Intel Core i5-2500S vs Intel Core i7-880 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-880 and the Intel Core i5-2500S are both end-of-life desktop processors from Intel, yet they represent two distinct design philosophies from different architectural eras. The i7-880, built on the 45 nm Nehalem (Lynnfield) architecture, relies on Hyper-Threading to offer 8 threads from its 4 cores, while the i5-2500S, a 32 nm Sandy Bridge part, uses a lower TDP and a more modern process node but is limited to 4 threads. Benchmark data shows that the i7-880 wins every single head-to-head comparison, albeit by narrow margins, making it the faster part in the data, but the i5-2500S is not far behind and offers its own architectural advantages that may matter more to certain users.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous in terms of raw performance: the Intel Core i7-880 wins all 5 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the Intel Core i5-2500S, with zero wins for the i5-2500S. However, the margins are extremely tight, ranging from 1.9% to 2.4% depending on the test. The i7-880 leads by 2.1% in Cinebench R15 multicore, 1.9% in R20 multicore, 2.4% in R20 single-core, 2% in R23 multicore, and 2% in R23 single-core. For users who prioritize maximum performance in the listed Cinebench workloads, the i7-880 is the clear choice based on the data, regardless of the slim margins.

That said, the i5-2500S, with its 65 W TDP compared to the i7-880’s 95 W TDP, is the more power-efficient part, though the data does not include specific power consumption numbers for direct comparison. The i5-2500S also features integrated graphics (Intel HD 2000), which the i7-880 lacks entirely, and supports PCIe Gen 3 versus the i7-880’s Gen 2. Users building a system without a discrete GPU or requiring newer PCIe connectivity would find the i5-2500S more suitable. The verdict, strictly from the data, is that the i7-880 is the faster processor in all measured benchmarks, while the i5-2500S is a more modern, efficient, and feature-rich alternative that sacrifices a small amount of performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two CPUs is significant and explains their performance profiles. The i7-880 uses the Nehalem architecture on a 45 nm process node, with 774 million transistors on a 296 mm² die. In contrast, the i5-2500S uses the Sandy Bridge architecture on a 32 nm node, packing 1,160 million transistors into a smaller 216 mm² die. This process shrink allowed Intel to nearly double the transistor count while reducing the die size, which is a key reason for the i5-2500S’s lower 65 W TDP versus the i7-880’s 95 W TDP.

Both processors have 4 physical cores and share the same L1 cache (64 KB per core) and L2 cache (256 KB per core). The critical difference is in threading: the i7-880 supports 8 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the i5-2500S has only 4 threads. The L3 cache also differs, with the i7-880 offering 8 MB shared versus the i5-2500S’s 6 MB shared. The i5-2500S compensates with higher base and boost clocks of 2.70 GHz and 3.70 GHz, respectively, while the i7-880 runs at 3.07 GHz base and 3.73 GHz boost. Despite the i5-2500S’s lower base clock, its boost clock is nearly identical to the i7-880's, which helps it stay competitive in single-threaded tasks.

The memory support is identical (DDR3, dual-channel, no ECC), but the PCIe implementation differs: the i7-880 uses Gen 2 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-2500S uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The i5-2500S also includes integrated Intel HD 2000 graphics, a feature absent from the i7-880. These architectural differences—threading count, process node, cache size, and integrated GPU—define the performance and feature gaps between the two.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the i7-880 wins in every single test, so there is no benchmark category where the i5-2500S comes out ahead. However, examining the margins reveals where each processor is relatively stronger. The i7-880’s largest lead is in Cinebench R20 single-core (2.4% ahead), followed closely by R15 multicore (2.1%), R23 multicore and single-core (both 2%), and R20 multicore (1.9%). The multicore wins are likely attributable to the i7-880’s 8 threads versus 4, allowing it to handle parallel workloads more effectively despite the i5-2500S’s newer architecture.

