Core i5-2520M

Details and Benchmarks for Intel Core i5-2520M

Sysbuilds Alpha Stage!

Please take all results with a big grain of salt. Sysbuilds is in alpha stage at the moment which can lead to wrong data, strange counting errors, silly results and more. This site is under active development.

Benchmark Results

Combined benchmark scores based on multiple data points, giving a quick overview of this processor's performance.

Overall Score

Overall score for Core i5-2520M based on all benchmark results gathered. Look at this like a meta score, you will find more specific workload ratings below.

4,382 Rank: 1426
Rank Name Score Visual
1422 Core i7-8500Y 4,385
+0.1%
1423 Phenom II X4 965 4,384
+0%
1424 Xeon E5450 4,384
+0%
1425 Pentium Silver J5005 4,382
+0%
1426 Core i5-2520M 4,382
1427 A8-5600K 4,382
+0%
1428 A8-6500 4,381
+-0%
1429 Athlon II X4 631 4,381
+-0%
1430 PRO A10-8750B 4,381
+-0%
1431 Celeron G1840T 4,379
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Multicore Score

Multicore performance score for Core i5-2520M based on multi-threaded benchmark results.

4,271 Rank: 1846
Rank Name Score Visual
1842 Phenom X3 8450 4,273
+0%
1843 Celeron 807 4,272
+0%
1844 FX-7500 4,272
+0%
1845 Athlon 64 X2 4400+ 4,272
+0%
1846 Core i5-2520M 4,271
1847 Pentium T4200 4,271
+0%
1848 Celeron N2806 4,271
+0%
1849 Celeron G460 4,271
+0%
1850 A6-4400M 4,269
+-0%
1851 Celeron N2810 4,269
+-0%

View full ranking →

Singlecore Score

Single-core performance score for Core i5-2520M based on single-threaded benchmark results.

4,456 Rank: 1335
Rank Name Score Visual
1331 Core i7-880 4,460
+0.1%
1332 Core i5-2390T 4,459
+0.1%
1333 Phenom II X6 1075T 4,458
+0%
1334 Core m3-6Y30 4,456
+0%
1335 Core i5-2520M 4,456
1336 Phenom II X6 1055T 4,455
+-0%
1337 Core i7-2710QE 4,454
+-0%
1338 Core i7-965 4,454
+-0%
1339 Xeon E5-2620 v2 4,453
-0.1%
1340 Phenom 9750 4,452
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Workload Scores

Performance scores grouped by workload type, normalized and aggregated from multiple raw benchmark results.

Number Crunching

Aggregated score for Core i5-2520M based on integer math, floating point math, and prime number computation benchmarks.

4,521 Rank: 1374
Rank Name Score Visual
1370 Core i3-3110M 4,522
+0%
1371 Core i5-3337U 4,522
+0%
1372 Pentium G3220T 4,522
+0%
1373 Core m5-6Y54 4,521
+0%
1374 Core i5-2520M 4,521
1375 A6-3670 4,521
+0%
1376 A6-3650 4,521
+0%
1377 A10-7300 4,521
+0%
1378 Celeron G1820T 4,521
+0%
1379 Core i7-640M 4,521
+0%

View full ranking →

Data Processing

Aggregated score for Core i5-2520M based on data encryption, data compression, and string sorting benchmarks.

4,506 Rank: 1292
Rank Name Score Visual
1288 A10-9620P 4,507
+0%
1289 Xeon E5606 4,507
+0%
1290 Athlon X4 730 4,507
+0%
1291 Xeon D-1602 4,506
+0%
1292 Core i5-2520M 4,506
1293 Core i5-5300U 4,506
+0%
1294 Core i3-3220T 4,506
+0%
1295 A6-3620 4,506
+0%
1296 Pentium G4400 4,505
+-0%
1297 Celeron G4930 4,505
+-0%

View full ranking →

Physics & Compute

Aggregated score for Core i5-2520M based on physics simulation and extended instruction set (SSE/AVX) benchmarks.

