Home / Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i5-8257U: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i5-8257U

Intel Core i5-8257U: Balancing Performance and Battery Life in Ultraportables of 2025

An up-to-date review of the processor for those seeking reliability without overspending

Architecture and Process Technology: Coffee Lake in the Era of 3nm

Despite being built on a 14nm process technology (codenamed Coffee Lake), the Intel Core i5-8257U remains in demand in budget ultraportables of 2025. Its architecture includes:

- 4 cores and 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading;

- A base frequency of 1.4 GHz and turbo mode up to 3.9 GHz;

- Integrated graphics with Intel Iris Plus 645, featuring 48 execution units (EU) and 4K support.

CPU Features:

- Optimization for multitasking: 4 cores can handle parallel processes (e.g., streaming + working in Photoshop);

- Support for DDR4-2400 / LPDDR3-2136 RAM (up to 32 GB).

iGPU Iris Plus 645:

- In 2025, the graphics are modest but sufficient for basic tasks:

- 4K video at 60 Hz;

- Light gaming (CS:GO, Dota 2 on low settings);

- Rendering acceleration in Premiere Pro via Quick Sync.

Compared to modern iGPUs like Intel Xe or AMD Radeon 780M, the Iris Plus 645 falls short in energy efficiency, but its capabilities are adequate for office laptops.

Power Consumption and TDP: 15 Watts as the Standard for Portability

TDP of 15 W is a key parameter for ultraportables, which means:

- Low heat output: laptops with passive or compact active cooling (e.g., Acer Swift 3);

- Ability to operate in thin chassis (up to 15 mm).

However, in turbo mode, power consumption briefly reaches 25 W, requiring effective heat dissipation. In 2025, models based on the i5-8257U often come with modest coolers, leading to throttling under prolonged workloads (e.g., video rendering).

Performance: From Excel to Fortnite

Office Tasks:

- Simultaneous work with 20+ tabs in Chrome, Word, Excel, and Zoom— the processor handles it without lag.

- Running virtual machines (e.g., Ubuntu via VirtualBox) is possible but resource-constrained.

Multimedia:

- Converting a 30-minute 1080p video in HandBrake: ~12-15 minutes (twice as slow as the Ryzen 5 5500U).

- Editing photos in Lightroom: smooth operation with RAW files, but exporting a batch of 100 images will take 6-8 minutes.

Gaming:

- Fortnite (720p, low settings): 40-45 FPS;

- The Sims 4 (1080p, medium settings): 60 FPS;

- Cyberpunk 2077: only via cloud gaming (GeForce NOW).

Turbo Boost Mode:

- At temperatures below 75°C, the processor maintains a frequency of 3.5-3.7 GHz for up to 2-3 minutes, after which it drops to 2.8 GHz.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the i5-8257U Suitable for in 2025?

- Students: For studying (Google Docs, presentations), streaming video, and light gaming.

- Office Workers: Working with email, spreadsheets, and video conferencing.

- Travelers: Compact laptops with battery life of 8+ hours.

Not Suitable for:

- 3D modeling (Blender, AutoCAD);

- Streaming AAA games;

- 4K editing in DaVinci Resolve.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Charge Last?

With a battery capacity of 50 Wh (typical for ultraportables):

- Web surfing: 7-8 hours;

- Video (YouTube, 1080p): 6 hours;

- Maximum load (rendering): 1.5-2 hours.

Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamic frequency switching to reduce latency;

- Adaptix Thermal Framework: Smart fan management to minimize noise.

Comparison with Competitors: AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

1. AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (Zen 2, 7nm):

- Pros: 6 cores, higher multi-threaded performance (+25%), support for DDR4-3200.

- Cons: TDP of 15-25 W, battery life 1-2 hours less.

2. Apple M1 (5nm):

- Pros: 18-hour battery life, twice the speed in single-threaded tasks.

- Cons: macOS, limited compatibility with Windows software.

3. Intel Core i5-1135G7 (Tiger Lake, 10nm):

- Pros: Iris Xe graphics (80 EU), support for PCIe 4.0.

- Cons: Price 20-30% higher.

Pros and Cons of the Core i5-8257U

Strengths:

- Optimal for light tasks;

- Affordable laptop prices ($600-$800);

- Support for Thunderbolt 3 for peripherals.

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14nm process technology;

- No support for Wi-Fi 6E;

- Limited future-proofing (Windows 12 requires more cores).

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

- Type of Device: Ultraportable (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5) or budget laptop (HP Pavilion 15).

- What to Check:

- RAM size: at least 8 GB, preferably 16 GB;

- SSD: 512 GB NVMe for quick booting;

- Screen: IPS panel with 1080p resolution.

Example Models for 2025:

- Acer Swift 3 (SF314-59): 14" screen, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD — $699;

- Dell Inspiron 15 3520: 15.6", 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD — $649.

Final Verdict: Who Should Buy?

The Intel Core i5-8257U in 2025 is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for a budget laptop for work and study;

- Value battery life and quiet operation;

- Do not plan to run "heavy" applications.

Key Benefits: Reliability, time-tested architecture, and a price under $800. However, if your budget allows, consider models based on the Ryzen 5 7530U or Intel Core i5-1235U — they offer a better balance of performance and energy efficiency.

Prices are current as of April 2025 for new devices in the USA. When choosing, keep in mind that technology does not stand still, and even a budget laptop should have a buffer for 3-4 years of use.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2019

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.

i5-8257U

Code Name

Coffee 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

1.40 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.

3.90 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.90 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.

FCBGA1528

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.

DDR4-2400 | LPDDR3-2133

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).

37.5 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® Plus Graphics 645

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.

1.05 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@30Hz

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

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.

6 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 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 InTru 3D Technology

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

1207

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3851

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

912

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3574

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2305

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

7607

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-6700

1285 +6.5%

Core i3-N305

1251 +3.6%

Core i5-8257U

1207

Core i5-8500T

1171 -3%

Xeon E3-1275 v3

1140 -5.6%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E3-1270L v4

4271 +10.9%

Core i5-8500T

4063 +5.5%

Core i5-8257U

3851

Core i5-4670K

3600 -6.5%

Core i3-8100

3385 -12.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1245 v5

945 +3.6%

Core i7-5930K

928 +1.8%

Core i5-8257U

912

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400GE

893 -2.1%

Xeon E5-2643 v4

877 -3.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2470

3826 +7.1%

Xeon Gold 6148

3689 +3.2%

Core i5-8257U

3574

Core i5-5675C

3437 -3.8%

Core i3-9100F

3301 -7.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Gold 6240R

2370 +2.8%

Ryzen 5 PRO 3350GE

2340 +1.5%

Core i5-8257U

2305

Xeon Gold 6226R

2277 -1.2%

Core i7-7920HQ

2247 -2.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400GE

8291 +9%

Xeon D-2712T

7990 +5%

Core i5-8257U

7607

Xeon E3-1280 v3

7402 -2.7%

Xeon E3-1241 v3

7123 -6.4%