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Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U vs Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U: Comparison

What is the difference between 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U and 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U?

They are built to different briefs, and p-core boost clock shows it, 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U 3.4 GHz against 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U 3.9 GHz. Socket is not the same on both, FCBGA1356 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U versus FCBGA1528 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U. Release year is not the same on both, 2017 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U versus 2018 on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U. There is a split on microarchitecture as well, Kaby Lake Refresh, 8th Gen Intel Core on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U versus Whiskey Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U.

Who each one is for

Take the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U for buyers of this laptop generation wanting to understand the genuine 4-core leap this chip represented over 7th Gen. It is not the one for buyers with access to newer generations, considerably more recent U-series chips offer meaningful IPC and efficiency gains. The 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U is the one to take for mainstream thin-and-light laptops wanting solid 4-core Whiskey Lake performance. Avoid it for buyers with access to newer generations, considerably more recent U-series chips offer meaningful IPC and efficiency gains.

What 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U and 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U have in common

The common ground is wider than the gap: total cores, performance cores, efficiency cores, total threads and p-core base clock are identical here. They match on 10 further specifications as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is the TDP the same on the 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U and 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U?

It is. Both are listed at 15 W, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Intel
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Intel
  • Product Line

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Core i5
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Core i5
  • Form Factor

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Laptop
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Laptop
  • Model Number

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    8250U
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    8265U
  • Codename

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Kaby Lake R
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Whiskey Lake
  • Release Year

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    2017
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    2018
  • TDP

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    15 W
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    15 W
  • iGPU

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
  • Market Segment

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Laptop
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Laptop
  • Microarchitecture

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Kaby Lake Refresh, 8th Gen Intel Core
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Whiskey Lake, 8th Gen Intel Core
  • Socket

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    FCBGA1356
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    FCBGA1528
  • Process Node

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    14 nm
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    14 nm
  • Total Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    4
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    4
  • Performance Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    4
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    4
  • Efficiency Cores

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    0
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    0
  • Total Threads

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    8
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    8
  • SMT Enabled

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Yes
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Yes
  • P-Core Base Clock

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    1.6 GHz
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    1.6 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    3.4 GHz
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    3.9 GHz
  • L3 Cache

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    6 MB
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    6 MB
  • Base Power

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    15 W
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    15 W
  • Memory Type

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    DDR4, LPDDR3
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    DDR4, LPDDR3
  • Integrated Graphics

    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8250U
    Yes
    Intel 8th Gen Intel Core i5 8265U
    Yes

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 8250U if you want the higher L3 cache (6 MB vs 6 MB).

    Choose 8265U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.