Intel Core i3-330M Mobiler SLBMD 2.13GHz 2 Kern 3MB L3 PGA988A

The Intel Core i3-330M SLBMD is a mobile processor with 2 cores with 2.13GHz each. It has 3MB L3 cache memory and the PGA988A G1 socket.

The Intel Core i3-330M is a two-core processor and clocks at a maximum of 2.16 GHz. The automatic overclocking called Turbo Boost is not activated in the i3 series (difference to the Core i5). The two cores are based on the Nehalem (Westmere) micro-architecture and can process 4 threads simultaneously thanks to hyperthreading.

A special feature of the new dual-core CPUs from Intel is the integration of the memory controller and an integrated graphics card (GMA HD) into the package. The CPU is already manufactured in 32nm, but the die for the memory controller and the graphics card is still manufactured in 45nm.

In most synthetic benchmarks, the performance of the Core i3-330M is above that of a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo P8600. Especially the improved hyperthreading can bring out clear advantages in the Arrandale processors. If hyperthreading does not take effect, the performance is at least as good as with a similarly clocked Core 2 Duo based on Penryn.

The 32 nm processor cores of the Westmere generation also process some new instructions that are supposed to accelerate AES encryption. However, these "AES New Instructions" have been deactivated on the Core i3-330M.

According to first reports, the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) graphics card should be clocked with up to 500 MHz (possibly also with Turbo Boost) and become significantly faster than the old GMA 4500MHD. However, a GeForce 9400M (ION) will still be minimally faster (with better driver support for games).

With a TDP of 35 watts, the power consumption is just as high as with the T models of the Core 2 Duo series, but with the Core i3 the TDP also includes the graphics card and the memory controller (with the Core 2 Duo these were still in the chipset). As a result, the power consumption of the entire system is probably lower.