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Intel Core i5-7200U

Intel Core i5-7200U in 2025: Is it Worth Buying a Laptop with This Processor?

(Updated: April 2025)

The Intel Core i5-7200U processor, released back in 2016, is still found in budget and used laptops. But is it still relevant in 2025? Let's discuss who this CPU suits and what compromises you'll have to make.

1. Architecture and Process Technology: What's Inside?

Key Specifications

- Codename: Kaby Lake (7th generation Intel Core).

- Process Technology: 14 nm (optimized version of 14nm+ technology).

- Cores/Threads: 2 cores, 4 threads (Hyper-Threading).

- Frequencies: Base — 2.5 GHz, Turbo Boost — up to 3.1 GHz.

- iGPU: Intel HD Graphics 620 (max frequency — 1.0 GHz, 24 execution units).

Architecture Features

Kaby Lake is a "cosmetic" update of Skylake. Key improvements include:

- Accelerated Video Decoding: Support for H.265/HEVC and VP9 codecs for 4K video (relevant for streaming).

- Power Consumption Optimization: Better management of C-states for battery life.

- Frequency Increase: Compared to i5-6200U (Skylake), the gain is about 5-10%.

The HD Graphics 620 handles basic tasks:

- 4K video via HDMI 1.4;

- Light gaming: Minecraft, CS:GO on low settings (30-40 FPS);

- Working with graphic editors at a basic level, like simple photo cropping.

2. Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Battery Life

TDP 15 W is a "sweet spot" for ultrabooks. The processor is designed for:

- Passive cooling or compact coolers.

- Operation in thin chassis (thickness from 15 mm).

- Minimal heating even under full load.

Real-World Consumption Scenarios:

- In idle: 2-5 W.

- During office work: 8-12 W.

- In turbo mode (3.1 GHz): up to 25 W (briefly).

Important: In laptops with poor cooling, Turbo Boost may turn off after 10-15 minutes under load to prevent overheating.

3. Performance: What Can the i5-7200U Do in 2025?

Tests in Real Tasks

- Office Work:

- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace — no delays;

- 10+ tabs in Chrome — possible stuttering (if less than 8 GB RAM).

- Multimedia:

- Watching 4K videos on YouTube — smooth (with VP9 decoding);

- Editing in DaVinci Resolve: only simple projects (1080p, 2-3 tracks).

- Gaming:

- GTA V: 720p, low settings — 25-30 FPS;

- Fortnite: 720p, minimum settings — 20-25 FPS;

- Indie games (Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight) — 60 FPS.

Turbo Boost: Pros and Cons

Turbo mode activates when:

- Running "heavy" applications (Photoshop, Visual Studio Code);

- Working on AC power (in some laptop models).

Problem: In cheap laptops (e.g., Acer Aspire 3), the cooling system can't handle prolonged Turbo Boost — the frequency drops to 2.7 GHz after 5-10 minutes.

4. Usage Scenarios: Who Is It Suitable For?

- Students: For studying (Word, presentations, Zoom).

- Office Workers: Working with email, spreadsheets, ERP systems.

- Casual Users: Web surfing, Netflix streaming, social media.

Not Suitable For:

- Professional video editing/3D rendering;

- Modern games (post-2020);

- Running neural network models (e.g., Stable Diffusion).

5. Battery Life: How Long Will the Laptop Last?

With a battery capacity of 40-50 Wh (typical for ultrabooks from 2017-2020):

- Web surfing: 6-8 hours;

- Video (local): 9-10 hours;

- Maximum load: 2-3 hours.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Speed Shift: Fast switching between P-states (reduces latency).

- Panel Self Refresh: Energy savings during static images on the screen.

Tip: To extend battery life, disable Turbo Boost in Windows power settings.

6. Comparison with Competitors

Analogues from 2016-2025:

- AMD Ryzen 3 3300U (2019): 4 cores/4 threads, Vega 6 iGPU. Better for multi-threaded tasks (+30%) but lower battery life.

- Apple M1 (2020): 3-4 times higher performance, 2 times longer battery life.

- Intel Core i3-1215U (2022): 6 cores (2P+4E), Iris Xe Graphics. 50% faster in multitasking.

Prices for New Devices in 2025:

- Laptops with i5-7200U: $400-500 (budget models, e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad 1);

- With Ryzen 3 3300U: $450-550;

- With Apple M1: starting from $700 (refurbished).

7. Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low cost of laptops.

- Sufficient performance for basic tasks.

- Good battery life with moderate use.

Weaknesses:

- Only 2 cores — multitasking is limited.

- Poor graphics for gaming and editing.

- No support for PCIe 4.0, Thunderbolt 4.

8. Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

Types of Devices:

- Ultrabooks: Dell Inspiron 13 7370 (used in the corporate sector).

- Budget Laptops: HP 15s, ASUS VivoBook 15.

What to Pay Attention To:

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

- Storage Type: Only SSD (256 GB and more).

- Display: Full HD IPS — don't settle for HD (1366×768).

Prices: New laptops with i5-7200U in 2025 cost $400-600, but it's better to pay an extra $100-150 for a model with Ryzen 5 5500U or Core i5-1135G7.

9. Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-7200U in 2025 is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for the cheapest new laptop;

- Do not plan to run "heavy" applications;

- Value battery life more than speed.

Key Benefits:

- Low price.

- Proven reliability (architecture without critical bugs).

- Compatibility with Windows 10/11 and Linux.

Alternative: If your budget allows for $500-700, consider laptops with 11th-generation Intel processors or AMD Ryzen 5000 — they will last longer and won’t disappoint in the future.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2016

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.

i5-7200U

Code Name

Kaby Lake

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

2.50 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.

3.10 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.10 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.

FCBGA1356 | FPBGA1356

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.

14 nm

TDP

15 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.

3.0

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.

1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

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.

DDR4-2133 | LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

32 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

4 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).

34.1 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

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 620

Graphics Base Frequency

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

300 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.

1.00 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

32 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

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

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.

4096x2304@24Hz

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.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (VGA)

N/A

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

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

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

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® Smart Cache

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 Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

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 Clear Video Technology

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 Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

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

4.5

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

978

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1827

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

736

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1616

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1758

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3392

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon D-2899NT

1076 +10%

Core i5-5287U

1029 +5.2%

Core i5-7200U

978

Core i3-7100H

926 -5.3%

Ryzen 5 3500C

882 -9.8%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-2600

2158 +18.1%

Core i7-2600S

1981 +8.4%

Core i5-7200U

1827

Core i7-5500U

1673 -8.4%

Xeon E5-2673 v3

1516 -17%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-3570S

775 +5.3%

Xeon D-1531

751 +2%

Core i5-7200U

736

Celeron G4930T

718 -2.4%

Core i5-2310

693 -5.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

FX-6200

1875 +16%

Core i3-6100E

1720 +6.4%

Core i5-7200U

1616

Core i7-5600U

1513 -6.4%

Xeon E5-2640 v2

1447 -10.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Silver 4216

1807 +2.8%

Xeon D-1746TER

1785 +1.5%

Core i5-7200U

1758

Xeon Gold 6538N

1725 -1.9%

Core i7-6500U

1703 -3.1%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Pentium G4620

3751 +10.6%

Core i7-2630QM

3558 +4.9%

Core i5-7200U

3392

PRO A8-8650B

3224 -5%

A10-6790K

3070 -9.5%