Intel Core i5-3439Y
Intel processor specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
IntelIntel Core i5-3439Y Specifications
Core i5-3439Y Core Configuration
Processing cores and threading
The Intel Core i5-3439Y features 2 physical cores and 2 threads, which directly impacts multi-threaded performance in CPU benchmarks. More cores allow the processor to handle parallel workloads efficiently, improving performance in video editing, 3D rendering, and multitasking scenarios. Thread count determines how many simultaneous tasks the CPU can process, with higher thread counts benefiting productivity applications and content creation workflows.
i5-3439Y Clock Speeds
Base and boost frequencies
Clock speed is a critical factor in Core i5-3439Y benchmark performance, measured in GHz. The base clock represents the guaranteed operating frequency, while the boost clock indicates maximum single-core performance under optimal conditions. Higher clock speeds translate to faster single-threaded performance, which is essential for gaming and applications that don't fully utilize multiple cores. The Core i5-3439Y by Intel can dynamically adjust its frequency based on workload and thermal headroom.
Intel's Core i5-3439Y Cache Hierarchy
L1, L2, L3 cache sizes
Cache memory is ultra-fast storage built directly into the i5-3439Y processor die. L1 cache provides the fastest access for frequently used data, while L2 and L3 caches offer progressively larger storage with slightly higher latency. Larger cache sizes significantly improve CPU benchmark scores by reducing memory access times. The Core i5-3439Y's cache configuration is optimized for both gaming performance and productivity workloads, minimizing data fetch delays during intensive computations.
Ivy Bridge Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The Intel Core i5-3439Y is built on Intel's 22 nm manufacturing process, which determines power efficiency and thermal characteristics. Smaller process nodes allow for more transistors in the same space, enabling higher performance per watt. The architecture defines how the processor handles instructions and manages data flow, directly impacting benchmark results across different workload types. Modern CPU architectures like the one in i5-3439Y incorporate advanced branch prediction and out-of-order execution for optimal performance.
Ivy Bridge Instruction Set Features
Supported CPU instructions and extensions
The Core i5-3439Y by Intel supports various instruction set extensions that enable optimized performance for specific workloads. SIMD instructions like SSE and AVX accelerate multimedia, scientific computing, and AI workloads by processing multiple data points simultaneously. Features like AES-NI provide hardware-accelerated encryption, while AVX-512 (if supported) enables advanced vector processing for data centers and high-performance computing. These instruction sets are critical for software compatibility and performance in modern applications.
i5-3439Y Power & Thermal
TDP and power specifications
The Intel Core i5-3439Y has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 13W, indicating the cooling solution required for sustained operation. TDP affects both system power consumption and the type of cooler needed. Lower TDP processors are ideal for compact builds and laptops, while higher TDP chips typically offer better sustained performance in demanding CPU benchmarks. Understanding power requirements helps ensure your system can deliver consistent performance without thermal throttling.
Intel BGA 1023 Platform & Socket
Compatibility information
The Core i5-3439Y uses the Intel BGA 1023 socket, which determines motherboard compatibility. Choosing the right platform is essential for building a system around this processor. The socket type also influences available features like PCIe lanes, memory support, and upgrade paths. When comparing CPU benchmarks, ensure you're looking at processors compatible with your existing or planned motherboard to make informed purchasing decisions.
Intel BGA 1023 Memory Support
RAM compatibility and speeds
Memory support specifications for the i5-3439Y define which RAM types and speeds are compatible. Faster memory can significantly improve CPU benchmark performance, especially in memory-intensive applications and gaming. The memory controller integrated into the Core i5-3439Y determines maximum supported speeds and channels. Dual-channel or quad-channel memory configurations can double or quadruple memory bandwidth, providing noticeable performance gains in content creation and scientific workloads.
Core i5-3439Y Product Information
Release and pricing details
The Intel Core i5-3439Y is manufactured by Intel and represents their commitment to delivering competitive CPU performance. Understanding the release date and pricing helps contextualize benchmark comparisons with other processors from the same generation. Launch pricing provides a baseline for evaluating value, though street prices often differ. Whether you're building a new system or upgrading, the Core i5-3439Y by Intel offers a specific balance of performance, features, and cost within Intel's product lineup.
