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Intel Core i5-8260U

Intel Core i5-8260U: Overview of the Processor for Thin Laptops

April 2025

Architecture and Technology: Coffee Lake in the Era of 14nm

The Intel Core i5-8260U processor belongs to the Coffee Lake generation, released in 2018, but is still found in budget laptops in 2025. Despite its age, its architecture remains relevant for basic tasks.

CPU and iGPU Specifications

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores, 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Clock Frequencies: Base frequency — 1.6 GHz, maximum turbo mode — 3.9 GHz.

- Manufacturing Process: 14nm. By 2025, this is already an outdated standard (new Intel and AMD chips use 5–7nm), which affects energy efficiency.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 with 24 execution units (EUs), clocked up to 1.1 GHz. Supports DirectX 12, 4K video (H.265/VP9), and dual monitor output.

Architecture Features:

- Support for DDR4-2400/LPDDR3-2136 memory.

- 6 MB of L3 cache.

- Compatibility with USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3 interfaces (depends on the laptop model).

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Battery Life

The processor's TDP is 15W, which is typical for ultrabooks. This means:

- Limited Heat Output: Laptops with this CPU do not require massive cooling systems, but under prolonged workloads (e.g., rendering), throttling may occur.

- Energy-Efficient Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamic frequency adjustment for quick responsiveness.

- C-States: Power management for inactive cores.

- Adaptix Thermal Framework: Fan operation optimization.

Tip: In Windows power settings, select "Power Saver" for extended battery life or "Performance" to unleash the CPU's potential.

Performance: What the i5-8260U Can Do in 2025

Office Tasks

- Microsoft Office, browser with 20+ tabs, Zoom — the processor handles everything without delays.

- Running virtual machines (e.g., lightweight Linux environments) is possible, but with limitations on parallel tasks.

Multimedia

- Photo Editors (Lightroom, Photoshop): Processing RAW files takes 20–30% longer than on the Intel Core i5-1235U (2023).

- Video Editing (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve): Rendering 1080p videos is possible, but 4K will cause stuttering.

Gaming

Intel UHD 620 is the weak point:

- CS:GO: 720p, low settings — 40–50 FPS.

- Fortnite: 720p, minimum settings — 25–30 FPS.

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

Turbo Boost Mode:

- Brief "boost" to 3.9 GHz is useful for short bursts of heavy workloads (opening demanding applications, archiving).

- At temperatures above 75°C, the frequency drops to the base 1.6–2.4 GHz.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is This Processor Suitable For

- Students: Working with texts, presentations, online courses.

- Office Workers: Email, spreadsheets, video conferencing.

- Home Users: Web surfing, video streaming, light photo editing.

- Not Suitable For: Gamers, engineers (CAD), video bloggers (4K editing).

Example Device in 2025: Acer Aspire 5 with i5-8260U, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD — price $550–650.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last

With a 50 Wh battery:

- Web Surfing: 7–8 hours.

- Video (1080p): 5–6 hours.

- Load (Rendering): 2–3 hours.

Energy-Saving Technologies:

- Panel Self Refresh: Reduces GPU load with static images.

- Connected Standby: Background app updates while in sleep mode.

Tip: Lower the screen brightness to 50% and turn off Bluetooth to increase battery life by 15–20%.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U

- Pros: Better multi-threaded performance, Radeon Vega 8 is more powerful than UHD 620.

- Cons: Higher power consumption (TDP 15W, but can go up to 25W).

Apple M1 (2020)

- Outperforms i5-8260U by 2–3 times in performance with similar TDP. However, laptops with M1 start at $800 (2020 MacBook Air on the secondary market), and new models start at $1100.

Intel Core i5-1135G7 (11th Generation)

- More modern architecture (10nm), Iris Xe Graphics is twice as fast as UHD 620. Laptop prices: $700–900.

Pros and Cons of the i5-8260U

Strengths:

- Adequate performance for everyday tasks.

- Low heat output.

- Support for modern interfaces (USB-C, Thunderbolt 3).

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14nm manufacturing process.

- Weak graphics.

- Limited future-proofing (Windows 12 may require more resources).

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

- Type of Device: Ultrabook or budget laptop (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad 3).

- Minimum Specifications:

- 8 GB RAM (better 16 GB for multitasking).

- SSD of 256+ GB (avoid HDD!).

- IPS display with a resolution of 1920×1080.

- Cooling: Check reviews for fan noise under load.

Examples of 2025 models:

- HP Pavilion 14 — $600 (i5-8260U, 8/256 GB).

- Dell Inspiron 15 3000 — $580 (i5-8260U, 8/512 GB).

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-8260U in 2025 is a choice for those looking for an affordable laptop for study, work, and entertainment. Its key advantages:

- Reliability and proven architecture.

- Good battery life.

- Affordable price.

However, for gaming, professional video editing, or AI work, it’s worth considering more modern processors (Intel 12th generation, AMD Ryzen 6000/7000, or Apple M2). If your budget is limited to $600–700, the i5-8260U remains a decent option, but check if there are laptops in the same price segment with 11th or 12th generation Intel CPUs — they will offer a better price-performance ratio.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

October 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.

i5-8260U

Code Name

Coffee Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

1.60 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.

64 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

4 GT/s OPI

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® UHD 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.

1.10 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

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 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

1278

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3682

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

917

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3146

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2288

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

7727

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-10810U

1363 +6.7%

Xeon E3-1230 v6

1322 +3.4%

Core i5-8260U

1278

Core i7-4790S

1239 -3.1%

Xeon E3-1283L v4

1202 -5.9%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-8365U

4142 +12.5%

Core i7-9850HE

3907 +6.1%

Core i5-8260U

3682

Xeon E5-2623 v4

3453 -6.2%

Core i5-6600T

3212 -12.8%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen 7 2700

947 +3.3%

Xeon Gold 6210U

930 +1.4%

Core i5-8260U

917

Xeon E5-2667 v4

895 -2.4%

Core i5-10400T

880 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 3400GE

3375 +7.3%

Xeon E3-1275

3251 +3.3%

Core i5-8260U

3146

Core i7-5700HQ

3004 -4.5%

Xeon D-1520

2850 -9.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-6950X

2349 +2.7%

Xeon Gold 6438N

2315 +1.2%

Core i5-8260U

2288

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400GE

2257 -1.4%

Core i7-7567U

2231 -2.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G with Radeon Vega 11 Graphics

8472 +9.6%

Ryzen 7 3750H

8167 +5.7%

Core i5-8260U

7727

Xeon E3-1505M v6

7473 -3.3%

Xeon E5-2637 v3

7249 -6.2%