Intel Core i5-3470T vs Intel Core i7-3520M Comparison

The Intel Core i5-3470T and the Intel Core i7-3520M are two chips cut from the same cloth: both are Ivy Bridge processors built on Intel's 22 nm process, both carry two cores with four threads, both run a 2.90 GHz base clock with a 3.60 GHz boost ceiling, and both fit inside a 35 W thermal envelope. On paper they are nearly identical twins. The benchmark data tells a more nuanced story, with the desktop i5-3470T winning five of seven recorded tests while the mobile i7-3520M takes the two Geekbench runs. The result is a rare head-to-head where the practical differences come down to platform, cache, and graphics rather than raw core configuration.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits cleanly along workload type. The i5-3470T owns every Cinebench test in the database. It leads the Cinebench R15 multi-core run at 256 points to 244, a 4.9 percent margin, and repeats the pattern across the R20 and R23 suites: 1069 versus 1018 in R20 multi-core, 150 versus 143 in R20 single-core, 2547 versus 2426 in R23 multi-core, and 359 versus 342 in R23 single-core. Each of those gaps sits at roughly five percent. For sustained rendering workloads, the desktop part is the stronger performer.

The i7-3520M flips the script in Geekbench. It wins the multi-core test at 1156 versus 1102, a 4.7 percent advantage, and edges the single-core test at 570 versus 560, a 1.8 percent margin. Geekbench rewards short bursts of mixed-system activity rather than long sustained loads, and the results indicate the mobile chip performs well in that burst-oriented profile.

Context matters here. Both chips sit at the 23rd percentile against all CPUs in the database, with average benchmark scores of 863 for the i5-3470T and 843 for the i7-3520M. The i5-3470T's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon W3520 (862 average score, 0.1 percent delta), the AMD A8-7650K (860, 0.3 percent), the Intel Xeon X3460 (866, -0.4 percent), and the Intel Core i7-4500U (859, 0.4 percent). The i7-3520M's neighbors are the AMD FX-8800P (843, 0.1 percent), the Intel Core i7-920 (840, 0.3 percent), the Intel Xeon X5470 (839, 0.4 percent), and the Intel Core i5-3380M (838, 0.6 percent). These are entry-level performance tiers by modern standards.

Architecture Differences

There is little to separate the two at the silicon level. Both use the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture, fabbed by Intel on a 22 nm node. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The first meaningful divergence appears in L3 cache: the i5-3470T carries 3 MB of shared L3, while the i7-3520M gets 4 MB of shared L3. That extra megabyte of last-level cache is a classic divider between the Core i5 and Core i7 tiers of this generation and likely contributes to the i7's showing in memory-sensitive mixed workloads such as Geekbench.

Die size differs as well. The i5-3470T measures 93.6 mm² against 118 mm² for the i7-3520M, a reflection of the additional cache and, notably, the integrated graphics. The graphics story is a real differentiator: the i5-3470T pairs with Intel HD 2500 graphics, the lesser Ivy Bridge iGPU option, while the i7-3520M ships with Intel HD 4000, the full-fat variant. For anyone running display workloads off the integrated GPU, the HD 4000 in the mobile part is the clear pick of the two.

The platform split is equally stark. The i5-3470T is a desktop chip on Intel Socket 1155, a replaceable package with PCIe Gen 3 support at 16 lanes from the CPU. The i7-3520M is a mobile processor soldered to Intel BGA 1023, meaning no socket upgrades. The i5-3470T lists DDR3 memory support over a dual-channel bus; the i7-3520M records a dual-channel memory bus as well. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers, so overclocking is off the table for both. Release dates are nearly simultaneous, with the i5-3470T recorded on 2012-05-31 and the i7-3520M on 2012-06-02.

FAQ

Q: Which chip is faster overall?

A: The i5-3470T wins five of seven recorded benchmarks, sweeping all five Cinebench tests by roughly five percent each. The i7-3520M counters with wins in both Geekbench tests, by 4.7 percent multi-core and 1.8 percent single-core. The database favors the i5-3470T on aggregate, with an average benchmark score of 863 versus 843.

Q: Do they have the same core counts and clock speeds?

A: Yes. Both are dual-core, four-thread processors with a 2.90 GHz base clock, a 3.60 GHz boost clock, and a 35 W TDP. The performance gap comes from other factors, not core configuration or frequency.

Q: Which one has more cache?

A: The i7-3520M. It carries 4 MB of shared L3 cache against 3 MB on the i5-3470T. L1 and L2 cache are identical between the two, at 64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively.

Q: Which has better integrated graphics?

A: The i7-3520M. It includes Intel HD 4000 graphics, while the i5-3470T includes the lesser Intel HD 2500.

Q: Can either chip be overclocked?

A: No. Both the i5-3470T and the i7-3520M have locked multipliers, and neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Can I upgrade either system later?

A: The i5-3470T uses Intel Socket 1155, a socketed desktop package, so the chip can in principle be swapped. The i7-3520M is soldered to Intel BGA 1023 and is not user-replaceable.

Specification Differences

The table below covers only the fields where the two processors differ. Everything else, including architecture, process node, core count, thread count, clocks, TDP, memory bus, ECC support, and multiplier status, is identical.

| Field | Intel Core i5-3470T | Intel Core i7-3520M |

|---|---|---|

| Market segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1155 | Intel BGA 1023 |

| Die size | 93.6 mm² | 118 mm² |

| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 4 MB (shared) |

| Integrated graphics | Intel HD 2500 | Intel HD 4000 |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) | Not listed |

| Memory support | DDR3 | Not listed |

| Part number | SR0RJ | SR0MU |

| Release date | 2012-05-31 | 2012-06-02 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench sweep belongs to the i5-3470T, and the margins are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core it posts 256 points against 244, a 4.9 percent win. Cinebench R20 multi-core goes 1069 to 1018 in its favor, exactly a 5 percent gap, and the R20 single-core result repeats the 4.9 percent pattern at 150 versus 143. Cinebench R23 extends the streak: 2547 to 2426 in multi-core, 5 percent, and 359 to 342 in single-core, again 5 percent. Five tests, five wins, all within a tight band just under five percent. That consistency indicates a genuine, if modest, sustained-throughput advantage rather than a single anomalous result.

Geekbench tells the opposite story. The i7-3520M takes the multi-core test at 1156 versus 1102, a 4.7 percent win that nearly mirrors the Cinebench margins in reverse. Its single-core victory is slimmer, 570 to 560, or 1.8 percent. The pattern suggests the i7's extra megabyte of L3 cache and its platform characteristics play better in the short, bursty, mixed workloads Geekbench emphasizes, while the desktop package sustains higher throughput across long rendering passes.

The final tally is five wins to two for the i5-3470T. That said, the spread between these chips is narrow in absolute terms: no test separates them by more than five percent. Both sit at the 23rd percentile of all CPUs in the database, with average scores of 863 and 843, and both trade blows with rivals like the Xeon W3520 and the Core i7-920. Buyers choosing between them should weigh platform over performance: the socketed desktop i5-3470T with its PCIe Gen 3 lanes and stronger Cinebench results on one side, the soldered mobile i7-3520M with its larger cache, its HD 4000 graphics, and its Geekbench wins on the other. The data shows two nearly matched chips, separated less by speed than by where each is meant to live.