CPU 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.