Compare Intel® Products. Compare Intel® Products. What's difference between Intel 3rd generation 2nd generation core i - CPUs - CPU-Components. As a manufacturer, Intel has committed to switching things up every generation of its cpu chips. They alternate between an architecture change and a die shrink with each other generation. The 2nd generation of Core i-series processors was dubbed "Sandy Bridge" and was an architecture change from the previous CPUs. The 3rd generation is called "Ivy Bridge," and is basically a copy of Sandy Bridge manufactured on a smaller scale, or die. However, Intel also focused on beefing up the integrated graphics in this generation. Basically, 3rd generation "Ivy Bridge" CPUs have a small (5-10%) performance advantage over 2nd generation Sandy Bridge chips, however they also produce higher temperatures when overclocked which means it is harder to push them further in speed.
Basically they even out when compared to Sandy Bridge's performance+overclocking. However, the Ivy Bridge CPUs also use less power and have a more powerful graphics chip built in. CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs. Intel Core i3 Vs. i5 Vs. i7. Pushing the limits of semiconductor technology, Intel has been constantly innovating to power the PC evolution into the 21st century. In 2012, the company launched its sleek 3rd generation core i3, i5 and i7 processor series, based on 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture. While the improvement in CPU clocking is 5% to 15%, the graphic performance is 20% to 50% better than the earlier Sandy Bridge line.
In Intel's Tick-Tock cadence (Tock being a new architecture, Tick being a derived one), the tri-gate (3D) transistor based Ivy Bridge is a major Tick, before its plunge into the mobile computing focused Haswell line to be launched in 2013. In what follows, a succinct analysis of the differences between all three generations of Intel core i3, i5 and i7 lines is presented to help you make an informed choice. If you already have a first or second generation Intel core i3, i5 or i7 processor up and running, is an upgrade worth it? Intel Core i3 Vs. i5 Vs. i7 Comparison Core i3 Third Generation Core i5.