The i5-2500S, while losing all benchmarks, is not a clear loser in any specific workload. Its smallest deficit is 1.9% in Cinebench R20 multicore, which is remarkable given that it has half the threads. This suggests that the Sandy Bridge architecture’s per-core efficiency is nearly on par with Nehalem’s extra threads. In single-threaded tests, the i5-2500S trails by 2% to 2.4%, indicating that its higher boost clock (3.70 GHz vs 3.73 GHz) does not fully compensate for the older architecture’s IPC advantage. For users, the i7-880 is the go-to for threaded workloads like rendering, while the i5-2500S may be preferable for its lower power draw and integrated graphics, even if those features do not translate into benchmark wins.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-880 has 8 threads from 4 cores, while the Intel Core i5-2500S has 4 threads from 4 cores. The i7-880 uses Hyper-Threading to double the thread count.

Q: Does the i5-2500S have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the i5-2500S includes Intel HD 2000 integrated graphics. The i7-880 has no integrated graphics at all, requiring a discrete GPU for display output.

Q: How much faster is the i7-880 in multicore performance?

A: The i7-880 leads in Cinebench R15 multicore by 294 to 288 (2.1%), in R20 multicore by 1227 to 1204 (1.9%), and in R23 multicore by 2923 to 2867 (2%). All margins are under 2.5%.

Q: Which processor has a lower power draw?

A: The i5-2500S has a TDP of 65 W, while the i7-880 has a TDP of 95 W. The data does not include real-world power consumption measurements.

Q: What are the differences in PCIe support?

A: The i7-880 supports PCIe Gen 2 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-2500S supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). This gives the i5-2500S newer connectivity for expansion cards.

Q: Are these processors still in production?

A: No, both are end-of-life. The i7-880 was released on 2010-05-29, and the i5-2500S was released on 2011-01-08.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a consistent, though narrow, victory for the i7-880 across all five Cinebench tests. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-880 scores 294 versus the i5-2500S’s 288, a 2.1% lead. This is the second-largest margin in the dataset, and it underscores the benefit of 8 threads in a rendering workload, even against a newer architecture. The i7-880’s advantage narrows slightly in Cinebench R20 multicore, where it scores 1227 against 1204, a 1.9% difference. This pattern suggests that as the workload scales, the i5-2500S’s per-core efficiency increasingly offsets the i7-880’s thread count advantage.

The single-core results are equally telling. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-880 posts 173 versus 169, a 2.4% lead—the largest gap in any test. The i7-880 also wins Cinebench R23 single-core with 412 versus 404, a 2% margin. These results are surprising given that the i5-2500S has a boost clock of 3.70 GHz, nearly identical to the i7-880’s 3.73 GHz. The fact that the i7-880 still wins single-threaded tests indicates that the Nehalem architecture’s IPC, despite being older, is slightly higher than Sandy Bridge’s at these clock speeds. The i7-880’s smallest multicore win is in Cinebench R20 (1.9%), while its largest single-core win is in R20 (2.4%). Overall, the i7-880 wins all 5 comparisons, confirming its status as the faster processor in this head-to-head.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification fields. The i7-880 has 8 threads versus the i5-2500S’s 4 threads, due to Hyper-Threading. The base clocks are 3.07 GHz for the i7-880 and 2.70 GHz for the i5-2500S, while boost clocks are 3.73 GHz and 3.70 GHz, respectively. The TDP is 95 W for the i7-880 and 65 W for the i5-2500S. The sockets are different: the i7-880 uses Intel Socket 1156, while the i5-2500S uses Intel Socket 1155, making them incompatible with the same motherboards.

The architectures and process nodes are distinct: the i7-880 uses Nehalem on a 45 nm node with 774 million transistors on a 296 mm² die, while the i5-2500S uses Sandy Bridge on a 32 nm node with 1,160 million transistors on a 216 mm² die. The L3 cache is 8 MB shared for the i7-880 and 6 MB shared for the i5-2500S. The i5-2500S has integrated Intel HD 2000 graphics, whereas the i7-880 has none. PCIe support differs as well: the i7-880 uses Gen 2 with 16 lanes (CPU only), and the i5-2500S uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Release dates are 2010-05-29 for the i7-880 and 2011-01-08 for the i5-2500S. Both support DDR3 dual-channel memory without ECC, and both are end-of-life desktop parts with locked multipliers.