Intel Core i7-2600 vs Intel Core i5-3470

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-2600 vs Intel Core i5-3470 and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, PCMark 10, Blender, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, RealBench, Handbrake, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, 3DMark, PassMark, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Fallout 76
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Valorant
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Cyberpunk 2077
Valheim
Borderlands 3
Red Dead Redemption 2
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Last Man Standing
Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Halo Infinite
Fortnite
Watch Dogs Legion
Death Stranding
DOOM: Eternal
Apex Legends

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-3470 or Intel Core i7-2600.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-2600

51%

Core i5-3470

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-2600

51%

Core i5-3470

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.3	90.8
Valorant	103.7	103.2
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	57.8
Apex Legends	97.5	97.0
Call of Duty Warzone	77.8	77.4
Overwatch	84.0	83.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	71.2
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.6
Warzone	80.9	80.5
Assassin's Creed	87.1	86.7
Valheim	86.1	85.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-2600

29%

Core i5-3470

32%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-3470 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 77W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-3470
Cinbench 15 Single-core	124	127
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	568	460
Cinbench 20 Single-core	257	313
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1824	1010
Cinbench 23 Single-core	759	682
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3647	2603

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-3470
Single-Core	1751	1953
Multi-Core	5341	4620

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-3470
Single-Core	844	756
Multi-Core	3227	2781

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-3470
Announcement date	October 01, 2010	April 01, 2012
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1155
Core name	Sandy Bridge	Ivy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation		3
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	4
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1480 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	77 W
Memory type	DDR3 1066/1333	DDR3 1333/1600
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-2600 is 5% better than Core i5-3470 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-3470 is better: 8
However, it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-2600 and Intel Core i5-3470 before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-3470 specs and review.