Intel Core i5-2500K vs Intel Core i7-3630QM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a split personality for these two Intel processors. In the Cinebench suite, the Intel Core i7-3630QM consistently outperforms the Intel Core i5-2500K by a margin around 19% across every recorded test. The Cinebench R15 multicore result shows the i7-3630QM scoring 439 against the i5-2500K's 354, a delta of -19.4% from the perspective of the desktop part. The pattern holds in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i7-3630QM posts 1832 versus 1479, and in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the mobile chip reaches 4364 compared to 3523. Even the single-core Cinebench tests favor the i7-3630QM: R20 single-core shows 258 against 208, and R23 single-core shows 616 against 497. Every Cinebench delta sits between -19.3% and -19.4%, indicating a remarkably consistent advantage for the i7-3630QM across this rendering workload.

The picture flips entirely in Geekbench. The i5-2500K wins the Geekbench multicore test with 2434 against 2111, a 15.3% advantage. The single-core Geekbench gap is even larger: the i5-2500K scores 805 versus 633, a 27.2% lead. These are substantial wins for the older desktop processor, and they demonstrate that the two chips have very different performance profiles depending on the workload characteristics.

Counting the head-to-head results, the i7-3630QM wins 5 of the 7 recorded benchmarks, while the i5-2500K takes 2. However, the wins are not evenly distributed by importance. The Cinebench suite, which is heavily threaded and rendering-focused, strongly favors the i7-3630QM. The Geekbench tests, which tend to reflect more general-purpose and lightly threaded scenarios, strongly favor the i5-2500K. The average benchmark score places the i5-2500K at 1329 and the i7-3630QM at 1289, a difference of 40 points that amounts to roughly 3%. Both processors sit at the 35th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning their overall standing is essentially equivalent.

The nearest rivals for each chip reinforce this equivalence. The i5-2500K's closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-4460S with an average score of 1330, a delta of -0.1%. The i7-3630QM's nearest rival is the AMD Opteron 6272 at 1288, a delta of 0.1%. Both chips are surrounded by desktop and mobile parts within a fraction of a percent of their average scores. The data suggests that despite the architectural differences and the i7-3630QM's Cinebench dominance, the overall computational capability of these two processors is remarkably similar.

The Verdict

The choice between these two processors depends entirely on the workload. The Intel Core i7-3630QM is the stronger option for Cinebench-style rendering tasks, holding a consistent 19% advantage across all five Cinebench tests. Users whose primary applications resemble the Cinebench workload, which stresses multithreaded rendering and compute, should favor the mobile i7 part. The i7-3630QM also draws from a more modern architecture with a smaller process node, which contributes to its efficiency profile.

The Intel Core i5-2500K is the better choice for Geekbench-style workloads. Its 15.3% multicore and 27.2% single-core advantages in Geekbench indicate stronger performance in scenarios that do not scale perfectly across many threads. The i5-2500K also offers an unlocked multiplier, which allows for overclocking, a feature entirely absent from the i7-3630QM. For users who prioritize single-threaded responsiveness or plan to adjust clock speeds manually, the desktop part is the clear selection.

Neither processor holds a meaningful overall advantage. The average benchmark scores differ by only 40 points, and both sit at the 35th percentile in the database. The i5-2500K edges the i7-3630QM in overall average score, but the margin is small enough to be considered negligible. The verdict is workload-dependent: choose the i7-3630QM for threaded rendering, choose the i5-2500K for general-purpose and single-threaded tasks, and recognize that neither chip dominates the other in absolute terms.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures and manufacturing nodes. The i5-2500K is built on Sandy Bridge using a 32 nm process, while the i7-3630QM uses Ivy Bridge on a 22 nm node. This node shrink allowed Intel to pack more transistors into a smaller die area. The i7-3630QM contains 1,480 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, whereas the i5-2500K has 1,160 million transistors on a larger 216 mm² die. The smaller process node and newer architecture contribute to the i7-3630QM's lower power envelope.

