CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-3470T vs Intel Core i5-2390T
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-3470T is a low-power dual-core desktop processor from the Ivy Bridge family, featuring Hyper-Threading and a 35W TDP designed for compact and thermally constrained desktop systems.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Handles basic office applications and web browsing but struggles with heavy multitasking or large datasets.
Extremely slow for modern office suites and web applications.
Gaming
The HD 2500 integrated graphics and dual-core design make it completely unsuitable for modern gaming.
Cannot handle any modern 3D games.
Virtualization
Dual-core with limited cache severely restricts virtualization capabilities.
Can run a single light VM, but severely bottlenecked.
Efficiency
The 35W TDP was impressive for 2012, though modern low-power chips deliver far more performance per watt.
Excellent power efficiency for its era, drawing very little power.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated AI hardware
- Dual-core design insufficient for AI inference
- Not applicable for this era of processor
- No AI acceleration hardware
- Lacks AVX-512 or modern matrix extensions
Content Creation
Gaming
- HD 2500 graphics with only 6 Execution Units
- No capability for modern titles even at 720p low
- Dual-core bottleneck limits even paired discrete GPUs
- Outdated video decoding for modern codecs
- Lacks modern instruction sets required by current game engines
- HD 2000 graphics cannot run modern APIs like DirectX 12
- Only playable with very old 2D or pre-2010 3D games
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Very low 35W TDP for quiet or compact desktop builds
- Hyper-Threading provides 4 threads from 2 cores
- 3.6 GHz turbo boost offers good single-thread burst performance
- PCIe 3.0 support for full-bandwidth GPU connectivity
- LGA 1155 platform offers wide compatibility with budget motherboards
Cons
- Only 2 physical cores severely limit multi-threaded performance
- HD 2500 integrated graphics are very weak
- 3MB L3 cache is half of standard quad-core i5 models
- No Windows 11 support
- End-of-life platform with no upgrade path beyond Ivy Bridge
- DDR3 memory is obsolete
Pros
- Very low 35W power consumption
- Hyper-Threading support
- Includes basic integrated graphics
Cons
- Only 2 physical cores
- Reduced 3 MB L3 cache
- No AVX2 support
- Cannot run Windows 11
- Obsolete for modern tasks
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-3470T
- AMD A8-5500Rival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A10-5700Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- Intel Core i3-3220Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3470SRival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A6-5400KRival
Desktop Budget
Haswell successor with slightly better performance and improved integrated graphics.
Compare head-to-headModern 4-thread processor with dramatically better single-thread performance and platform features.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 3 3200GEAlt
Low-power quad-core with Vega graphics for modern compact builds.
6-core low-power Coffee Lake processor for modern SFF desktops.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600GEAlt
Efficient 6-core processor with strong integrated graphics for small form factor builds.
Intel Core i5-2390T
- AMD Phenom II X4 840Rival
Desktop
- AMD Athlon II X4 645Rival
Desktop
- AMD A8-3850Rival
Desktop APU
- Intel Core i3-2120Rival
Desktop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-650Rival
Desktop
Much better performance, though higher power draw.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core i3-2100TAlt
Lower cost, similar power envelope.
- AMD A6-3650Alt
Better integrated graphics performance.
- Intel Core i7-2600TAlt
More threads within the same 65W power envelope.
- Intel Pentium G860Alt
Budget alternative if hyperthreading is not needed.
Our Verdict on Each
The i5-3470T was an efficient choice for compact desktops in 2012, but its dual-core design and outdated platform make it unsuitable for modern workloads.
Best for: Maintaining an existing legacy system for basic tasks
Read the full reviewAn obsolete low-power processor suitable only for keeping legacy slim-profile desktops functional.
Best for: Repairing a broken 2011 all-in-one PC
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-3470T or Intel Core i5-2390T?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-3470T comes out ahead with a score of 4.5/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-3470T or Intel Core i5-2390T?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-3470T leads with a gaming performance score of 12/100 among Intel Core i5-3470T and Intel Core i5-2390T.
Do Intel Core i5-3470T and Intel Core i5-2390T use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the LGA 1155 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-3470T posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-3470T (3,500), Intel Core i5-2390T (1,200). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.