Intel Core i5-8259U vs Intel Core i7-2960XM

VS
Performance
Core i5-8259U5% better
8,528.523% of 36,991
Core i7-2960XM
8,09822% of 36,991

The Core i5-8259U has 5% better performance than the Core i7-2960XM for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

Performance per dollar
Core i5-8259U261% better
26.6522% of 121.53
Core i7-2960XM
7.396% of 121.53

The Core i5-8259U has 261% better value for the money than the Core i7-2960XM for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

Shop Core i5-8259U
Shop Core i7-2960XM
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summary

#

About the Intel Core i5-8259U CPU

The Intel Core i5-8259U is an end-of-life 4-core (8-thread) processor built for the mobile CPU market. It launched in Q2 2018 with a suggested retail price of $320. It is part of Intel's Core i5 lineup, which is based on the Coffee Lake-U microarchitecture. The i5-8259U is compatible with Intel BGA 1526 motherboards and is fabricated on Intel's 14 nm manufacturing process. It features the Iris Pro Plus 655 integrated graphics solution.

Memory and Cache

The Core i5-8259U supports DDR4 memory and features a dual-channel memory controller, allowing it to utilize 2 memory modules simultaneously. In terms of cache, the Core i5-8259U has multiple levels of cache. Its L1 cache, which is the smallest and fastest, is 64 KB in size, providing rapid access to crucial instructions. Its L2 cache, at 256 KB, is larger but slower than the L1. Its L3 cache, a shared resource among the CPU's cores, has a capacity of 6 MB.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The Core i5-8259U features 4 total cores which can process 8 threads simultaneously. The multi-threading capability allows the CPU to execute multiple computational tasks in parallel. The base clock speed of the CPU is 2.3 GHz, and it can boost up to 3.8 GHz under heavy workloads. Higher clock speeds result in better performance for the same microarchitecture. The multiplier is locked, making it incapable of overclocking for pushing performance further.

Integrated Graphics

The Core i5-8259U includes an integrated graphics solution called Iris Pro Plus 655. This graphics processor is directly integrated into the CPU and is not as powerful as a dedicated graphics card. While integrated graphics can handle basic tasks like web browsing and office applications, it is not suitable for more demanding activities such as gaming or video editing, where a dedicated graphics card offers superior performance.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The Core i5-8259U has the 293rd best 3DMark 11 Performance Physics score among the 721 benchmarked CPUs in our database. It achieves 23.06% of the performance of the best benchmarked CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Its 8,528.5 score and $320 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 26.65. This is the 137th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Perf. Physics benchmark.

About the Intel Core i7-2960XM CPU

The Intel Core i7-2960XM is an end-of-life 4-core (8-thread) processor built for the mobile CPU market. It launched in Q3 2011 with a suggested retail price of $1,096. It is part of Intel's Core i7 Extreme lineup, which is based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture. The i7-2960XM is compatible with Intel Socket G2 (988B) motherboards and is fabricated on Intel's 32 nm manufacturing process. It features the Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics solution.

Memory and Cache

The Core i7-2960XM supports DDR3 memory and features a dual-channel memory controller, allowing it to utilize 2 memory modules simultaneously. In terms of cache, the Core i7-2960XM has multiple levels of cache. Its L1 cache, which is the smallest and fastest, is 64 KB in size, providing rapid access to crucial instructions. Its L2 cache, at 256 KB, is larger but slower than the L1. Its L3 cache, a shared resource among the CPU's cores, has a capacity of 8 MB.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The Core i7-2960XM features 4 total cores which can process 8 threads simultaneously. The multi-threading capability allows the CPU to execute multiple computational tasks in parallel. The base clock speed of the CPU is 2.7 GHz, and it can boost up to 3.7 GHz under heavy workloads. Higher clock speeds result in better performance for the same microarchitecture. The multiplier is unlocked, enabling overclocking for those seeking to push the CPU's performance further.

Integrated Graphics

The Core i7-2960XM includes an integrated graphics solution called Intel HD 3000. This graphics processor is directly integrated into the CPU and is not as powerful as a dedicated graphics card. While integrated graphics can handle basic tasks like web browsing and office applications, it is not suitable for more demanding activities such as gaming or video editing, where a dedicated graphics card offers superior performance.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The Core i7-2960XM has the 306th best 3DMark 11 Performance Physics score among the 721 benchmarked CPUs in our database. It achieves 21.89% of the performance of the best benchmarked CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Its 8,098 score and $1,096 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 7.39. This is the 208th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Perf. Physics benchmark.

