Intel Core i5-1240P

Intel Core i5-1240P

Intel Core i5-1240P: A Versatile Processor for Mobile Tasks in 2025

Review of Architecture, Performance, and Use Cases


Architecture and Process Technology: The Hybrid Alder Lake Approach

The Intel Core i5-1240P processor, released in 2022, remains relevant in 2025 thanks to its hybrid Alder Lake architecture. It combines 4 performance cores (P-cores) with Hyper-Threading support (8 threads) and 8 efficient cores (E-cores) (8 threads), totaling 12 cores and 16 threads. This combination allows for task optimization: P-cores handle heavy computations (e.g., rendering), while E-cores manage background processes (updates, streaming).

- Intel 7 Process Technology (10nm Enhanced SuperFin): Improved transistor density and energy efficiency.

- Frequencies: Base frequency — 1.7 GHz, maximum turbo frequency — 4.4 GHz for P-cores.

- Integrated graphics Iris Xe (80 EU): Supports 4K displays, light gaming (e.g., CS:GO at medium settings), and accelerates AI tasks.

- Cache: 12 MB L3, which speeds up multi-threaded operations.

This architecture is Intel’s response to the growing demand for a balance between power and battery life in ultrabooks.


Power Consumption and TDP: 28 W for Balance

The 28 W TDP positions the i5-1240P as a processor for slim laptops with active cooling. Unlike the 15-Watt U-series, it offers higher performance but requires an effective heat dissipation system.

- Dynamic Management (Intel Dynamic Tuning): Automatically adjusts frequency and voltage based on load.

- Operating Modes: In power-saving mode, E-cores dominate, reducing consumption to 10-15 W. Under load, P-cores activate, which can briefly increase power consumption to 40-50 W.

Example: The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Pro laptop with this processor features a dual-fan cooling system, preventing throttling even under prolonged load.


Performance: From Office Work to Light Gaming

According to Geekbench 6 (1919 / 6964), the i5-1240P outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U (~1800 / 6500) in single-threaded tasks but slightly lags behind the Apple M2 (~2100 / 8500) in multi-threading.

- Office Tasks: Running 30+ tabs in Chrome, working with Excel (spreadsheets with 100k rows) — no lag at all.

- Multimedia: Converting 4K video in HandBrake (~35-40 minutes for a 10-minute clip).

- Gaming: In Fortnite (1080p, low settings) — 45-55 FPS; Dota 2 — 60-70 FPS.

- Turbo Mode: Peak frequency of 4.4 GHz lasts up to 20-30 seconds, stabilizing at 3.8-4.0 GHz afterwards (depends on cooling).

For streamers: OBS + game + browser — occasional minor stutters are possible, but overall stable.


Use Cases: Who Is the i5-1240P Ideal For?

1. Students and Office Workers: Multitasking (Zoom + documents + email).

2. Amateur Creatives: Photo editing in Lightroom, editing short videos.

3. Mobile Gamers: Games like Overwatch 2 or Genshin Impact on low settings.

4. Remote Workers: Stable work with cloud services and VPNs.

Not recommended for 3D modeling in Blender or streaming in 4K.


Battery Life: 8–10 Hours in Real Conditions

With a battery capacity of 60 Wh (e.g., Dell XPS 13):

- Web browsing: 9–10 hours.

- Video (YouTube, 1080p): 8 hours.

- Load (Photoshop + browser): 4–5 hours.

Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Fast switching between processor states.

- Adaptix Dynamic Tuning: Machine learning for load forecasting.

Tip: Disable turbo mode in power settings to extend battery life by 15–20%.


Comparison with Competitors: AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

- AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (Zen 4): Better in multi-threaded tasks (~7200 in Geekbench 6 Multi), but pricier (laptops from $1000).

- Apple M3: More energy-efficient (12+ hours of battery life), but limited compatibility with Windows software.

