Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge Quad-Core CPU Review

Performance Summary: Although it is not targeted at the ultra high end market, the Core i5-3470 offers excellent performance nonetheless. The Core i5-3470’s somewhat lower clocks, smaller L3 cache, and lack of Hyper-Threading obviously lower its CPU performance versus Intel’s current flagship Ivy Bridge-based Core i7-3770K processor, but the deltas separating the two chips are relatively small in single- or lightly-threaded workloads; it’s only with heavily multi-threaded situations that the Core i5-3470 significantly trails Intel’s higher-end processors.

The Core i5-3470’s integrated HD 2500 series graphics engine is a different story altogether, however. While the Intel HD 2500 graphic engine probably performs well enough for the majority of mainstream computer users out there, it offers roughly half the performance of the HD 4000 engine available in some higher-end processors and doesn’t compete very well with even entry-level discrete graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA.

The Intel Core i5-3470 should be available very soon at a price right around $184 (in 1K quantities). At that price, the Core i5-3470 should be a compelling option, although we expect street prices to be somewhat higher. The lower-end Core i5-3450, for example, is currently selling for $199. Prices are either going to drop a bit on lower-end Ivy Bridge-based processors or retailers are going to charge a small premium for the Core i5-3470. We’d bet on retailers charging a small premium for now.

Regardless, the Core i5-3470 is a nice upper mid-range processor for anyone looking to build a cutting edge system without breaking the bank. It’s not fully unlocked, so hardcore overclockers should probably look elsewhere, but for those looking to put together an affordable system around Ivy Bridge, the Core i5-3470 is a compelling option.

Good Performance Relatively Low Power Consumption Quick Sync 2.0 Competitive Pricing	Only Partially Unlocked Wimpy Integrated Graphics No Hyper-Threading