Intel Core i3-530 review

The architecture of the first Core i5 processor, and its accompanying P55 chipset, required you to use a separate graphics card. Those wanting to build a PC with integrated graphics – traditionally a cheaper, simpler and usually quieter option – were forced to wait. Finally though, the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors are here. These have integrated graphics chips, which we're hoping should help keep down the cost of a budget PC.

With that in mind, many will be most interested in this Core i3-530, the cheapest processor in the range (which was codenamed Clarkdale). Despite the different branding, there are few differences between the Core i3 chips and the new Core i5s, such as the i5-661. All the chips are dual-core models, with Hyper-Threading giving four virtual cores, and all have 4MB of L3 cache – a reasonable amount, but half that of the quad-core i5-750 chip. Power consumption has been improved, with a TDP of only 73W and very low idling power consumption.

The key difference between Core i3 and Core i5 is Turbo Boost, with Core i3 processors lacking Intel's automatic overclocking. This means the Core i3-530 has a maximum clock speed of 2.93GHz (unless of course you decide to manually overclock it yourself), though that's still pretty respectable.

A built-in memory controller gives super-fast access to the motherboard's memory slots. You have to use DDR3, and prices have now dropped low enough to not make this a problem, even for budget system builders. You can get 4GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 for around £80 including VAT. By comparison 4GB of DDR2 only costs around £5 less.

In our tests the i3-530 did well, scoring better than we'd expect from a processor at this price. It outperforms similarly priced chips from both Intel's aging Core 2 Duo and AMD's Phenom II ranges. It can't keep up with the quad-core Core i5-750, but then the i3-530 is around £45 cheaper. With an overall score of 105 in our Windows benchmarks, it's 15 points behind the i5-661 (the second quickest new chip by 133MHz). This is a significant speed difference, but it also illustrates how little variation there is between the top and bottom of Intel's six chip range.

To make use of the chip's onboard graphics processor, you'll need a motherboard with an H57, H55 or Q57 chipset, such as the Asus P7H57D-V EVO. All these boards have the necessary HDMI, DVI or VGA outputs. You can use the new Clarkdale chips in most P55 motherboards, although you'll need to update the BIOS first, and won't be able to use the onboard graphics. We can't see any reason to do so though, you might save a few quid by buying a P55 motherboard today, but prices should quickly even out once availability problems are overcome.

The integrated graphics chip is manufactured using an older 45nm process. Managing just 8.5fps in our Call of Duty 4 test it certainly isn't a gaming powerhouse. It's largely similar to Intel's GMA X4500 HD graphics chip, though it does have a couple of minor improvements, including hardware acceleration for dual video decoding, post-processing for HD video sharpness and dual HDMI output. Nothing outstanding then, but if you're looking for an integrated graphics chip, particularly for a media centre computer, this one won't disappoint.

We were hoping that Core i3 would blow us away with its combination of price, convenience and value for money. Although the Core i3-530 is impressively quick, a budget processor requires a budget motherboard to go with it. Early indications show that prices for compatible boards will be in line with those for P55, so expect to pay £80 even for a basic model. This makes the combined price of processor and motherboard around £60 more than buying an old Core 2 Duo E7400 and a compatible board.