- Intel Core i5-1135G7 (11th generation): Lags 30% in multi-threading, lacks E-cores.

Prices for laptops with the i5-1240P in 2025: $800–$1200 (e.g., Acer Swift 5 — $999, HP Envy 14 — $1099).


Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Hybrid architecture for multitasking.

- Support for Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6E.

- Competitive pricing in the segment.

Weaknesses:

- Heating under prolonged load.

- Lags behind Apple M3 in battery life.


Laptop Selection Recommendations

- Device Type: Ultrabooks (Asus ZenBook), business laptops (ThinkPad T14).

- What to Look For:

- Cooling system (at least 2 fans).

- Display: IPS or OLED with at least FHD resolution.

- Battery: at least 50 Wh.

- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 for peripherals.

Avoid models with passive cooling — the processor will not reach its full potential.


Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-1240P in 2025 is an optimal choice for those searching for a balance between price ($800–$1200), performance, and portability. It is suitable for:

- Students for studying and entertainment.

- Office Workers valuing stability.

- Travelers needing a lightweight laptop with long battery life.

If you are not willing to pay extra for top models but want modern functionality — this processor is for you. However, for professional tasks (4K editing, AAA gaming), it may be worth looking into more powerful CPUs or discrete graphics.

Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Mobile
Launch Date
February 2022
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.
i5-1240P
Code Name
Alder 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).
12
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
16
Performance-cores
4
Efficient-cores
8
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.
4.40 GHz
Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency
?
Maximum P-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.
4.40 GHz
Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency
?
Maximum E-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.
3.30 GHz
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
L3 Cache
12 MB
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
FCBGA1744
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.
Intel 7
TDP
28 W
Processor Base Power
?
The time-averaged power dissipation that the processor is validated to not exceed during manufacturing while executing an Intel-specified high complexity workload at Base Frequency and at the junction temperature as specified in the Datasheet for the SKU segment and configuration.
28 W
Maximum Turbo Power
?
The maximum sustained (>1s) power dissipation of the processor as limited by current and/or temperature controls. Instantaneous power may exceed Maximum Turbo Power for short durations (<=10ms). Note: Maximum Turbo Power is configurable by system vendor and can be system specific.
64 W
Minimum Assured Power
20 W
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
100°C
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.
20
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
Microprocessor PCIe Revision
Gen 4

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.
Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
64 GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
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.
No

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® Xe Graphics eligible
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.
1.30 GHz
DirectX Support
?
DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.
12.1
Execution Units
?
The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.
80
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.
4096 x 2304 @ 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.
7680 x 4320 @ 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.
4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz
Number of Displays Supported
4
Graphics Output
?
Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.
eDP 1.4b | DP 1.4a | HDMI 2.1

Miscellaneous

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) on CPU
?
A new set of embedded processor technologies designed to accelerate AI deep learning use cases. It extends Intel AVX-512 with a new Vector Neural Network Instruction (VNNI) that significantly increases deep learning inference performance over previous generations.
Yes
Intel Image Processing Unit
6.0
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
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.
12 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 High Definition Audio
Yes
Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)
?
Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.
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 Hardware Shield Eligibility
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 QuickAssist Software Acceleration
Yes
Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology
?
CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.
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.
4.6
OpenCL Support
?
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.
3.0
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
1919
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
6964
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
1471
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
6778
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
3287
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
17287

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
2116 +10.3%
2028 +5.7%
1799 -6.3%
1696 -11.6%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
7901 +13.5%
7431 +6.7%
6533 -6.2%
6200 -11%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
1614 +9.7%
1407 -4.4%
1342 -8.8%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
7605 +12.2%
7213 +6.4%
6450 -4.8%
6064 -10.5%
Passmark CPU Single Core
3435 +4.5%
3350 +1.9%
3219 -2.1%
3171 -3.5%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
18819 +8.9%
18127 +4.9%
16442 -4.9%
15819 -8.5%