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Intel Core i5-4308U

Intel Core i5-4308U: Review of an Ultra-Mobile Processor for Everyday Tasks

Analysis of Capabilities and Relevance in 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: Foundations of Performance

The Intel Core i5-4308U processor, released in 2013, is based on the Haswell microarchitecture and manufactured using a 22nm process. Despite its age, it can still be found in budget and used laptops in 2025. Its key specifications include:

- 2 cores and 4 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base frequency of 2.8 GHz, with a maximum turbo frequency of 3.3 GHz.

- Integrated graphics Intel Iris Graphics 5100 with 40 execution units and a clock speed of up to 1.2 GHz.

Architecture features:

- Haswell improved energy efficiency compared to Ivy Bridge.

- Supports AVX2 instructions for accelerating computations in encryption and rendering tasks.

- The Iris 5100 iGPU was one of the first Intel graphics chips capable of competing with entry-level discrete GPUs (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M).

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Battery Life

The processor has a TDP of 28W, classifying it as suitable for thin ultrabooks and hybrid devices. Compared to modern chips (e.g., Intel Core i5-1340P with a TDP of 28W on a 10nm process), this figure appears outdated, but in 2025, such laptops are often used in offices or as backup devices.

Heat Dissipation:

- Under full load (e.g., video rendering), temperatures can reach 85–90°C, necessitating a quality cooling system.

- In idle mode or when working with documents, the chip consumes 3–5W, extending battery life.

Performance: Real-World Tasks and Turbo Mode

According to Geekbench 6 (2025):

- Single-Core Test: 1021 points.

- Multi-Core Test: 2043 points.

Office Work:

- Running Microsoft 365, a browser with 10+ tabs, and messengers — the processor handles tasks smoothly without delays.

- When simultaneously working with Excel (large spreadsheets) and Zoom, brief stutters may occur.

Multimedia:

- Converting 1080p video in HandBrake takes around 45 minutes (for comparison, a Core i5-1240P does it in 12 minutes).

- Streaming 4K video on YouTube is possible, but places up to 90% load on the iGPU.

Gaming:

- CS:GO at low settings yields 40–50 FPS at 1366x768 resolution.

- Fortnite runs at 20–25 FPS (minimum settings, 720p).

- Modern AAA titles (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077) are unplayable.

Turbo Mode:

- Frequency boost to 3.3 GHz lasts for 15–20 seconds before overheating, after which throttling occurs.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the i5-4308U Suitable For?

- Students and Office Workers: Working with documents, online courses, Zoom meetings.

- Light Application Users: Chrome, Spotify, LibreOffice.

- Retro Gamers: 2010s games (Skyrim, Dota 2) at low settings.

Not suitable for:

- 4K video editing, 3D modeling.

- Running modern games and neural network tasks.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Laptop Last?

In laptops from 2014–2016 with a 40–50 Wh battery, the operating times are:

- 6–8 hours under minimal load (text, Wi-Fi).

- 3–4 hours while watching YouTube or working in Photoshop.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep — dynamic frequency scaling.

- C-states — disabling unused cores.

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD A10-7300 (2014):

- 4 cores, TDP 19W, Radeon R6 Graphics.

- Lags in single-core performance (Geekbench 6: ~800 points) but excels in multi-threaded tasks.

2. Apple M1 (2020):

- Geekbench 6: 2200 (single-core), 8000 (multi-core).

- i5-4308U lags 2-4 times behind, but laptops with M1 start at $900 (2025), while devices with i5-4308U range from $200–$300.

3. Intel Core i3-1215U (2022):

- 6 cores (2 P-cores + 4 E-cores), 10nm, Iris Xe.

- 40% faster in multitasking.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low cost of devices (new laptops starting from $250).

- Sufficient performance for basic tasks.

- Support for Wi-Fi 5 and USB 3.0.

Weaknesses:

- Only 2 physical cores.

- High heat output under load.

- No support for AVX-512, PCIe 4.0.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

- Device Type: Ultrabooks (e.g., Dell Latitude 5450) or compact laptops (Lenovo ThinkPad T440).

- What to Look For:

- RAM Size: Minimum of 8 GB (16 GB recommended for Windows 11).

- Storage: Only SSD (256 GB or more).

- Screen: IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080.

- Avoid: Laptops with HDDs, 4 GB RAM, or TN screens.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-4308U Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for a cheap laptop for studies or text work.

- Do not plan to run modern applications.

- Value portability (most models weigh between 1.3–1.6 kg).

Key Benefits:

- Low price.

- Reliability (proven platform).

- Adequate graphics for light tasks.

However, in 2025, even budget laptops with Intel N100 processors (Alder Lake-N) offer better performance for the same $250–300. The i5-4308U should be considered only as a temporary solution or for specific tasks (e.g., working with legacy software).

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2014

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i5-4308U

Code Name

Haswell

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.80 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1168

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

22 nm

TDP

28 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100 C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

4x1 | 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3L-1333 | 1600; LPDDR3-1333 | 1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

16 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

25.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® Iris® Graphics 5100

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

200 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.20 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

2 GB

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

11.2/12

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

3280x2000@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

3200x2000@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

3 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.3

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1021

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2043

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

738

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1631

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1859

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2983

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-6400

1106 +8.3%

Ryzen 5 2600E

1072 +5%

Core i5-4308U

1021

EPYC 7401P

971 -4.9%

Xeon E5-2620 v3

919 -10%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 PRO 3300U

2471 +20.9%

Xeon E5-2407 v2

2250 +10.1%

Core i5-4308U

2043

Opteron 4386

1860 -9%

Core i5-7Y54

1715 -16.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-6650U

776 +5.1%

Pentium G3450

755 +2.3%

Core i5-4308U

738

Core i7-4765T

722 -2.2%

Core i5-4570TE

696 -5.7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-8145U

1894 +16.1%

Pentium Silver N6000

1742 +6.8%

Core i5-4308U

1631

Celeron N4120

1538 -5.7%

Pentium Gold G5400T

1461 -10.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-8400T

1923 +3.4%

Core i3-4360T

1892 +1.8%

Core i5-4308U

1859

Xeon E3-1220 v6

1813 -2.5%

Core i5-6500T

1789 -3.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i3-4360T

3286 +10.2%

Core i5-6360U

3106 +4.1%

Core i5-4308U

2983

A8-5600K

2832 -5.1%

Celeron G5900

2643 -11.4%