4,526 Rank: 1237
Rank Name Score Visual
1233 Celeron G5900 4,528
+0%
1234 A8-5600K 4,527
+0%
1235 Athlon Silver 3050U 4,527
+0%
1236 Pentium G4400 4,526
+0%
1237 Core i5-2520M 4,526
1238 Phenom II X4 980 4,526
+0%
1239 PRO A10-8770E 4,526
+0%
1240 Celeron G4930 4,525
+-0%
1241 A10-9630P 4,525
+-0%
1242 Core i5-3427U 4,525
+-0%

View full ranking →

Core i5-2520M Details

Built on Intel's Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and fabricated on a 32 nm process, the Core i5-2520M represents a mid-tier mobile processor from the early 2010s. Released during a period when Intel was transitioning to more efficient and powerful mobile designs, this CPU is now considered outdated by modern standards, with a product lifecycle that places it firmly in the past decade. Despite its age, the i5-2520M still holds relevance in legacy systems and low-power computing environments where integrated graphics and modest performance are sufficient.

The processor features two physical cores with four threads, enabled by Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, and operates at a base frequency of 2.5 GHz, capable of boosting to 3.2 GHz on a single core and 3.0 GHz on two cores. It includes 3 MiB of L3 cache, 0.5 MiB of L2 cache, and a combined 0.125 MiB of L1 cache split between instruction and data. The chip is packaged in FCBGA-1023 and supports DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1066 memory across two channels, with a maximum memory capacity of 16 GiB and a peak memory bandwidth of 19.87 GiB/s. Its TDP is rated at 35 W, making it suitable for mainstream laptops without aggressive cooling requirements.

Integrated into the i5-2520M is Intel's HD Graphics 3000 GPU, which features 12 execution units and a base frequency of 650 MHz, capable of boosting to 1.3 GHz. This GPU supports up to two displays and provides sufficient graphical performance for basic multimedia and office applications, though it falls far short of modern integrated solutions. The processor supports a wide range of Intel technologies, including AES-NI, AVX, Intel VT-x, and Intel VT-d, ensuring compatibility with virtualization and encryption workloads.

In benchmark testing, the Core i5-2520M achieves an overall score of 4,382, ranking #1,425 out of 2,060 processors, with a single-core score of 4,456 (#1,334) and a multicore score of 4,271 (#1,846). While these scores are modest compared to modern CPUs, they place the i5-2520M ahead of several older dual-core and low-power processors, including the Athlon X2 BE-2300 and Celeron N2810. However, it trails behind contemporary high-end offerings such as the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K, which score over 8,000 in single-core performance.

As of March 2026, the Core i5-2520M is best suited for legacy laptop systems, entry-level computing, or as a replacement in older devices where upgrading to a modern processor is not feasible. Its combination of dual-core performance, integrated graphics, and low power consumption makes it a viable option for basic productivity tasks, web browsing, and light multimedia use, though it is no longer competitive in performance-intensive applications such as gaming, video editing, or software development.
Frequently Compared

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Intel Core i5-2520M

Main Specifications

Designer: Intel
Name: Core i5-2520M
Family: Core
Series: i5-2000
Model Number: i5-2520M
Cores: 2
Threads: 4
Base Frequency: 2500 MHz
Turbo Frequency (1 core): 3200 MHz
Turbo Frequency (2 cores): 3000 MHz
Clock Multiplier: 25x (locked)
Microarchitecture: Sandy Bridge
Core Name: Sandy Bridge M
Core Family: 6
Core Model: 42
Socket: Socket
Package: FCBGA-1023 and rPGA988B
Chipset: Cougar
Target Segment: Mobile
Max CPUs: 1
TDP: 35 W
Release Price: $225.00

Cache Specifications

L1 Cache: 128 KiB
L1 Instruction Cache: 64 KiB (8-way set associative)
L1 Data Cache: 64 KiB (8-way set associative)
L2 Cache: 0.5 MiB (8-way set associative)
L3 Cache: 3 MiB (12-way set associative)

Memory Specifications

Supported Memory Type: DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1066
Memory Channels: 2
Maximum Memory: 16 GB
Maximum Bandwidth: 19.87 GB/s
ECC Support: No

PCI-Express Specifications

PCIe Revision: 2.0
PCIe Lanes: 16
PCIe Configuration: 1x16, 2x8, 1x8+2x4

Integrated Graphics

GPU: HD Graphics 3000
GPU Designer: Intel
GPU Max Frequency: 1300 MHz
Execution Units: 12

Physical Specifications

Process: 32 nm
Die Area: 149 mm²
Transistor Count: 0.62 billion
Manufacturer: Intel
Technology: CMOS
Word Size: 64-bit
ISA: x86-64 (x86)

CPU Features

MMX EMMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AES CLMUL x86-16 x86-32 x86-64 Real Protected SMM FPU NX HT EIST TXT vPro VT-x VT-d EPT IPT Flex Memory MWT ATT FMA
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