General Info

General overview of the CPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
ManufacturerIntelIntel
SeriesCore i5Core i7 Extreme
Market SegmentMobileMobile
Release DateQ2 2018Q3 2011
Launch Price (MSRP)$320$1,096
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
Core i5-8259U5% better
8,528.523% of 36,991
Core i7-2960XM
8,09822% of 36,991

The Core i5-8259U has 5% better performance than the Core i7-2960XM for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

The Core i5-8259U is ranked 293rd with a score of 8,528.5, and the Core i7-2960XM is ranked 306th with a score of 8,098.

Performance per dollar
Core i5-8259U261% better
26.6522% of 121.53
Core i7-2960XM
7.396% of 121.53

The Core i5-8259U has 261% better value for the money than the Core i7-2960XM for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

The Core i5-8259U is ranked 137th with a performance per dollar of 26.65, and the Core i7-2960XM is ranked 208th with a performance per dollar of 7.39.

Relative Performance

The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar CPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful CPUs tend to have higher scores.

Choose Baseline CPU:Core i5-8259U or
CPUBenchmark Performance
Core i3-N3058,926+5%
Core i7-7700HQ8,833+4%
Core i7-4930MX8,727.5+2%
Core i7-4910MQ8,706+2%
Core i5-8259U8,528.5
Core i7-4900MQ8,490-0%
Core i7-2960XM8,098-5%
Core i7-4810MQ8,012-6%
Core i7-4710MQ7,979-6%
Core i7-2920XM7,914.5-7%

Relative Value For Money

The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar CPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.

Choose Baseline CPU:Core i5-8259U or
CPUPerformance Per Dollar
Core i7-11370H27.51+3%
Core i7-11375H26.88+1%
Core i5-8259U26.65
Core i7-7820HK26.51-1%
Core i5-7440HQ26.33-1%
Core i7-5550U8.15-69%
Core i7-4930MX7.96-70%
Core i7-2960XM7.39-72%
Core i7-820QM7.33-72%
Core i7-2920XM7.22-73%

Benchmark Scores

This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both CPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful CPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
3DMark 11 Performance Physics
8,528.5
(+5.32%)
8,098
3DMark Time Spy CPU
3,132
--
Cinebench R15 Multi-Core
615
--
Cinebench R15 Single-Core
148.7
--
Geekbench 6.2 Multi-Core
4,105
(+109.12%)
1,963
Geekbench 6.2 Single-Core
1,237
(+105.14%)
603
CPU Mark Multi-Thread
7,892
(+66.01%)
4,754
CPU Mark Single-Thread
2,204
(+37.92%)
1,598
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

#

Manufacturing Details

Information about the CPU's manufacturing like its foundry, process size, and transistor count.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
ManufacturerIntelIntel
FoundryIntelIntel
Process Size14 nm32 nm
Transistors--1,160 million

Architecture

CPU architecture specs like its memory channels, memory support, and microarchitecture. Newer CPU architectures can minimize bottlenecks and improve execution efficiency using more advanced techniques.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
SeriesCore i5Core i7 Extreme
MicroarchitectureCoffee Lake-USandy Bridge
CodenameCoffee Lake-USandy Bridge
Memory SupportDDR4DDR3
Memory ChannelsDual-channelDual-channel
ECC MemoryNoNo

Cores & Clock Speeds

Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can handle instructions and tasks. These have a strong impact on the CPU's performance.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
Cores44
Threads88
Clock Speed2.3 GHz2.7 GHz
Turbo Clock3.8 GHz3.7 GHz
Base Clock100 MHz100 MHz
Multiplier23.0x27.0x
Multiplier UnlockedNoYes

Cache

CPU cache specs like its L1 & L2 cache. These provide the CPU with a small, but super-fast memory access. A larger cache can improve a CPU's performance.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
L1 Cache64 KB64 KB
L2 Cache256 KB256 KB
L3 Cache6 MB8 MB

Compatibility & Power Consumption

Compatibility and power consumption information like its socket type, thermal design power, power limits. These can help verify the CPU's compatibility with other PC components.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
SocketIntel BGA 1526Intel Socket G2 (988B)
PCI ExpressPCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 2.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)28 W55 W
TJ Max100 °C100 °C

Graphics, Features, & Extensions

Additional CPU features like its bundled coolers, integrated graphics, and extensions/technologies.

SpecCore i5-8259UCore i7-2960XM
Integrated GraphicsIris Pro Plus 655Intel HD 3000
Extensions / TechnologiesMMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, EIST, Intel 64, XD bit, VT-x, VT-d, HTT, AES-NI, TSX, TXT, CLMUL, FMA3, F16C, BMI1, BMI2, Boost 2.0MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.2, AVX, EIST, Intel 64, XD bit, TXT, VT-x, VT-d, HTT, AES-NI

Check out these comparisons for similar CPUs:

Looking for alternatives? Check out these similar CPUs:

* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark and MSRP.