Intel Core 5 330 vs Intel Core 7 251E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results between the Intel Core 5 330 and the Intel Core 7 251E. The benchmark database lists a full set of scores for the Core 5 330, while the Core 7 251E has no recorded benchmark entries at all. This makes a direct score-by-score comparison impossible.

What can be established from the database is the Core 5 330's performance profile against its nearest rivals. The Core 5 330 posts an average benchmark score of 18345, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i3-14100, averages 18318, a delta of 0.1% in favor of the Core 5 330. The Intel Core 7 360 scores 18374, which is 0.2% higher than the Core 5 330. The Intel Core i3-13100 also scores 18380, another 0.2% advantage. The Intel Core 3 305 sits at 18302, 0.2% behind the Core 5 330. These deltas are small enough that real-world differences would be negligible.

The Core 5 330's individual benchmark results show its strengths. In Cinebench R23, it scores 13150 in multicore and 1856 in single-core. The Cinebench R20 results are 5523 multicore and 779 single-core, while Cinebench R15 shows 1325 multicore and 186 single-core. PassMark tests add more detail: multithread score of 15471, single-thread score of 4088, integer math at 33258, floating-point math at 43885, data compression at 145287, data encryption at 11076, extended instructions at 12808, physics at 1201, and random string sorting at 17771. The find prime numbers test returns 114.

Because the Core 7 251E has no recorded benchmark scores, no numeric comparison can be made between the two processors. The database shows the Core 5 330 as a mid-pack performer with a 72nd percentile ranking, while the Core 7 251E sits at the 50th percentile with no average score. Any assertion about which CPU wins a specific test would require data that does not exist in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different design families. The Core 5 330 uses the Wildcat Lake codename and belongs to the Core 5 (Wildcat Lake) generation. It is built on a 3 nm process node at Intel's foundry. The Core 7 251E uses the Bartlett Lake codename, belongs to the Core 7 (Bartlett Lake) generation, and uses a 10 nm process node, also at Intel. The die size for the Core 7 251E is 257 mm², while the Core 5 330 has no recorded die size.

Core counts differ substantially. The Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning no hyperthreading. The Core 7 251E has 24 cores and 32 threads, indicating that 8 of its cores support additional threads. Base clock speeds show the Core 7 251E starting at 2.10 GHz versus 1.50 GHz for the Core 5 330. Boost clocks also favor the Core 7 251E at 5.60 GHz versus 4.60 GHz for the Core 5 330.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Core 5 330 has 192 KB of L1 cache, 2.5 MB of L2 cache, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core 7 251E lists L1 as 80 KB per core, L2 as 2 MB per core, and L3 as 36 MB shared. The per-core presentation for the Core 7 251E makes direct total comparisons difficult, but the L3 difference is clear: 36 MB versus 6 MB, a sixfold gap.

Memory support diverges as well. The Core 5 330 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while the Core 7 251E supports DDR4 and DDR5. The Core 5 330 uses a single-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The Core 7 251E uses a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is supported by the Core 7 251E but not by the Core 5 330.

PCIe connectivity differs. The Core 5 330 uses Gen 4 with 6 CPU lanes. The Core 7 251E uses Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics also differ: the Core 5 330 uses Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores, while the Core 7 251E uses UHD Graphics 770.

Sockets are incompatible. The Core 5 330 uses Intel BGA 1516, a soldered mobile socket. The Core 7 251E uses Intel Socket 1700, a desktop LGA socket. The market segments reflect this: the Core 5 330 is a mobile part, and the Core 7 251E is a desktop part. The Core 5 330 has a TDP of 15 watts, while the Core 7 251E has a TDP of 65 watts.

Release timing also differs. The Core 7 251E was released on 2025-01-12, while the Core 5 330 has a release date of 2026-04-15. Both are listed as Active in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The database cannot produce a benchmark-based verdict between these two processors because the Core 7 251E has no recorded scores. What the data does show is a fundamental design split. The Core 5 330 is a low-power mobile chip built on a 3 nm process, with 6 cores, a 15-watt TDP, single-channel memory, and a BGA socket. The Core 7 251E is a high-core-count desktop chip on a 10 nm process, with 24 cores, a 65-watt TDP, dual-channel memory, and an LGA 1700 socket.