Core i5-3439Y Benchmark Scores
cinebench_cinebench_r15_multicoreSource
Cinebench R15 multi-core renders a complex 3D scene using all CPU threads simultaneously. This test reveals how Intel Core i5-3439Y performs in parallel rendering workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby Performerscinebench_cinebench_r20_multicoreSource
Cinebench R20 multi-core uses a scene requiring 4x more computational power than R15. This test better reflects modern CPU capabilities for professional rendering on Intel Core i5-3439Y. The more demanding workload provides better differentiation between current-generation processors. Content creators and 3D artists use this benchmark to estimate real-world render performance.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r20_singlecoreSource
Cinebench R20 single-core tests one thread against a more demanding scene than R15. This reveals the true single-thread rendering capability of Intel Core i5-3439Y. The increased complexity provides more accurate performance differentiation between modern CPUs. Single-thread performance remains critical for gaming and applications with serial bottlenecks.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r23_multicoreSource
Cinebench R23 multi-core is the current standard for CPU rendering benchmarks with a 10-minute minimum runtime. This extended test reveals sustained performance of Intel Core i5-3439Y after thermal limits kick in. The longer duration exposes cooling limitations that shorter benchmarks miss. Professional users rely on R23 scores to predict real-world rendering performance under sustained workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r23_singlecoreSource
Cinebench R23 single-core measures sustained single-thread performance over 10 minutes. This reveals how Intel Core i5-3439Y maintains boost clocks under continuous load. The extended runtime shows whether thermal throttling affects single-core performance. This score is particularly important for understanding real-world responsiveness beyond initial boost behavior.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
About Intel Core i5-3439Y
The Intel Core i5-3439Y is a 2-core, 2-thread mobile processor built on Intel’s 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture. It lands at the 12th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 563. Its 13 W TDP and BGA 1023 package place it firmly in the low-power mobile space, and its nearest rivals all sit within a fraction of a percent in average score.
Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior
The benchmark split for this chip is defined by its dual-core, dual-thread design. Core count and thread count are both 2, so there are no extra logical threads to tap into for parallel work. That makes the multi-thread performance a direct reflection of two physical cores, no more. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 97 and the multi-core score is 687. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 231 and the multi-core score is 1638. The R15 multi-core result is 164.
What this means for real workloads is that lightly threaded tasks do not have a high per-core ceiling. The single-core Cinebench scores are low in absolute terms, so the processor will feel most at home when the task is simple or when responsiveness matters more than raw throughput. Multi-threaded workloads can use both cores, but with only two threads the total rendering capacity remains modest. The shared L3 cache is 3 MB, and each core gets 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2. That cache layout is small by later standards, which reinforces the part’s orientation toward basic mobile workloads rather than heavy number crunching.
The listed base clock is 1500.00 and the boost clock is 2.30. That frequency range is low for a Core i5-class part, and the single-thread scores align with that positioning. In practice, the data suggests a processor that can handle bursts of activity but will not maintain high throughput under sustained all-core loads. The multi-thread score is higher in absolute terms than the single-thread score, but both are far down the overall CPU scale. The 12th-percentile ranking is the clearest signal: this is a low-positioned chip by all-CPU standards.
Power and Thermals
The TDP is 13 W, which places the Core i5-3439Y in an ultra-low-power class. This is not a desktop-class thermal envelope; it is a mobile-oriented power budget. The 22 nm process and Intel’s 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die are consistent with that low-power design. A 13 W processor does not imply a high-end cooling solution. Instead, the cooling tier that fits this chip is a modest, compact solution suitable for thin mobile chassis.
The low TDP also means the boost clock of 2.30 is likely sustainable within a small thermal envelope. There is no data in the FACT PACK on sustained power draw or thermal throttling, but the 13 W figure alone indicates that system builders do not need to plan for large heat sinks. The architecture and codename are both Ivy Bridge, and the manufacturing process is 22 nm. That combination points to a mature, power-conscious design rather than a performance-first part.
