I'll start the end of this review with the slower and cheaper Core i3 530. Looking at it from a performance point of view it does remarkably well against its competition and it does the job of replacing Core 2 E7000/E8000 series without errors. As for AMD's competition, Phenom II X2 550 is swept away, while triple core Phenom II X3 720 stays on par in most cases. Hyper Threading really gets the job done here for i3 530, enabling it to tackle AMD's triple core processors even with fewer physical cores.
Power consumption under load is almost unreal while overclocking potential is exceptional in every way, especially considering we're dealing with a barely matured 32 nm process node here. Integrated IGP adds additional value if you're building a HTPC or SFF, and if you're a gamer using discrete graphics, you won't be disappointed with the performance of two CPU cores.

Then we get to its price tag and realize it's actually in direct competition with AMD's quad core Athlon II X4 630/635 models, which are even cheaper. They offer a lot more horsepower in general computing and in multi threaded applications, but they're nowhere near Core i3 530's performance in games. So it's a clear choice for gamers... or is it? AMD has its pony for this race in form of triple core Phenom II X3 720. Unlocked multiplier for easier overclocking, three cores that perform almost identical to i3 530, and $20 lower price which cannot be ignored so easily. Core i3 530 has much lower power consumption and great overclocking potential on its side, so it's up to you to wager if an extra $20 is worth it. Either way, i3 530 is a great choice for almost any type of user looking to buy something in this price segment, it's fast, cool, packed with features and overclocks like crazy.