Both processors share the same core and cache topology. Each has 4 physical cores with 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The shared L3 cache is 6 MB on both chips. The key architectural difference lies in thread count: the i5-2500K has 4 threads total, while the i7-3630QM has 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading support. This doubling of logical threads explains much of the i7-3630QM's Cinebench advantage, as rendering workloads scale well with additional threads.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i5-2500K pairs with Intel HD 3000, while the i7-3630QM includes Intel HD 4000. PCI Express support differs as well, with the i5-2500K offering Gen 2 (16 lanes, CPU only and the i7-3630QM offering Gen 3 (16 lanes, CPU only). The newer Ivy Bridge architecture and the smaller node are the defining architectural advantages of the i7-3630QM. The i5-2500K's Sandy Bridge architecture, despite being older, uses a larger die size and more power, reflecting its desktop design philosophy of higher clock speeds at the expense of efficiency.

Both chips share the same memory support for DDR3 with dual-channel memory bus and identical memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Neither supports ECC memory. The market segment placement is desktop for the i5-2500K and mobile for the i7-3630QM. The production status for both is end-of-life.

Specification Differences

The specification table reveals several clear differences between the two processors. The i5-2500K has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz, while the i7-3630QM runs at 2.40 GHz base and 3.40 GHz boost. The i5-2500K therefore operates at higher clock speeds across the board, which explains its Geekbench single-core advantage despite the architectural differences.

Thermal design power differs substantially. The i5-2500K has a TDP of 95 watts, while the i7-3630QM draws only 45 watts. This reflects the mobile design target of the i7-3630QM and the smaller 22 nm process node. The socket types are incompatible: the i5-2500K uses Intel Socket 1155, while the i7-3630QM uses Intel Socket G2 (988B). Thread counts differ, with the i5-2500K offering 4 threads and the i7-3630QM offering 8 threads.

The process nodes differ at 32 nm for the i5-2500K and 22 nm for the i7-3630QM. Transistor counts and die sizes differ accordingly, with the i7-3630QM having more transistors (1,480 million versus 1,160 million) on a smaller die (160 mm² versus 216 mm²). The integrated graphics differ between Intel HD 3000 and Intel HD 4000. The PCIe generation differs, with Gen 2 on the i5-2500K and Gen 3 on the i7-3630QM.

The i5-2500K has an unlocked multiplier, while the i7-3630QM is locked. This is a significant specification difference for users who plan to overclock. The release dates differ, with the i5-2500K launching in January 2011 and the i7-3630QM in September 2012. The part numbers are SR008 for the i5-2500K and SR0UX for the i7-3630QM. The launch MSRP is $216 for the i5-2500K and $378 for the i7-3630QM.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-2500K has a boost clock of 3.70 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-3630QM boosts to 3.40 GHz.

Q: How many threads does each processor support?

A: The i5-2500K supports 4 threads across its 4 cores, while the i7-3630QM supports 8 threads across its 4 cores through Hyper-Threading.

Q: Which chip has a lower TDP?

A: The i7-3630QM has a TDP of 45 watts, which is significantly lower than the i5-2500K's 95 watts.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: Only the i5-2500K has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking. The i7-3630QM has a locked multiplier.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark scores?

A: The i5-2500K has an average benchmark score of 1329, while the i7-3630QM scores 1289. Both sit at the 35th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Which processor wins the Geekbench multi-core test?

A: The i5-2500K wins with a score of 2434 compared to the i7-3630QM's 2111, a 15.3% advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-3630QM is the winner in rendering and heavily threaded workloads. Every Cinebench test, from R15 to R23, shows the i7-3630QM ahead by approximately 19%. The 8-thread configuration gives it a clear advantage in applications that can leverage additional logical cores. The lower TDP of 45 watts also makes it suitable for systems where power consumption is a concern, although this is a mobile part designed for laptops rather than desktop builds.

The Intel Core i5-2500K is the winner in Geekbench-style workloads and single-threaded scenarios. Its 27.2% single-core Geekbench lead and 15.3% multicore Geekbench lead indicate stronger performance in general-purpose computing tasks. The higher base and boost clocks of 3.30 GHz and 3.70 GHz respectively contribute to this advantage. The unlocked multiplier provides an additional path for users to extract more performance through overclocking, which the i7-3630QM cannot offer.

The data shows a clear split: the i7-3630QM dominates in Cinebench, the i5-2500K dominates in Geekbench. The i7-3630QM wins 5 benchmarks, the i5-2500K wins 2. The overall average scores are nearly identical, with the i5-2500K holding a 40-point edge out of roughly 1300 points. Users should select based on their primary applications: rendering workloads favor the i7-3630QM, while general-purpose and single-threaded tasks favor the i5-2500K.