How It Compares
Intel Core i3-4158U: The i3-4158U has an average benchmark score of 561. The Core i5-3439Y averages 563, giving it a deltaPct of 0.3. That is essentially a tie, with the i5 holding a negligible edge in average score.
AMD Opteron 3320 EE: The Opteron 3320 EE also averages 561. The Core i5-3439Y is 0.4 percent ahead. Again, the difference is tiny and unlikely to separate the two in real workloads.
AMD Athlon II X3 455: The Athlon II X3 455 averages 565, which is slightly higher than the i5-3439Y’s 563. The deltaPct is -0.4, meaning the i5 trails by a very small margin.
AMD PRO A6-8570: The PRO A6-8570 averages 560. The i5-3439Y is 0.6 percent ahead. This is the largest delta among the four rivals, yet it is still a razor-thin advantage.
FAQ
Q: What socket does the Intel Core i5-3439Y use?
A: It uses Intel BGA 1023, a ball-grid array socket used in mobile platforms.
Q: Does this processor support ECC memory?
A: No. The FACT PACK lists ECC memory support as false.
Q: What memory type does it support?
A: It supports DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration.
Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?
A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false, so the user cannot adjust the multiplier.
Q: How much cache does it have?
A: It has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache.
Q: Where does it rank among all CPUs?
A: It sits at the 12th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 563.
Benchmark Performance
The available Cinebench numbers are limited but consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the score is 164. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 97 and the multi-core score is 687. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 231 and the multi-core score is 1638. These are the only benchmark scores in the FACT PACK, and they all point in the same direction: this is a low-compute processor.
The average benchmark score of 563 reinforces that conclusion. Compared to its nearest rivals, the deltas are +0.3 percent against the Intel Core i3-4158U, +0.4 percent against the AMD Opteron 3320 EE, -0.4 percent against the AMD Athlon II X3 455, and +0.6 percent against the AMD PRO A6-8570. None of these margins is meaningful. The Core i5-3439Y is effectively a peer of all four rivals, trading places by less than a point in average score.
The multi-thread scores are larger than the single-thread scores, but that is expected for a multi-core Cinebench run because all cores are active. What matters is the absolute position. A Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 1638 is a very modest result for a modern workload, and the single-core score of 231 is even more telling. The 12th-percentile rank among all CPUs is the summary statistic that captures the overall picture.
Who Should Consider It
The Core i5-3439Y is best suited to workloads that do not demand much compute. Its 13 W TDP and 2-core, 2-thread layout make it a fit for compact mobile systems where low power is the priority. For basic office work, the low single-thread scores may be acceptable; tasks like document editing, spreadsheet work, and web browsing do not need sustained multi-core performance.
For content creation, the data is less favorable. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 164 and R23 multi-core score of 1638 are low rendering results. Heavy video, 3D, or image-processing workloads that scale across cores would be constrained by the two-thread limit. The single-thread side is also weak, with an R20 single-core score of 97 and R23 single-core score of 231. This is not a processor for demanding creation workflows.
Gaming is harder to assess from the FACT PACK because no integrated graphics data is listed. The CPU-side scores are low, so any gaming scenario would be limited by the processor’s compute position. The 12th-percentile ranking means the i5-3439Y is aimed at productivity-light, power-conscious systems rather than high-performance gaming machines. Users who need a low-power mobile chip for general use and light tasks are the intended audience.
Platform and Compatibility
The Core i5-3439Y is built for the Intel BGA 1023 socket. Because this is a ball-grid array package, it is not a socketed desktop CPU with an easy user-swappable upgrade path. The practical upgrade path is the entire board or system, not the processor alone.
Memory support is DDR3, with a dual-channel bus. ECC memory is not supported. The FACT PACK does not include PCIe data for this processor, so PCIe lane and version information cannot be assessed here. The processor belongs to the Mobile market segment and was released on 2013-01-07. Its part number is SR12Q. The architecture and codename are both Ivy Bridge, and the process node is 22 nm. The die contains 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. For a mobile platform from this generation, the combination of low TDP, BGA packaging, and dual-channel DDR3 support defines a basic, power-lean compatibility profile.
The AMD Equivalent of Core i5-3439Y
Looking for a similar processor from AMD? The AMD Ryzen 5 1400 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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