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Intel Core i3-6167U

Intel Core i3-6167U: Outdated, but Still Relevant? Overview of the Processor for Budget Laptops in 2025

Introduction

The Intel Core i3-6167U processor, released in 2016, is still found in used and some new budget laptops. Despite its age, it can be considered as an option for basic tasks. But how competitive is it in 2025? Let's break down the details.

Architecture and Manufacturing Process

Skylake Code, 14 nm: What's Inside?

The Core i3-6167U is built on the Skylake architecture (6th generation Intel). This was a step forward compared to previous generations: it improved energy efficiency and IPC (instructions per cycle). However, by modern standards, the 14 nm technology looks outdated—today, even budget chips from Intel and AMD are using 7–10 nm.

CPU and iGPU Specifications:

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 4 threads (Hyper-Threading). Base frequency—2.7 GHz, turbo mode is absent (fixed frequency).

- Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 550—surprisingly a strong point. This is not basic HD graphics, but rather an accelerated iGPU with 64 MB of eDRAM and 48 execution units. In 2016, this allowed running light games, but by 2025 even Minecraft will require low settings.

Skylake Features:

- Support for DDR4-2133 (but not LPDDR4x).

- Integration with Thunderbolt 3 (though it was rarely found on budget laptops).

Power Consumption and TDP

TDP 28W: Balance or Compromise?

For a mobile processor, a TDP of 28W is not considered ultra-low power consumption. Modern counterparts (like the Intel Core i3-1315U) demonstrate twice the performance at a TDP of 15W.

Practical Consequences:

- Laptops with this chip require active cooling (fan), affecting noise and weight.

- A battery charge of 40–50 Wh will suffice for 4–6 hours of office work (without the energy-saving technologies of 2025).

Performance in Real Tasks

Geekbench 6: 647 (Single-Core), 1299 (Multi-Core)

For comparison:

- Apple M1 (2020) — 2300 (Single), 8300 (Multi).

- AMD Ryzen 3 7320U (2023) — 1450 (Single), 3900 (Multi).

Office Work and Browsing:

- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace — no issues.

- 10+ tabs in Chrome — possible slowdowns if 4K streaming is enabled.

Multimedia:

- Watching 1080p/4K videos (with hardware acceleration) — smooth.

- Photo editing in Lightroom — slow, but tolerable for occasional edits.

Gaming:

- CS:GO — 30–40 FPS on low settings (720p).

- Genshin Impact — not recommended.

Turbo Mode: Absent. Frequency is fixed at 2.7 GHz.

Usage Scenarios

Who is the i3-6167U Suitable for in 2025?

1. Students: For working with texts, presentations, Zoom.

2. Seniors: Simple tasks + low price.

3. Backup Laptop: For trips where the risk of damage is high.

Who is it Not Suitable for:

- Digital artists, video editors.

- Gamers (except for the most undemanding games).

Battery Life

Battery and Energy-Saving Technologies

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency management.

- C-States: Deactivation of unused cores.

In Practice:

- At 50% brightness and in power-saving mode—up to 6 hours of work.

- With active Wi-Fi use and keyboard backlighting—3–4 hours.

Tip: Choose laptops with a battery of at least 50 Wh and an IPS display (not OLED).

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Ryzen 3 3300U (2019):

- Pros: 4 cores, Vega 6 (games 10–15% faster).

- Cons: TDP of 15W, but worse battery life due to less optimized drivers.

2. Intel Core i5-7200U (2016):

- Two cores, turbo mode up to 3.1 GHz. CPU performance is 20% higher, but graphics are weaker (HD 620).

3. Apple M1 (2020):

- Night and day: M1 is 3.5 times faster in multi-threading, 18 hours of battery life. But laptops with M1 start at $700 (new).

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Intel Iris 550—best graphics among i3 of its generation.

- Affordable price: laptops starting at $250 (new, for example, HP 15s-eq2223ur).

- Reliability: a proven platform without "growing pains."

Weaknesses:

- 2 cores—multitasking is limited.

- Noisy cooler.

- No support for Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4.

Laptop Selection Recommendations

Type of Device:

- Ultrabooks: Rare for this chip due to the 28W TDP. Look for models weighing under 1.5 kg (for example, Dell Inspiron 5370).

- Budget Laptops: ASUS VivoBook 15, Lenovo IdeaPad 3.

What to Pay Attention To:

1. Screen: Full HD at least. Avoid TN matrices.

2. Memory: 8 GB of RAM is a must (DDR4).

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

4. Ports: USB-C with charging support—a significant plus.

Price Examples for 2025:

- ASUS VivoBook 15 (i3-6167U, 8/256) — $299.

- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (i3-6167U, 8/512) — $349.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i3-6167U is a processor for those looking for the cheapest new laptop for basic tasks. Its key advantages are price and the presence of Iris Graphics 550, but in 2025 it falls short even against budget chips like the AMD Ryzen 3 and Intel's 12th generation.

Who is it Suitable For:

- Users who need a "typewriter" for Word and browsing.

- Those not willing to pay for "extras."

Alternatives:

- For $400–500, one can find a laptop with Intel Core i3-1215U (2022) or AMD Ryzen 5 5500U—this would be a more sensible investment.

If your budget is strictly limited to $300, the i3-6167U is a workable option. But remember: such a laptop won't receive hardware updates and is unlikely to last more than 2–3 years.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2015

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.

i3-6167U

Code Name

SkyLake

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

2.70 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.

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

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

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.

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

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 550

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 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 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

647

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1299

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

338

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

671

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1636

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3255

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-7820EQ

746 +15.3%

Core m3-6Y30

693 +7.1%

Core i3-6167U

647

Celeron G4900

611 -5.6%

Xeon E5-2603

571 -11.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon X5647

1606 +23.6%

Core i3-7020U

1471 +13.2%

Core i3-6167U

1299

FX-4300

1138 -12.4%

Athlon Gold 3150C

1026 -21%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Celeron G530

408 +20.7%

Celeron 7305E

371 +9.8%

Core i3-6167U

338

A6-3410MX

300 -11.2%

Celeron 877

251 -25.7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

A10-6790B

842 +25.5%

Celeron N4000

776 +15.6%

Core i3-6167U

671

Atom E3845

563 -16.1%

Celeron 2955U

454 -32.3%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Gold 6130

1698 +3.8%

EPYC 7251

1671 +2.1%

Core i3-6167U

1636

A10-6700

1607 -1.8%

Core i5-3230M

1575 -3.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Pentium Gold G6400T

3588 +10.2%

Core i5-2300

3420 +5.1%

Core i3-6167U

3255

Pentium Silver J5005

3080 -5.4%

A8 PRO-7600B

2943 -9.6%