Question 1

Is there a major performance upgrade from this i3 to a 4 core ivy bridge i5? I am a first time pc builder on a budget and trying to decide what generation processor I should get.

Accepted Answer

Hello!

This processor is a dual core.  That means it's actually contains two physical processors.  So if Windows and the applications are able, it can actually do two things at once.

It also employs a tech called "hypertheading" that takes spare cpu cycles and uses them to be able to process to ADDITIONAL commands at once...thus 4 commands could be processed at one time.

An i5 is actually FOUR physical processors and each runs faster then the i3 cores.  Additionally, actual (not hypertheaded), cores run better then hyperthreaded cores.  Thus the i5 IS a fair bit faster.

A major difference could be seen if you were working with video or music conversion from one type (say a DVD) to another type (like a .avi file), or serious gaming.

As far as internet, MS office and just playing music or video, you won't see a major difference.

Hope that helps!

Question 2

My computer needs a Processor Upgrade. I currently have a AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+. What would you recommend for an upgrade?

Accepted Answer

The problem is that by the time you need a processor upgrade, you need to replace almost everything. A new processor will not fit an older motherboard. If you upgrade the motherboard, you need new RAM. Unless you are already running Windows 7 or better, this would be the time to upgrade your O/S as well. XP does not have drivers for a lot of the newer stuff and MS has posted an announcement that all support for XP will end in April of this year. AND...if you upgrade to Win 7, which supports an SSD, that is the very best single upgrade you can add to any system.

The good news is that the i3-3225 with onboard video is a great processor at a decent price level. If you are just running daily desktop programs (not a lot of video editing, etc.) and don't need a discreet video card for gaming or whatever, this is a great CPU. I picked up an MSI board and some memory from the Shell Shocker deals over a few days and I already had an SSD that I had bought earlier. (I was planning a RAID setup before doing my homework and finding out that SSD's present their own set of problems in RAID.)

Sorry this is so dragged out. Short version: The i3-3225 is great if you have the required hardware to run it.

Question 3

Will this be compatible with a MSI Z77A-G45 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS Motherboard?? I feel stupid asking this but I want to be sure.

Accepted Answer

Yes it should be compatible with the z77 Intel chipset. As long if your motherboard socket is a 1155.

Question 4

Is the stock heatsink low profile for MITX build?

Accepted Answer

No it is not "low profile" it is the same size as the heatsinks included with the i5 and i7 processors except it doesn't have a copper core. I believe all of the lower TDP processors (models with an S at the end of the model number) come with a "low profile" heatsinks.

However, the stock intel heatsink is pretty small and is probably the most common so a large amount of mitx cases do support it. The standard intel heatsink is 50mm tall.

Question 5

Hi there!
I have Dell inspiron 660s small tower and power supply 220W
LGA 1155 Intel Celeron G465 (35w).
Is it compatibility this processor for my PC?

Accepted Answer

It should work fine. Same chipset, a little more wattage on the CPU, but I don't see it being an issue.

Brand	Intel
Series	Core i3 3rd Gen
Name	Core i3-3225
Model	BX80637I33225

CPU Socket Type	LGA 1155
Core Name	Ivy Bridge
# of Cores	Dual-Core
Operating Frequency	3.3 GHz
DMI	5 GT/s
L3 Cache	3MB
Manufacturing Tech	22nm
Instruction Set	64-Bit
Hyper-Threading Support	Yes
Virtualization Technology Support	Yes
Integrated Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Graphics Base Frequency	650 MHz
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency	1.05 GHz
Multimedia Instruction	SSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Thermal Design Power	55W
Cooling Device	Heatsink and fan included

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Intel Core i3-3225 - Core i3 3rd Gen Ivy Bridge Dual-Core 3.3 GHz LGA 1155 55W Intel HD Graphics 4000 Desktop Processor - BX80637I33225

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