Intel Core i3-2350M

The Intel Core i3-2350M is a 2-core, 4-thread mobile processor built on the Sandy Bridge architecture and released on 2011-09-30. It runs at 2.30 GHz with no boost clock, carries a 35 W TDP, integrates Intel HD 3000 graphics, and ranks at the 5th percentile of all CPUs in the benchmark database.

Benchmark Performance

The recorded benchmark results are consistently low across both single-thread and multi-thread tests. Cinebench R15 multicore returns 108, Cinebench R20 multicore returns 450, and Cinebench R23 multicore returns 1073. In single-thread tests, Cinebench R20 scores 63 and Cinebench R23 scores 151. Geekbench adds 669 multicore and 334 singlecore. The average benchmark score is 407, which places the chip at the 5th percentile of all CPUs in the database. That percentile is a strong indicator of the processor’s overall position: it sits in the low end of the distribution, not in a competitive midrange or high-performance tier.

The nearest rival data reinforces this reading. The Intel Core i5-450M has the same average score of 407, with a deltaPct of 0. The Intel Core i3-390M averages 406, putting the i3-2350M 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core i3-3227U also averages 406, where the i3-2350M leads by 0.2%. The Intel Celeron G555 averages 405, and the i3-2350M leads that chip by 0.4%. These gaps are narrow enough that the benchmark database treats the whole group as essentially equivalent in aggregate performance. The i3-2350M is not a standout among its nearest rivals; it is simply at the top of a tight cluster of similarly scoring processors.

The Cinebench R20 singlecore score of 63 is the weakest single-thread figure recorded for this chip, while the Cinebench R20 multicore score of 450 shows the benefit of four threads on two cores. Cinebench R23 continues the same pattern: 151 singlecore and 1073 multicore. Geekbench reports 334 singlecore and 669 multicore, also showing that multi-threaded throughput roughly doubles the single-thread result in aggregate terms. The overall average of 407 therefore represents a processor that can complete parallel work better than sequential work, but the absolute level is still low enough to land in the 5th percentile overall.

Power and Thermals

The TDP is 35 W, which places the i3-2350M in a modest mobile power envelope. This is not a high-power desktop-class chip; the thermal design is clearly shaped by notebook constraints. The processor is manufactured on Intel’s 32 nm process, with 624 million transistors on a 149 mm² die. Because there is no boost clock in the data, the chip’s thermal behavior is tied to a fixed 2.30 GHz operating point. A conventional notebook cooling solution should be sufficient to manage this processor. The data does not imply a high-end liquid cooler, a large tower cooler, or any desktop-grade thermal solution.

The integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics shares the same package, meaning the GPU adds to the total thermal load during graphics-heavy work. No separate graphics power figure is recorded in the benchmark data, but the presence of the integrated GPU is a relevant thermal consideration for a 35 W mobile part. The 32 nm process node and the 149 mm² die size are the physical context for that 35 W envelope; the chip was designed for efficient operation in a thin laptop chassis. With no boost clock, the worst-case sustained thermal state is simpler to predict than on a processor with turbo frequencies, because the chip does not have a higher clock mode to transition into.

How It Compares

Versus Intel Core i5-450M: This is a statistical tie. Both processors have an average benchmark score of 407 and a deltaPct of 0. In the database’s aggregate ranking, the i3-2350M delivers exactly the same overall performance as the i5-450M. For practical purposes, a user moving between these two parts should expect no measurable difference in average benchmark output.

Versus Intel Core i3-390M: The i3-2350M is 0.1% ahead, with an average score of 407 against 406. That margin is negligible. The two processors land in the same performance band, and the benchmark data does not support treating the i3-2350M as a meaningful step up from the i3-390M.

Versus Intel Core i3-3227U: The i3-2350M leads by 0.2%, again on a 407-to-406 average score comparison. The gap is smaller than normal run-to-run variation in most benchmark suites. The database positions these two chips as near-equivalents, with the i3-2350M holding only a marginal edge.

Versus Intel Celeron G555: The i3-2350M leads by 0.4%, with averages of 407 and 405. Even the widest recorded gap in this rival group is the 0.4% deltaPct against the Celeron G555, so the entire comparison group occupies a very narrow aggregate range. The i3-2350M is the fastest of the four by the numbers, but the advantages are far too small to change workload recommendations.

Who Should Consider It

The workload profile follows directly from the scores. Cinebench R23 multicore at 1073 and Geekbench multicore at 669 are enough for everyday productivity work such as office documents, email, web browsing, and light multitasking. The 2-core/4-thread layout and 3 MB shared L3 cache are suitable for these kinds of tasks, where the workload does not continuously demand high multi-threaded throughput. Users whose primary applications are office-based or browser-based are the most realistic audience for this processor.

For content creation, the picture is different. Cinebench R20 multicore at 450 and Cinebench R23 multicore at 1073 indicate that rendering or encoding jobs will complete, but they will not complete quickly. Interactive work in thread-limited creation tools is further constrained by the singlecore scores: Cinebench R20 singlecore at 63 and Cinebench R23 singlecore at 151 are low figures that point to sluggish response in applications that depend on one or two strong threads. The integrated Intel HD 3000 is the only graphics option in the data, so GPU-accelerated workloads will also be limited.

Gaming is not a strong use case for this processor. The 5th percentile overall ranking and the low single-thread scores provide little reason to expect modern 3D performance. The chip is better suited to older or lightweight titles, where the CPU and Intel HD 3000 combination can keep up with modest demands. Users with batch workloads that can spread across four threads will get more out of this chip than users who rely on fast single-thread execution.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark data shows a clear split between single-thread and multi-thread results. Geekbench multicore is 669 against 334 singlecore. Cinebench R23 multicore is 1073 against 151 singlecore. Cinebench R20 multicore is 450 against 63 singlecore. In every recorded test, the multi-core score is larger than the single-core score, which is expected for a 2-core/4-thread processor. The threads allow the chip to handle parallel work more effectively than its single-thread speed would suggest.

The absence of a boost clock is important for interpreting this split. The processor’s frequency is fixed at 2.30 GHz, and there is no turbo figure in the database. This means single-thread performance cannot be raised on demand for lightly threaded tasks. A workload that depends on one thread will be limited by that fixed 2.30 GHz clock, and the low single-core benchmark scores reflect that constraint. Multi-threaded workloads can engage all four threads, which is why the multi-core scores are substantially higher in Cinebench R20, Cinebench R23, and Geekbench.

The practical result is that this processor behaves predictably: parallel tasks receive a measurable throughput boost, while sequential tasks remain anchored to a modest single-core capability. Applications such as spreadsheet recalculation, scripting, and user-interface responsiveness operate closer to the single-core scores. Rendering, encoding, and parallel builds move closer to the multi-core scores. The gap between the two is not an anomaly in one benchmark; it is consistent across all of the recorded tests.

Platform and Compatibility

The i3-2350M uses Intel Socket G2 (988B). Memory support is DDR3 in dual-channel mode, and ECC memory is not supported. The integrated graphics engine is Intel HD 3000. Cache is configured as 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with 3 MB of shared L3. The part number is SR0DN.

No PCIe configuration is listed in the benchmark data, so expansion capability cannot be quantified from this entry. The platform summary therefore rests on socket compatibility, memory support, and the integrated graphics block. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2011-09-30. As an end-of-life mobile socket part, the i3-2350M does not represent an active forward-looking upgrade path in the benchmark database. It is a Sandy Bridge mobile processor designed for the power and thermal constraints of a 35 W laptop, and the platform features recorded here match that positioning.