Intel Core i5-8250U: 4 Cores and 8 Threads at a 15 W TDP

The Intel Core i5-8250U brought 4 cores and 8 threads to the 15-watt Core i5 series for thin laptops. The previous Core i5-7200U had 2 cores and 4 threads, so the move to Kaby Lake Refresh significantly increased multithreaded performance.

The processor was released in 2017 and used in many thin laptops and ultrabooks. Today, such models are found primarily on the used market. The i5-8250U still handles office applications, web browsing, video calls, and small projects in an IDE, but its performance depends heavily on the cooling system and power limits of the specific laptop.

4 Cores Instead of Two

The Core i5-8250U has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock speed of 1.6 GHz and Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz. It has 6 MB of L3 cache and a nominal TDP of 15 W.

The 1.6 GHz base clock does not accurately reflect the i5-8250U's performance, since its clock speed is noticeably higher under short-term loads. During sustained multithreaded workloads, the operating frequency depends more heavily on cooling and the power limits set by the manufacturer.

Core i5-8250U Benchmarks

The i5-8250U has its largest lead over the i5-7200U in multithreaded tests.

In Geekbench 6 Multi, the i5-8250U is approximately 57% faster, while its advantage in PassMark CPU Mark reaches roughly 72%. Single-threaded performance increased much less.

The main reason for this lead is the transition from two physical cores to four.

One Processor, Different Laptops

A laptop's cooling system has a noticeable effect on the i5-8250U's performance, as shown by Cinebench R15.

Single-threaded results are close, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S scores approximately 20% lower than the Dell XPS 13 9370 in the multithreaded test.

This variation is caused by differences in cooling systems and power limits. In a compact chassis, the processor reaches its thermal or power limit sooner and reduces its clock speed.

When buying a laptop like this, the results for the specific model matter more than the CPU name alone.

Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620

The Core i5-8250U is equipped with Intel UHD Graphics 620, featuring 24 execution units. The GPU clock speed ranges from 300 to 1100 MHz.

UHD 620 is suitable for the desktop, video playback, and older undemanding games. Intel Quick Sync is also supported, as is a resolution of up to 4096 x 2304 at 60 Hz through DisplayPort.

UHD 620 is too slow for most modern games, even at low settings. Older games often require using a resolution of 720p or 900p and reducing graphics quality.

UHD 620 uses system memory, so dual-channel mode has a noticeable effect on its performance. A dual-channel memory configuration can significantly outperform a single-channel setup.

Memory and Platform

The Core i5-8250U supports up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 or LPDDR3-2133 memory and has a dual-channel memory controller. It also supports PCI Express 3.0, Intel Quick Sync, AVX2, VT-x, and VT-d.

8 GB is enough for web browsing and office applications, but 16 GB is preferable for IDEs, numerous browser tabs, and programs running in parallel.

An SSD significantly reduces Windows and application startup times compared with an HDD.

The processor uses a BGA1356 package and is soldered to the system board, so it cannot be replaced separately from the motherboard.

Core i5-8250U in Modern Workloads

The Core i5-8250U remains suitable for web browsing, office applications, video calls, remote desktops, and small projects in an IDE.

The i5-8250U no longer provides enough performance for comfortable work in heavy compilation, virtual machines, and video processing. Its four cores and low single-threaded performance by modern standards are limiting factors here.

8th-generation Core i5 processors belong to the processor families officially supported by Windows 11. Compatibility for a specific laptop also depends on the platform's other requirements, including TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.

Conclusion

With the Core i5-8250U, the mobile Core i5 series moved from 2 cores and 4 threads to 4 cores and 8 threads while retaining the same nominal 15 W TDP.

Today, the i5-8250U is found mainly in inexpensive used laptops for office work, web browsing, and small projects in an IDE. Its main limitations are the low performance of UHD Graphics 620 and its significant disadvantage compared with modern mobile CPUs in multithreaded workloads.

The performance of a specific laptop depends on its cooling system, power limits, and memory configuration, so identical i5-8250U processors do not guarantee identical performance.