Intel Core i3-6320 vs Intel Core i5-2450P Comparison

The Intel Core i5-2450P and Intel Core i3-6320 are separated by nearly four years of silicon evolution, yet their average benchmark scores are almost identical—1086 versus 1085. This places them in the same 30th percentile of all CPUs, making them direct competitors in the used and entry-level desktop market. The data reveals a fascinating generational clash: a quad-core Sandy Bridge part from 2012 against a dual-core Skylake part from 2015, each with a completely different approach to delivering comparable compute throughput.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are remarkably one-sided, with the Core i3-6320 winning all six head-to-head tests. However, the margins are consistently narrow, ranging from 3.2% to 3.8%. This tells a clear story: the i3-6320 wins on raw speed, but the i5-2450P is never far behind. The i3-6320 takes every single-core and multi-core Cinebench test, from R15 through R23, but the i5-2450P's four physical cores keep it competitive in multi-threaded workloads. The i5-2450P's advantage would logically appear in heavily threaded scenarios, yet the data shows the i3-6320 still edges it out by 3.2% in multi-core tests. This suggests the i3-6320's higher base clock of 3.90 GHz and newer architecture more than compensate for its two-core deficit. The i5-2450P does not win a single benchmark in this comparison, but its lower power draw—95 W TDP versus 51 W for the i3-6320—means it is the more power-hungry option in sustained workloads. For users prioritizing single-thread responsiveness, the i3-6320 is the clear choice, while the i5-2450P offers a quad-core fallback for applications that scale with core count, even if that advantage does not materialize in these specific Cinebench results.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The i5-2450P uses Sandy Bridge, Intel's 32 nm process with 1,160 million transistors on a 216 mm² die. The i3-6320 is Skylake, built on a 14 nm process with 1,400 million transistors packed into a smaller 150 mm² die. This process shrink explains the i3-6320's significantly lower 51 W TDP despite a higher base clock. The i5-2450P has four cores and four threads, while the i3-6320 has two cores and four threads thanks to Hyper-Threading. Cache configurations differ too: the i5-2450P has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-6320 has 4 MB. Both have 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. Memory support is a major differentiator—the i5-2450P uses DDR3 in dual-channel mode, while the i3-6320 supports DDR4 with a rated memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The i3-6320 also includes integrated Intel HD 530 graphics, whereas the i5-2450P has no integrated graphics at all. Socket compatibility is entirely different: the i5-2450P uses Intel Socket 1155, and the i3-6320 uses Intel Socket 1151. The i3-6320 has a boost clock of none, meaning it runs at a fixed 3.90 GHz, while the i5-2450P boosts from 3.20 GHz to 3.50 GHz. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier. The i3-6320 is marked as active in production, while the i5-2450P has no production status listed.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-6320 outperforms the Intel Core i5-2450P in every single benchmark recorded. This is not a close call—six wins out of six, with margins between 3.2% and 3.8%. The i3-6320's newer Skylake architecture, higher base clock, and support for DDR4 memory give it a consistent edge across both single-core and multi-core workloads. The i5-2450P's four cores do not help it overcome the i3-6320's per-core efficiency. For any user choosing between these two, the i3-6320 is the superior processor based purely on benchmark performance. The only reasons to consider the i5-2450P would be platform compatibility—if you already have an LGA 1155 motherboard—or if you need four physical cores for a specific application that does not appear in these Cinebench tests. But strictly from the data, the i3-6320 wins every measurable comparison. The i5-2450P's 95 W TDP is also higher, meaning it generates more heat for less performance. The i3-6320's integrated graphics provide an additional feature that the i5-2450P lacks entirely. There is no benchmark scenario in this dataset where the i5-2450P is the recommended choice.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-6320 wins all three single-core Cinebench tests, with margins of 3.8% in R15 (53 vs 51), 3.2% in R20 (222 vs 215), and 3.2% in R23 (529 vs 512).

Q: Does the quad-core i5-2450P win any multi-core tests?

A: No. The i3-6320 wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests: R15 (378 vs 366), R20 (1576 vs 1525), and R23 (3753 vs 3632), each by a 3.2% margin.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-2450P has an average benchmark score of 1086, while the i3-6320 scores 1085, a negligible 0.1% difference. Both sit in the 30th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The i5-2450P has 4 cores and 4 threads. The i3-6320 has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has a lower TDP?

A: The i3-6320 has a TDP of 51 W, compared to the i5-2450P's 95 W TDP.

Q: Do these processors support the same memory type?

A: No. The i5-2450P supports DDR3, while the i3-6320 supports DDR4 with a rated bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant margin in this comparison appears in the Cinebench R15 single-core test, where the i3-6320 leads by 3.8% (53 vs 51). This is the largest delta across all six benchmarks. Every other test shows a 3.2% advantage for the i3-6320, creating a remarkably consistent pattern. In multi-core tests, the i3-6320 scores 378 vs 366 in R15, 1576 vs 1525 in R20, and 3753 vs 3632 in R23. The single-core results follow the same trend: 53 vs 51 in R15, 222 vs 215 in R20, and 529 vs 512 in R23. The consistency of these margins is telling—the i3-6320 is uniformly faster, but not overwhelmingly so. The largest absolute gap is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the i3-6320 leads by 121 points. The smallest absolute gap is in R15 single-core, where the difference is just 2 points. Interestingly, the i5-2450P does have a Geekbench multi-core score of 1796 and a single-core score of 590, but no corresponding Geekbench scores exist for the i3-6320 in this dataset, so a direct Geekbench comparison is not possible. The data that does exist paints a picture of the i3-6320 as a consistently faster chip, with its largest wins coming in the newer R20 and R23 workloads.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The i5-2450P has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i3-6320 has 2 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks differ significantly: the i5-2450P runs at 3.20 GHz with a 3.50 GHz boost, while the i3-6320 runs at a fixed 3.90 GHz with no boost. TDP is 95 W for the i5-2450P versus 51 W for the i3-6320. Sockets are incompatible: LGA 1155 for the i5-2450P and LGA 1151 for the i3-6320. Architecture and process node differ: Sandy Bridge on 32 nm versus Skylake on 14 nm. Transistor counts are 1,160 million versus 1,400 million, with die sizes of 216 mm² versus 150 mm². L3 cache is 6 MB shared on the i5-2450P versus 4 MB shared on the i3-6320. Memory support is DDR3 for the i5-2450P and DDR4 for the i3-6320, with the i3-6320 rated at 34.1 GB/s bandwidth. The i3-6320 includes integrated Intel HD 530 graphics, while the i5-2450P has none. Release dates are January 2012 for the i5-2450P and August 2015 for the i3-6320. The i3-6320 is listed as active in production, while the i5-2450P has no production status. Part numbers are SR0G1 for the i5-2450P and SR2H9 for the i3-6320. Both support PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, neither supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.