Intel Celeron N5100 vs Intel Core i5-5257U Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data is unusually one-sided. The Intel Celeron N5100 wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the comparison, five out of five, and does so with a consistent margin. The Celeron N5100 posts a multicore score of 2809 in Cinebench R23, which is 14.3% ahead of the Core i5-5257U's 2406. The single-core result tells the same story: the Celeron N5100 reaches 396, while the Core i5-5257U trails at 339, a 14.4% deficit.

This is a surprising outcome because the Core i5-5257U carries a more premium positioning. It was a dual-core, four-thread part with a 28-watt TDP, while the Celeron N5100 is a quad-core, four-thread design with a 6-watt TDP. The data suggests that the newer Tremont architecture in the Celeron N5100, built on a 10 nm process, delivers more work per clock and per watt than the older Broadwell design. The Core i5-5257U does have a higher boost clock at 3.10 GHz versus 2.80 GHz, but that advantage is not reflected in the benchmark results.

Who should pick which? The answer depends on the workload and platform constraints. The Celeron N5100 appears to be the better choice for raw compute performance in the measured applications, especially considering its dramatically lower power draw. The Core i5-5257U, however, offers a different feature set that might matter in specific scenarios, such as its higher memory bandwidth relative to its generation, its larger integrated graphics unit (Iris 6100 versus UHD Graphics 24EU), and its particular socket compatibility.

The database places both processors at the 26th percentile among all CPUs, which indicates they occupy a similar overall performance tier. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 976 for the Core i5-5257U and 966 for the Celeron N5100. The nearest rivals for the Core i5-5257U include the Intel Core i3-4150T and AMD Athlon X4 840, each with an average score of 975, a delta of 0.1%. The Celeron N5100 sits alongside the Intel Xeon X5570 and AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, with deltas of negative 0.1% and negative 0.2% respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in pure multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Celeron N5100 wins in all measured multi-core tests. It scores 2809 in Cinebench R23 multicore versus 2406 for the Core i5-5257U, a 14.3% lead. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Celeron N5100 scores 282 against 242, a 14.2% advantage.

Q: Is the Core i5-5257U faster in any benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows zero wins for the Core i5-5257U. The Celeron N5100 wins all five recorded comparisons, including both single-core and multi-core tests.

Q: How does the power consumption compare?

A: The Celeron N5100 has a 6-watt TDP, while the Core i5-5257U has a 28-watt TDP. This is a substantial difference, making the Celeron N5100 a far more power-efficient option according to the recorded specifications.

Q: What memory technologies do these processors support?

A: The Core i5-5257U supports DDR3 memory, while the Celeron N5100 supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Celeron N5100 has a higher memory bandwidth specification at 46.9 GB/s versus 29.9 GB/s.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Core i5-5257U has an average benchmark score of 976, and the Celeron N5100 has an average of 966. They are within 1% of each other, and both sit at the 26th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. Both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The Core i5-5257U has a release date of February 28, 2015, while no release date is recorded for the Celeron N5100.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent different architectural generations from Intel. The Core i5-5257U is based on the Broadwell architecture, specifically the Broadwell-U codename, and belongs to the Core i5 generation. It is built on a 14 nm process node. The Celeron N5100 uses the Tremont architecture, codenamed Jasper Lake, and belongs to the Celeron generation. It is built on a newer 10 nm process node.

The foundry is Intel for both, but the manufacturing details differ significantly. The Core i5-5257U contains 1,900 million transistors on a die size of 133 mm². The Celeron N5100 has no transistor count recorded in the database, but its die size is listed at 63.8 mm², which is less than half the size of the Core i5-5257U's die.

Core counts differ as well. The Core i5-5257U has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron N5100 has 4 cores and 4 threads. This is a notable divergence: the Celeron N5100 offers twice as many physical cores but no simultaneous multithreading, whereas the Core i5-5257U relies on Hyper-Threading to reach four threads from two cores.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Core i5-5257U has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, plus 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The Celeron N5100 also has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but its L2 cache is 1.5 MB and shared, and its L3 cache is 4 MB and shared. The total L3 cache is larger on the Celeron N5100 by 1 MB.

The integrated graphics differ. The Core i5-5257U features Intel Iris 6100, while the Celeron N5100 has UHD Graphics with 24 execution units. The Iris 6100 is a higher-tier graphics solution, though no benchmark comparisons for graphics are recorded in the database.

The production status is end-of-life for both. The Core i5-5257U was released on February 28, 2015. The Celeron N5100 has no release date recorded.

Specification Differences

The base clock speeds are dramatically different. The Core i5-5257U runs at 2.70 GHz, while the Celeron N5100 has a base clock of 1100.00 MHz, which is 1.10 GHz. The boost clocks are closer: 3.10 GHz for the Core i5-5257U versus 2.80 GHz for the Celeron N5100.