The Core 5 330's 72nd percentile ranking and average score of 18345 indicate it performs in line with recent quad-core desktop parts like the Intel Core i3-14100 and Intel Core i3-13100, both of which sit within 0.2% of its average score. For a 15-watt mobile processor, that is a notable result, but the architecture is clearly aimed at efficiency rather than maximum throughput.

The Core 7 251E offers more cores, more threads, higher clocks, more cache, wider memory bandwidth, and PCIe Gen 5. The 50th percentile ranking with no average score means the database has no performance evidence for it. From a specification standpoint, the Core 7 251E should have substantially higher multi-threaded capability given 24 cores versus 6, but that is inference from the specification fields, not measured data.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The Intel Core 7 251E has 24 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 7 251E boosts to 5.60 GHz. The Intel Core 5 330 boosts to 4.60 GHz.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core 7 251E supports ECC memory. The Intel Core 5 330 does not.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Intel Core 5 330 has a TDP of 15 watts. The Intel Core 7 251E has a TDP of 65 watts.

Q: Do both CPUs use the same socket?

A: No. The Intel Core 5 330 uses Intel BGA 1516, and the Intel Core 7 251E uses Intel Socket 1700.

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: Only the Intel Core 5 330 has a recorded average benchmark score, which is 18345. The Intel Core 7 251E has no recorded benchmark scores in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The Core 5 330 wins in efficiency-oriented categories. Its 15-watt TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light mobile systems, and the 3 nm process node is the more advanced manufacturing technology of the two. It supports LPDDR5X memory, which is common in compact laptops. The single-channel memory bus and 59.7 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for its 6-core configuration. Its integrated Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores is a newer graphics architecture than the UHD Graphics 770 in the Core 7 251E.

The Core 7 251E wins in raw specification categories. It has 24 cores versus 6, 32 threads versus 6, a 5.60 GHz boost clock versus 4.60 GHz, and 36 MB of L3 cache versus 6 MB. It supports DDR4 in addition to DDR5, which broadens platform compatibility. Its dual-channel memory bus delivers 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and its PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes provides more expansion headroom than the Core 5 330's Gen 4 with 6 lanes. ECC memory support makes it viable for error-sensitive workloads. The larger die size of 257 mm² reflects the additional silicon dedicated to cores and cache.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads; the Core 7 251E has 24 cores and 32 threads. Base clocks are 1.50 GHz versus 2.10 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.60 GHz versus 5.60 GHz. TDP is 15 watts versus 65 watts. The Core 5 330 uses Intel BGA 1516; the Core 7 251E uses Intel Socket 1700.

Process nodes are 3 nm for the Core 5 330 and 10 nm for the Core 7 251E. The Core 7 251E has a recorded die size of 257 mm²; the Core 5 330 does not. L1 cache is 192 KB for the Core 5 330 versus 80 KB per core for the Core 7 251E. L2 cache is 2.5 MB versus 2 MB per core. L3 cache is 6 MB shared versus 36 MB shared.

Memory support: the Core 5 330 uses DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while the Core 7 251E uses DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bus is single-channel for the Core 5 330 and dual-channel for the Core 7 251E. Memory bandwidth is 59.7 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory is absent on the Core 5 330 and present on the Core 7 251E. PCIe is Gen 4 with 6 lanes for the Core 5 330 and Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the Core 7 251E.

Integrated graphics differ: Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe) on the Core 5 330, UHD Graphics 770 on the Core 7 251E. Market segments are Mobile for the Core 5 330 and Desktop for the Core 7 251E. Release dates are 2026-04-15 for the Core 5 330 and 2025-01-12 for the Core 7 251E. Launch MSRP is $309 for the Core 5 330 and $384 for the Core 7 251E. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier. Part numbers are SAE3G for the Core 5 330 and SRQDUQ657 for the Core 7 251E.