CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-560M vs Core i7-640LM
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-560M in BGA 1288 packaging is a soldered dual-core Arrandale mobile processor with 2.67 GHz base and 3.2 GHz Turbo Boost, selected by OEMs for slim laptop designs where socketed CPUs were unnecessary.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Same 5% improvement over the i5-540M, noticeable only in benchmarks.
Struggles immensely with modern JavaScript-heavy web pages.
Gaming
Identical gaming capability to the Socket G1 variant. First-gen Intel HD Graphics remains the primary limitation.
Integrated Ironlake graphics cannot run any modern games.
Virtualization
VT-x and VT-d present but 2 cores severely constrain any meaningful virtualization.
Technically supports VT-x but lacks the RAM and cores for practical use.
Efficiency
35W TDP is identical across all Arrandale i5 SKUs. No efficiency advantage over lower-clocked variants.
Poor by modern standards, but efficient for its time.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI acceleration capabilities whatsoever
- No AI capabilities whatsoever.
Content Creation
Gaming
- Identical to socketed i5-560M in gaming performance
- Integrated GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU
- Unplayable in any post-2012 game
- Ironlake graphics are strictly for display output and legacy 2D/low-end 3D applications.
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Slightly higher clocks than i5-540M at same TDP
- AES-NI hardware acceleration
- VT-x and VT-d virtualization
- Mature 32nm process meant good binning quality
Cons
- BGA package requires professional rework to replace
- No upgrade path whatsoever
- Only 3MB L3 cache
- No AVX support
- 8GB RAM maximum
- Launched just months before Sandy Bridge made it obsolete
Pros
- Good performance-per-watt for 2010
- Included AES-NI for hardware encryption
- Integrated graphics reduced platform footprint
- Hyper-Threading improved multitasking
Cons
- Extremely outdated architecture
- Integrated graphics are unusable for modern tasks
- Soldered to motherboard (BGA)
- Lacks modern instruction sets
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-560M
- AMD Turion II N540Rival
Budget Mobile
- AMD Athlon II P360Rival
Budget Mobile
- Intel Core i5-580M BGAAlt
Higher 3.333 GHz turbo if compatible with the specific laptop motherboard.
- Intel Core i5-540M BGAAlt
Functionally similar and potentially cheaper for repair purposes.
- Intel Core i7-640LMAlt
Lower 25W TDP variant if thermal constraints are a concern, though with lower clocks.
Core i7-640LM
- Intel Core 2 Duo SU9600Rival
Mobile Low Power
- AMD Turion II Neo K625Rival
Mobile Low Power
- Intel Core i5-430UMRival
Mobile Low Power
- Intel Core i7-620UMRival
Mobile Ultra Low Power
- AMD Phenom II P920Rival
Mobile
Modern low-power mobile alternative with vastly superior efficiency and 8 cores.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 3 5300UAlt
Budget modern mobile chip that outperforms it exponentially.
- Intel Core i7-2620MAlt
The Sandy Bridge successor if looking at historical mobile upgrades.
- Alt
Demonstrates the incredible leap in mobile ARM efficiency over the last decade.
Compare head-to-head - Intel N100Alt
A modern budget chip that crushes this old Core i7 in every metric.
Our Verdict on Each
The BGA variant of the i5-560M offers identical performance to its socketed counterpart but cannot be upgraded, making it relevant only for repair scenarios on existing hardware.
Best for: Board-level repair of a specific Arrandale laptop that originally shipped with this exact BGA part
Read the full reviewAn innovative low-power CPU for 2010 laptops, but completely obsolete for modern computing tasks.
Best for: Nostalgic retro computing
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-560M or Core i7-640LM?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-560M leads with a gaming performance score of 17/100 among Intel Core i5-560M and Core i7-640LM.
Which uses less power?
The Core i7-640LM has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: Intel Core i5-560M (35 W), Core i7-640LM (25 W).
Do Intel Core i5-560M and Core i7-640LM use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i5-560M: Intel BGA 1288, Core i7-640LM: BGA 1288), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-560M posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-560M (1,960), Core i7-640LM (1,800). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.