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Intel Core 5 220U vs Intel Core 7 250U: Comparison
Core 5 220U vs Core 7 250U: the p-core boost clock difference
They are built to different briefs, and p-core boost clock shows it, Core 5 220U 5.0 GHz against Core 7 250U 5.4 GHz. They differ on e-core boost clock too, 3.8 GHz on the Core 5 220U versus 4.0 GHz on the Core 7 250U. They differ on p-core base clock too, 1.4 GHz on the Core 5 220U versus 1.8 GHz on the Core 7 250U. There is a split on e-core base clock as well, 0.9 GHz on the Core 5 220U versus 1.2 GHz on the Core 7 250U. They differ on product line too, Core 5 on the Core 5 220U versus Core 7 on the Core 7 250U.
Core 5 220U vs Core 7 250U: which one fits your build
Buy the Core 5 220U for budget student and office laptops and browsing, documents, video calls and streaming, though it is not the pick for heavy video editing, rendering or large code builds and gaming beyond older or light titles at low settings. Avoid it for copilot+ PC and on-device AI features, since it has no NPU. The Core 7 250U is the one to take for mainstream business and everyday thin-and-light laptops and office work, browsing, video calls and streaming, though it is the wrong buy for long rendering, video export or code compiling jobs and gaming beyond older or light titles at low settings. The same goes for buyers who want strong single-core speed at a lower price than Core Ultra. It is not the one for copilot+ PC and on-device AI features, since it has no NPU.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: total cores, performance cores, efficiency cores, total threads and tdp are identical here. They match on 25 further specifications as well.
Is the L3 Cache the same on the Core 5 220U and Core 7 250U?
It is. Both are listed at 12 MB, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Intel
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Core 5
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Core 7
Form Factor
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Laptop
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 220U
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 250U
Codename
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Raptor Lake
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Raptor Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 2025
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 2025
TDP
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 15 W
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 15 W
iGPU
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Intel Graphics
Market Segment
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Laptop
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Raptor Lake
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Raptor Lake
Socket
- Intel Core 5 220U
- FCBGA1744
- Intel Core 7 250U
- FCBGA1744
Process Node
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 7 nm
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 7 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 10
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 10
Performance Cores
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 2
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 2
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 8
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 8
Total Threads
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 12
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 12
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Yes
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 1.4 GHz
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 1.8 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 5.0 GHz
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 5.4 GHz
E-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 0.9 GHz
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 1.2 GHz
E-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 3.8 GHz
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 4.0 GHz
Unlocked Multiplier
- Intel Core 5 220U
- No
- Intel Core 7 250U
- No
L3 Cache
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 12 MB
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 12 MB
Base Power
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 15 W
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 15 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 55 W
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 55 W
Max Operating Temp
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 100 C
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 100 C
Memory Type
- Intel Core 5 220U
- DDR5 up to 5200 MT/s, DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s, LPDDR5/x up to 6400 MT/s, LPDDR4x up to 4267 MT/s
- Intel Core 7 250U
- DDR5 up to 5200 MT/s, DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s, LPDDR5/x up to 6400 MT/s, LPDDR4x up to 4267 MT/s
Max Memory Speed
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 6400 MT/s
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 6400 MT/s
Memory Channels
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 2
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 2
Max Memory Capacity
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 96 GB
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 96 GB
ECC Support
- Intel Core 5 220U
- No
- Intel Core 7 250U
- No
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Yes
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Yes
iGPU Model
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Intel Graphics
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Intel Graphics
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core 5 220U
- None
- Intel Core 7 250U
- None
Copilot Plus Certified
- Intel Core 5 220U
- No
- Intel Core 7 250U
- No
PCIe Generation
- Intel Core 5 220U
- PCIe 4.0
- Intel Core 7 250U
- PCIe 4.0
PCIe Lanes
- Intel Core 5 220U
- 20
- Intel Core 7 250U
- 20
Retail Availability
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Soldered Only
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Soldered Only
Thunderbolt
- Intel Core 5 220U
- Thunderbolt 4
- Intel Core 7 250U
- Thunderbolt 4
Which one should you pick?
Choose 220U if you want the higher L3 cache (12 MB vs 12 MB), the higher memory channels (2 vs 2) and the higher PCIe lanes (20 vs 20).
Choose 250U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.