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Intel Core m5-6Y57

Intel Core m5-6Y57: Moderate Power for Mobility. Analyzing the Processor Years Later

April 2025

Introduction

The Intel Core m5-6Y57 processor, released in 2015, became part of the era of ultrathin laptops where the balance between performance and energy efficiency was critical. Even a decade later, devices on this platform remain in use, especially in the secondary market. Let's analyze whether this chip is still relevant in 2025, who it is suitable for, and what compromises it entails.

Architecture and Process Technology: Outdated Base, but Thoughtful Design

Cores, Threads, and Frequencies

The Core m5-6Y57 is built on the Skylake architecture (6th generation Intel) with a 14 nm process technology. It is a dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading support (4 threads). The base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with the ability to boost up to 2.8 GHz in turbo mode. For its time, this was a step forward in miniaturization, but today these specifications look modest compared to 5 nm chips like the Apple M3 or Intel Meteor Lake.

Integrated Graphics

The Intel HD Graphics 515 is an integrated GPU with 24 execution units and a frequency of up to 900 MHz. It supports 4K video through DisplayPort and HDMI, hardware decoding of HEVC, which is still useful for media tasks in 2025. However, for gaming or graphic work, the capabilities are insufficient: even CS:GO on low settings barely reaches 30 FPS.

Power Consumption and TDP: The Main Advantage

A TDP of 4.5 W is a key feature. This allowed for the creation of laptops without active cooling (e.g., MacBook 12" 2015), providing complete silence. In contrast, modern Intel Core U-series processors have a TDP of 15 W, while the Apple M1 ranges from 10 to 20 W (with significantly higher performance).

However, the low TDP limits performance: during prolonged loads, the frequency drops due to overheating, especially in compact chassis.

Performance: Only for Basic Tasks

Office Work and Multimedia

- Geekbench 6: 760 (Single-Core), 1298 (Multi-Core). For 2025, these scores are below average: for example, the budget Intel N100 (2023) scores around ~1100/3500.

- Real-world scenarios:

- Web surfing with 10+ tabs – possible lags.

- 4K video – smooth playback thanks to hardware decoding.

- Microsoft Office, Zoom – run stably, but background file conversions or rendering presentations take time.

Gaming

- Light games (Stardew Valley, Minecraft) – up to 40-50 FPS on low settings.

- Cloud gaming (GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud) – the optimal solution if the internet is stable.

Turbo Mode: Short-term Boost

Under short-term loads (opening an application, rendering a PDF), the processor boosts to 2.8 GHz but returns to its base frequency after 10-15 seconds. In thin laptops without a cooler, this leads to rapid heating of the casing.

Use Cases: Who Is It Suitable for in 2025?

1. Students – for note-taking, online courses, PDF work.

2. Travelers – compact gadgets with battery life of 8-10 hours.

3. Secondary PCs – as backup devices for trips.

4. Office tasks – if heavy Excel work or graphics are not required.

Not suitable for:

- Freelancers using Photoshop or DaVinci Resolve.

- Gamers (except for cloud services).

Battery Life: Advantages of the Past

The average battery life of laptops with the Core m5-6Y57 is 8-10 hours under moderate load (brightness at 50%, Wi-Fi). This is aided by:

- Speed Shift Technology – rapid frequency adjustment under load.

- Power-saving modes – turning off unused components.

However, modern processors (e.g., Snapdragon X Elite) provide twice the performance at comparable battery life.

Comparison with Competitors

- Intel Core i5-1135G7 (2020): TDP 15 W, 4 cores, 8 threads. In Geekbench 6 – 1500/4500. Prices for used laptops – $300-400.

- AMD Ryzen 3 7320U (2022): 4 cores, TDP 15 W, Zen 2. Scores – 1200/3500. New devices start at $500.

- Apple M1 (2020): Single-Core – 2300, Multi-Core – 8000. On the second-hand market, MacBook Air M1 – $600-700.

Conclusion: The Core m5-6Y57 lags behind even budget models from the 2020s but wins on price (used ultrabooks – $150-250).

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Passive cooling (quiet operation).

- Sufficient for basic tasks even in 2025.

- Low cost on the secondary market.

Weaknesses:

- Low multi-thread performance.

- Lack of support for modern standards (Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4).

- Limited upgrade potential: RAM and SSD are often soldered.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

If you are considering a device with the Core m5-6Y57 in 2025, pay attention to:

1. Device Type: ultrabook from 2015-2017 (e.g., Dell XPS 13 9350, Lenovo Yoga 900).

2. Screen: Full HD is preferable to 4K (less load on the GPU).

3. SSD: At least 256 GB, NVMe type will speed up operations.

4. Ports: USB-C with charging support is useful for versatility.

Tip: Check the battery condition. After 8-10 years, its capacity may have decreased by 40-50%.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core m5-6Y57 in 2025 is a choice for those who:

- Seek a cheap (under $200) laptop for internet and office tasks.

- Value silence and compactness.

- Don't plan to use "heavy" applications.

Key benefits: minimalism, battery life, affordability. However, for future upgrades or professional tasks, it's better to consider more modern solutions, even from the budget category.

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.

M5-6Y57

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

1.10 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.

2.80 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

2.80 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.

FCBGA1515

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

4.5 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.

LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

16 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).

29.8 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® HD Graphics 515

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.

900 MHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

16 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.

3840x2160@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.

3840x2160@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.

4 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

760

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1298

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

600

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1138

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1352

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2349

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Athlon 300GE

882 +16.1%

Atom x7405C

820 +7.9%

Core m5-6Y57

760

Xeon Silver 4108

698 -8.2%

Pentium Gold G5400T

653 -14.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Pentium G4620

1603 +23.5%

Pentium Gold G6400T

1468 +13.1%

Core m5-6Y57

1298

Core i5-3470T

1135 -12.6%

A8-5600K

1024 -21.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Silver 4208

648 +8%

Xeon E5-4640 v4

624 +4%

Core m5-6Y57

600

Xeon Silver 4216

581 -3.2%

Core i3-7102E

562 -6.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-7Y57

1301 +14.3%

Athlon II X4 620e

1219 +7.1%

Core m5-6Y57

1138

Celeron 6305E

1064 -6.5%

Core i3-5020U

976 -14.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

A6-6400K

1423 +5.3%

A8 PRO-7600B

1390 +2.8%

Core m5-6Y57

1352

Athlon II X4 651

1295 -4.2%

Pentium G630

1246 -7.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A10-5700

2719 +15.8%

Celeron G4930

2577 +9.7%

Core m5-6Y57

2349

Core i3-3210

2223 -5.4%

A6-3650

2049 -12.8%