491 Points
102%
540M +
min: 3061     avg: 3141     median: 3132.5 (19%)     max: 3214 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit)
100%
460M +
min: 6634     avg: 7073     median: 7085 (5%)     max: 7898 Points
min: 6545     avg: 6950     median: 7030.5 (5%)     max: 7211 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (64bit)
100%
460M +
min: 8060     avg: 8437     median: 8468 (6%)     max: 9160 Points
min: 7844     avg: 8349     median: 8408 (6%)     max: 8600 Points
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (64bit)
100%
460M +
min: 3569     avg: 3807     median: 3818.5 (5%)     max: 4034 Points
103%
540M +
min: 3237     avg: 3785     median: 3938 (5%)     max: 3991 Points
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 1024m *
100%
460M +
min: 515     avg: 596     median: 575 (7%)     max: 837 s
100%
540M +
min: 569     avg: 740     median: 577 (7%)     max: 1352 s
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 32m *
100%
460M +
min: 16.7     avg: 19.4     median: 18.6 (4%)     max: 27 s
100%
540M +
min: 18.1     avg: 18.8     median: 18.5 (4%)     max: 19.9 s
3DMark 06 - CPU - 3DMark 06 - CPU
100%
460M +
min: 2770     avg: 2938     median: 2945 (6%)     max: 3142 Points
min: 2643     avg: 2814     median: 2826 (6%)     max: 2905 Points
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M *
100%
460M +
min: 14.09     avg: 16     median: 16 (3%)     max: 18 s
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M *
100%
460M +
min: 33.03     avg: 37.3     median: 37 (2%)     max: 42.6 s
100%
540M +
min: 35     avg: 36.2     median: 36 (2%)     max: 37 s
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 32M *
100%
460M +
min: 782     avg: 918     median: 880 (4%)     max: 1521 s
100%
540M +
min: 822     avg: 848     median: 850 (4%)     max: 867 s
SiSoft Sandra Dhrystone (MIPS) - SiSoft Sandra Dhrystone (MIPS)
100%
460M +
38480 MIPS (18%)
min: 32820     avg: 34953     median: 33495 (16%)     max: 40000 MIPS
SiSoft Sandra Whetstone (MFLOPS) - SiSoft Sandra Whetstone (MFLOPS)
100%
460M +
28160 MFLOPS (22%)
min: 26630     avg: 27546     median: 26815 (21%)     max: 29923 MFLOPS
PCMark 05 - PCMark 05 - Standard
100%
460M +
min: 5942     avg: 6910     median: 6880 (14%)     max: 7682 Points
min: 6030     avg: 6499     median: 6498.5 (13%)     max: 6967 Points
Windows 7 Experience Index - Win7 CPU
100%
460M +
min: 6.8     avg: 6.9     median: 6.9 (88%)     max: 6.9 Points
min: 5.2     avg: 6.4     median: 6.6 (85%)     max: 6.8 Points
3DMark Vantage - 3DM Vant. Perf. CPU no Physx
100%
460M +
min: 6382     avg: 7659     median: 7826 (7%)     max: 7985 Points
101%
540M +
min: 7801     avg: 7897     median: 7904 (7%)     max: 7994 Points
3DMark 11 - 3DM11 Performance Physics
100%
1 460M +
min: 2402     avg: 2583     median: 2587 (7%)     max: 2756 Points

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-460M → 100% n=16

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-540M → 98% n=16

- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation

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show all (including archived), 2024, 2023
v1.26
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#3 did not recreate cache, as it is less than 5 days old! Created at Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:35:32 +0100 +0.001s ... 0.001s

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#6 getting avg benchmarks for device 1214 +0.003s ... 0.023s

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#8 getting avg benchmarks for device 533 +0.003s ... 0.138s

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#11 min, max, avg, median took s +0.101s ... 0.269s

#12 return log +0.026s ... 0.295s

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Redaktion, 2017-09- 8 (Update: 2023-07- 1)