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Intel Core i5-8269U

Intel Core i5-8269U: A Versatile Processor for Thin Laptops. Practical Review for 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: Coffee Lake in the Era of Miniaturization

The Intel Core i5-8269U processor, released in 2018, is based on the Coffee Lake architecture and a 14nm process technology. Although by 2025 this solution is no longer considered cutting-edge, it remains relevant in budget and mid-range laptops due to its balanced specifications:

- 4 cores and 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading. The base clock speed is 2.6 GHz, with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.2 GHz (for a single core).

- Integrated Iris Plus 655 graphics with 48 EU (Execution Units) and a clock speed of up to 1.1 GHz. This is significantly more powerful than standard UHD graphics— for instance, it supports 4K output via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort.

- 6 MB of L3 cache — a modest amount by modern standards, but sufficient for office and multimedia tasks.

One feature of the Coffee Lake architecture is its optimization for multithreaded tasks. However, the 14nm process technology lags behind contemporary 7nm (AMD Ryzen 6000/7000) and 5nm (Apple M2) technologies in power efficiency. This impacts battery life and heat generation.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Balance Between Power and Compactness

The CPU's TDP is 28W, categorizing it as a "powerful ultrabook" chip. For comparison:

- Budget Intel U-series processors (e.g., i5-1235U) have a TDP of 15W.

- Gaming CPUs like the i5-12450H have a TDP of 45W.

What does this mean for users?

- Laptops with the i5-8269U require active cooling (two fans or a dense heatsink). Under load, noise levels can reach up to 40 dB.

- In compact cases (up to 17mm thick), throttling (frequency reduction) is possible under prolonged load.

However, the 28W TDP is a compromise for those looking for performance above the basic level but not wanting bulky gaming systems.

Performance: What Can the i5-8269U Handle in 2025?

Office Tasks

- Microsoft Office, browser with 20+ tabs, Zoom: The processor handles these tasks without delays. In the PCMark 10 test, it scores around 4200 points—a level sufficient for most office scenarios.

- Multitasking: 8 threads allow for simultaneous work on documents, streaming video, and processing emails.

Multimedia

- Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom: Retouching a 24 MP photo takes 2-3 seconds to apply filters. 4K video in DaVinci Resolve renders slower than modern CPUs (approximately 1.5× the time compared to Ryzen 5 7530U), but is acceptable for occasional tasks.

- Streaming: Encoding via Quick Sync (Intel's hardware accelerator) reduces CPU load. Streaming at 1080p@60fps is possible without lag.

Gaming

Iris Plus 655 is one of the most powerful iGPUs of its generation, but in 2025, it will only suffice for undemanding games:

- CS2: 720p, low settings—45-60 FPS.

- Genshin Impact: 720p, minimum settings—30-40 FPS.

- Indie games (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley): 1080p@60 FPS.

Turbo Boost Mode:

Under short bursts of load (up to 30 seconds), the frequency can boost to 4.2 GHz. For example, when opening a "heavy" Excel file or launching Photoshop. However, in sustained mode (e.g., video rendering), the frequency drops to 3.1-3.4 GHz due to overheating.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is This Processor Suitable For?

- Students and office workers: For studying, working with documents, video conferencing.

- Freelancers: Light photo editing, short video editing.

- Users who value portability: Typically with 13-14 inch laptops weighing 1.3-1.6 kg.

Not suitable for:

- Gamers (except for casual gaming).

- Engineers working with 3D models or complex simulations.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

With a battery capacity of 50 Wh (typical for ultrabooks in 2025 with this CPU), operating time would be:

- Web browsing (brightness at 150 nits): 6-7 hours.

- Video streaming at 1080p: 5 hours.

- Heavy load (Photoshop + browser): 3-3.5 hours.

Power-saving Technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Dynamic frequency switching to reduce power consumption.

- C-states: Powering down unused cores during idle periods.

Tip: Choose laptops with "fast charging" features (50% in 30 minutes) to compensate for modest battery life.

Comparison with Competitors: Against AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

- AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (Zen 3, 6 cores, 15W TDP): Multithreaded performance is 25% higher, graphics are comparable to the Iris Plus 655. Additionally, it features a more modern 7nm process.

- Apple M2 (8 cores, 5nm): Outperforms the i5-8269U in power efficiency (battery life up to 18 hours) and rendering speed, though it is more expensive.

- Intel Core i5-1135G7 (Tiger Lake, 10nm): Single-core performance is 15% higher, and the Iris Xe G7 graphics are significantly more powerful.

Conclusion: By 2025, the i5-8269U falls behind newer models but wins on price.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Good multithreaded performance for its category.

- Powerful integrated graphics (for Intel).

- Affordable laptop prices (starting at $600).

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14nm process technology.

- Heating under load.

- Relatively low battery life.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

- Device type: Ultrabook or business laptop (examples: Dell Inspiron 14 5000, Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5).

- What to check:

- Cooling system (better with two fans).

- RAM: at least 8 GB (ideally 16 GB DDR4).

- Storage: SSD NVMe 512 GB.

- Display: IPS matrix with Anti-Glare coating.

Prices in 2025: $600-800 for new models.

Final Verdict

Intel Core i5-8269U is a good choice for those seeking an affordable, yet powerful laptop for work and multimedia tasks. It is suitable for:

- Users not willing to overpay for the latest models.

- Those who value portability without significant compromises in speed.

Key benefits: A balance of price and performance, support for 4K displays, and the capability for light gaming. However, for professional tasks or extended battery life, consider more modern CPUs.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 2018

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.

i5-8269U

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

2.60 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.

4.20 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.20 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

L3 Cache

6 MB

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

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.

DDR4-2400 | 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 655

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@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

1387

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4445

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

941

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3304

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2561

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

8055

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i9-10900E

1489 +7.4%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G

1438 +3.7%

Core i5-8269U

1387

Ryzen 5 4600H

1353 -2.5%

Xeon Platinum 8260L

1310 -5.6%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2630 v3

4995 +12.4%

Xeon E5-2665

4680 +5.3%

Core i5-8269U

4445

Xeon E5-2630L

4171 -6.2%

Xeon D-1557

3943 -11.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i3-10300T

982 +4.4%

Xeon E3-1225 v5

962 +2.2%

Core i5-8269U

941

Ryzen 5 PRO 3350G

926 -1.6%

Xeon E3-1278L v4

909 -3.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 5425C

3576 +8.2%

Xeon Platinum 8358

3443 +4.2%

Core i5-8269U

3304

EPYC 7702P

3185 -3.6%

Ryzen 3 2200G

3061 -7.4%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-9500F

2646 +3.3%

Ryzen 5 4500

2597 +1.4%

Core i5-8269U

2561

Pentium Gold G6405

2524 -1.4%

Xeon Gold 6346

2479 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon E3-1245

8783 +9%

Core i7-3960X

8383 +4.1%

Core i5-8269U

8055

Xeon E3-1270L v4

7662 -4.9%

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700U

7432 -7.7%