CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-3337U vs Intel Core i5-3230M
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-3337U is an ultra-low voltage mobile processor designed for thin-and-light laptops and ultrabooks. Released in early 2013, it is part of the Ivy Bridge family and built on a 22-nanometer process. Featuring two cores and four threads, it operates at a base frequency of 1.8 GHz and can boost up to 2.8 GHz. The defining characteristic of this processor is its remarkably low 17-watt thermal design power, which allows it to function in fanless or minimally cooled chassis. It includes 3 MB of L3 cache and integrates Intel HD Graphics 4000, clocked at 350 MHz with a max dynamic frequency of 1100 MHz. The 3337U was engineered specifically to meet Intel's ultrabook specifications, prioritizing battery life and portability over raw computational power. While its performance is modest, it was a highly efficient chip for its time, enabling a new generation of sleek, highly portable computers that laid the groundwork for modern ultrabooks.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Struggles with heavy web apps but okay for basic text.
Adequate for basic office work but modern web apps and multitasking will feel slow.
Gaming
Completely unsuited for modern gaming.
Intel HD 4000 at 1100 MHz turbo can handle very old games but is completely unsuitable for anything modern.
Virtualization
Low clock speed and 2 cores make VMs painful.
VT-x and VT-d support is present, but only two cores severely limit practical VM usage.
Efficiency
17W TDP was excellent in 2013, but outdated now.
Standard 35 W power draw for a 2013 laptop chip; modern processors achieve far more at lower power.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI hardware
- Extremely slow CPU inference
- No AI hardware acceleration
- No AVX2 support
- Insufficient compute for any AI task
Content Creation
Gaming
- HD 4000 is too weak
- Low TDP limits sustained performance
- HD 4000 graphics with 1100 MHz turbo is the bottleneck
- Older games like League of Legends at low settings were playable in 2013
- No possibility of meaningful modern gaming even at lowest settings
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Excellent battery life for 2013
- Very low 17W TDP
- Soldered for thin designs
- Good 1080p video playback
Cons
- Very slow by modern standards
- 1.8 GHz base clock is too low
- Soldered, no upgrades
- No Windows 11 support
- Struggles with modern web
Pros
- Widely adopted in 2013 laptops, meaning plentiful spare parts and community knowledge
- Intel HD 4000 was a capable integrated graphics solution for its time
- VT-d support for advanced virtualization pass-through
- AES-NI for hardware-accelerated encryption
- Reliable 22nm process with mature power management
Cons
- Only two cores, insufficient for modern workloads
- Soldered BGA package prevents any upgrade path
- No AVX2 or later instruction set support
- 35 W TDP is high by modern thin-and-light standards
- Completely obsolete for any meaningful 2026 use
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-3337U
- AMD A10-4655MRival
Mobile ULV APU
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i7-3667URival
Mobile ULV
- AMD A8-4555MRival
Mobile ULV APU
- Intel Core i5-3317URival
Mobile ULV
- Intel Core i5-2467MAlt
Older ULV alternative
- Intel Core i3-2367MAlt
Cheaper ULV dual-core
- Intel Pentium 987Alt
Budget ULV alternative
- Intel Celeron 877Alt
Low-end ULV
- AMD E2-1800Alt
AMD low-power alternative
Intel Core i5-3230M
- AMD A10-4600MRival
Mobile Mainstream
- AMD A8-4500MRival
Mobile Value
- Intel Core i7-3612QMRival
Mobile Performance
- Intel Core i3-3110MRival
Mobile Entry
- AMD A6-4400MRival
Mobile Budget
Slightly higher clocks (2.7/3.4 GHz) for marginal performance improvement at similar cost.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core i5-4200MAlt
Haswell successor with better efficiency and improved integrated graphics.
Our Verdict on Each
An efficient chip in 2013, but its low clock speeds make it painfully slow for modern web browsing.
Best for: Extremely cheap legacy laptop for offline writing.
Read the full reviewThe i5-3230M was a very popular mid-range mobile processor in 2013, offering solid dual-core performance with Hyper-Threading for everyday laptop use. Its 35 W TDP and BGA packaging meant it was destined for specific laptop designs, and it has since been thoroughly surpassed by modern processors.
Best for: Continuing to use an existing laptop with this processor for basic tasks.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which uses less power?
The Intel Core i5-3337U has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: Intel Core i5-3337U (17 W), Intel Core i5-3230M (35 W).
Do Intel Core i5-3337U and Intel Core i5-3230M use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the Intel BGA 1023 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-3337U posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-3337U (2,600), Intel Core i5-3230M (1,900). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.