Intel Core i5-3330S vs Intel Core i7-2720QM Comparison

The Intel Core i7-2720QM and Intel Core i5-3330S present a fascinating contrast: a mobile flagship from the Sandy Bridge era against a desktop mid-ranger from the Ivy Bridge generation. Despite their different market segments and release timelines, the aggregate benchmark data places them in a statistical tie. Both processors achieve an identical average benchmark score of 1128 and sit at the 32nd percentile among all CPUs, with the nearest rival list showing a 0.0% delta between them. The head-to-head results, however, reveal a split personality: the i7-2720QM dominates Cinebench workloads, while the i5-3330S takes a clear lead in Geekbench tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-2720QM establishes its strongest advantage in the Cinebench suite, winning all five multicore and singlecore iterations. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-2720QM scores 344 against the i5-3330S's 335, a 2.7% margin. That advantage expands slightly in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i7-2720QM posts 1435 versus 1396, for a 2.8% lead. The pattern holds in Cinebench R23 multicore, with the i7-2720QM scoring 3417 compared to 3326, again a 2.7% difference. The singlecore Cinebench results follow the same trajectory: the i7-2720QM wins Cinebench R20 singlecore by 3.1% (202 vs. 196) and Cinebench R23 singlecore by 2.8% (482 vs. 469). This consistency across the Cinebench family suggests a genuine architectural advantage for the i7-2720QM in rendering and 3D workloads, likely stemming from its Hyper-Threading capability, which allows it to process eight threads simultaneously versus the i5-3330S's four.

The i5-3330S strikes back decisively in Geekbench, where its results are substantially stronger. In Geekbench multicore, the i5-3330S scores 1625 against the i7-2720QM's 1535, a 5.5% advantage. The gap widens considerably in Geekbench singlecore, where the i5-3330S scores 549 versus 484, a commanding 11.8% lead. This is the largest delta in any benchmark between the two processors. The Geekbench results indicate that the i5-3330S has a significant per-core performance advantage, which makes sense given its higher base clock of 2.70 GHz versus 2.20 GHz on the i7-2720QM, even though its boost clock of 3.20 GHz is marginally lower than the i7-2720QM's 3.30 GHz. In workloads that favor raw single-threaded execution or lightly threaded tasks, the i5-3330S is clearly the stronger part.

The overall win tally favors the i7-2720QM at 5 wins and 2 losses, but the magnitude of the i5-3330S's Geekbench victories — particularly the 11.8% singlecore margin — means the average scores end up identical. This is a textbook case of benchmark selection influencing the perceived winner. A database of Cinebench results would crown the i7-2720QM; a Geekbench-focused analysis would favor the i5-3330S.

The Verdict

The data supports a nuanced conclusion: neither processor is universally superior, and the right choice depends entirely on the intended workload. The i7-2720QM is the pick for users prioritizing threaded rendering performance, as it edges out the i5-3330S in every Cinebench test by roughly 3%. Its eight threads provide a measurable, if modest, advantage in multicore rendering scenarios. For a mobile part, this is notable — it delivers competitive rendering performance despite being designed for laptops and having a 45W TDP.

The i5-3330S, conversely, is the choice for general-purpose and single-threaded applications. Its 11.8% Geekbench singlecore lead is substantial and will translate to snappier responsiveness in everyday tasks, office applications, and older or poorly threaded games. The 5.5% Geekbench multicore advantage further reinforces its strength in mixed workloads. Desktop users with a Socket 1155 motherboard should favor the i5-3330S, particularly if their software relies on fewer, faster cores. Mobile users seeking a Sandy Bridge upgrade should target the i7-2720QM if rendering matters, but should be aware that its per-core speed lags the newer Ivy Bridge design. The identical average scores and percentile rankings mean that, across a broad spectrum of applications, users will struggle to notice a difference; the divergence only appears in specific, benchmark-defined scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures and manufacturing nodes. The i7-2720QM is built on Sandy Bridge, fabricated on a 32 nm process, while the i5-3330S is an Ivy Bridge part on a 22 nm node. This process shrink is reflected in the die size: the i7-2720QM has a 216 mm² die with 1,160 million transistors, whereas the i5-3330S packs a notably smaller 133 mm² die, with transistor count not listed in the data. The smaller process node gives the i5-3330S a density advantage, though the i7-2720QM's larger die accommodates its additional threads.