The TDP difference is substantial. The Core i5-5257U is rated at 28 watts, while the Celeron N5100 is rated at just 6 watts. This makes the Celeron N5100 a much lower-power design, suitable for fanless or passively cooled systems.

The sockets are different. The Core i5-5257U uses Intel BGA 1168, while the Celeron N5100 uses Intel BGA 1338. These are not interchangeable.

Memory support differs. The Core i5-5257U supports DDR3 only, while the Celeron N5100 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses. The memory bandwidth is higher on the Celeron N5100 at 46.9 GB/s, compared to 29.9 GB/s for the Core i5-5257U.

PCIe support also differs. The Core i5-5257U uses PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The Celeron N5100 uses PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only). The Celeron N5100 has the newer PCIe standard but fewer lanes.

The launch MSRP for the Core i5-5257U is $315. No launch MSRP is recorded for the Celeron N5100. The multiplier is locked on both processors, and neither supports ECC memory. Part numbers are SR26K for the Core i5-5257U and SRKGZ for the Celeron N5100.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are consistent across all five recorded tests. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Celeron N5100 scores 282, and the Core i5-5257U scores 242. The delta is negative 14.2%, meaning the Core i5-5257U trails by that margin. The winner is the Celeron N5100.

In Cinebench R20 multicore, the Celeron N5100 scores 1179, and the Core i5-5257U scores 1010. The delta is negative 14.3%, again favoring the Celeron N5100. The single-core test in Cinebench R20 shows the Celeron N5100 at 166 and the Core i5-5257U at 142, a delta of negative 14.5%.

Cinebench R23 multicore results show the Celeron N5100 at 2809 and the Core i5-5257U at 2406, a negative 14.3% delta. The single-core result in Cinebench R23 has the Celeron N5100 at 396 and the Core i5-5257U at 339, a negative 14.4% delta.

Every single delta is between negative 14.2% and negative 14.5%. This narrow band of results is striking. It suggests that the performance advantage of the Celeron N5100 is uniform across both single-core and multi-core workloads, and across different versions of the Cinebench test (R15, R20, and R23). There is no workload in the recorded data where the Core i5-5257U closes the gap.

The Geekbench results are only recorded for the Core i5-5257U, with a multicore score of 1773 and a single-core score of 922. No Geekbench scores are recorded for the Celeron N5100, so a direct comparison is not possible for that benchmark suite.

The average benchmark scores place the two processors almost exactly at parity overall. The Core i5-5257U averages 976, and the Celeron N5100 averages 966. Both are at the 26th percentile among all CPUs. This creates an interesting tension: the average scores are nearly identical, but the direct head-to-head comparisons show a consistent 14% win for the Celeron N5100.

Where Each One Wins

The Celeron N5100 wins in every measured compute benchmark. It leads in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multi-core. The margins are all around 14%, which is a meaningful difference in rendering and CPU-bound tasks. The Celeron N5100 also has a 4-core, 4-thread configuration, which may help in workloads that scale with physical core count rather than threads.

The Celeron N5100 also wins on efficiency. Its 6-watt TDP is a fraction of the Core i5-5257U's 28-watt TDP. For systems where heat and power are constraints, such as small form factor devices or fanless designs, the Celeron N5100 is clearly the more suitable option. Its 10 nm process node likely contributes to this efficiency advantage.

The memory bandwidth specification favors the Celeron N5100 as well. At 46.9 GB/s, it offers substantially more bandwidth than the Core i5-5257U's 29.9 GB/s. It also supports DDR4 and LPDDR4, which are newer memory types than the DDR3 supported by the Core i5-5257U.

The Core i5-5257U has some advantages that are not reflected in the compute benchmarks. It has a higher boost clock at 3.10 GHz, which might matter in specific latency-sensitive tasks, though the data does not show this translating into benchmark wins. It also features the Intel Iris 6100 integrated graphics, which is a more capable graphics unit than the UHD Graphics 24EU in the Celeron N5100. For light gaming or media workloads that rely on integrated graphics, the Core i5-5257U may be the better option, though no graphics benchmarks are recorded to confirm this.

The Core i5-5257U also has more PCIe lanes at 12 versus 8, though the Celeron N5100 uses the newer PCIe Gen 3 standard. The socket difference means that the choice of processor dictates the motherboard platform, so system compatibility is a deciding factor.

In summary, the Celeron N5100 is the clear winner for CPU compute performance and power efficiency. The Core i5-5257U retains advantages in integrated graphics capability and a higher boost clock, but the recorded benchmark data shows no workload where it outperforms the Celeron N5100. The choice ultimately depends on whether the user prioritizes raw compute and efficiency or the specific feature set of the older Broadwell platform.