Both processors share the same cache hierarchy — 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 — so cache capacity is not a differentiator. The key architectural difference lies in thread support: the i7-2720QM supports Hyper-Threading with 8 threads across 4 cores, while the i5-3330S is a 4-core, 4-thread design without Hyper-Threading. This is the primary reason the i7-2720QM wins multicore Cinebench tests despite its lower clock speeds.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i7-2720QM ships with Intel HD 3000, while the i5-3330S includes Intel HD 2500. The i5-3330S additionally supports DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), features not listed for the i7-2720QM. The market positioning is distinct: the i7-2720QM is a mobile processor for Intel BGA 1224 sockets, while the i5-3330S is a desktop chip for Intel Socket 1155. The i7-2720QM is marked as end-of-life production status, while the i5-3330S has no production status listed.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets diverge on several key points. Clock speeds are a major differentiator: the i7-2720QM has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz, while the i5-3330S starts higher at 2.70 GHz base but boosts to a slightly lower 3.20 GHz. This explains the i5-3330S's singlecore advantage in Geekbench, as it sustains a higher base frequency. The TDP tells a different story: the i7-2720QM consumes 45W, while the i5-3330S draws 77W. Despite being a mobile chip, the i7-2720QM is more power-efficient at the package level, though the i5-3330S's higher TDP reflects its desktop orientation.

Socket compatibility is mutually exclusive: the i7-2720QM uses Intel BGA 1224, a soldered mobile socket, while the i5-3330S uses Intel Socket 1155, a desktop LGA socket. Neither processor is multiplier-unlocked. The i7-2720QM carries part number SR00W and was released on 2011-01-02, while the i5-3330S has part number SR0RR and launched on 2012-09-02. The i7-2720QM has no memory support field listed, whereas the i5-3330S explicitly supports DDR3. Both processors feature dual-channel memory buses and do not support ECC memory. The i7-2720QM belongs to the Core i7 (Sandy Bridge) generation, while the i5-3330S is from the Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) generation. Neither processor has a launch MSRP listed in the data.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i5-3330S is notably faster in single-core Geekbench, scoring 549 versus the i7-2720QM's 484, a 11.8% advantage. The i7-2720QM does narrowly win single-core Cinebench tests, however, by 3.1% in R20 (202 vs. 196) and 2.8% in R23 (482 vs. 469).

Q: Does the i7-2720QM's Hyper-Threading give it a big lead in multi-core tests?

A: The i7-2720QM's 8 threads provide a consistent but modest lead in Cinebench multicore tests, ranging from 2.7% in R15 (344 vs. 335) to 2.8% in R20 (1435 vs. 1396) and R23 (3417 vs. 3326). In Geekbench multicore, however, the i5-3330S wins by 5.5% (1625 vs. 1535), despite having only 4 threads.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two?

A: The i7-2720QM has a TDP of 45W, while the i5-3330S has a TDP of 77W. The i7-2720QM is a mobile processor, whereas the i5-3330S is a desktop part, which explains the difference in power envelope.

Q: Can I use either processor in the same motherboard?

A: No. The i7-2720QM uses Intel BGA 1224, a mobile socket, while the i5-3330S uses Intel Socket 1155, a desktop socket. They are not electrically or physically compatible.

Q: Do they have the same amount of cache?

A: Yes, both processors feature 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Cache capacity is not a differentiating factor.

Q: Which CPU has better integrated graphics?

A: The i7-2720QM includes Intel HD 3000, while the i5-3330S includes Intel HD 2500. The data does not provide benchmark scores for the integrated graphics, so a performance comparison cannot be made from the available information.