Intel Core i5-10210U vs Intel Core i5-7500 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-10210U and Intel Core i5-7500 are both 14nm quad-core parts, but they target different ends of the computing spectrum: one is a low-power mobile chip, the other a desktop stalwart. The benchmark data reveals a surprisingly close contest in some areas and decisive splits in others. The i5-7500 takes the majority of wins at 13, while the i5-10210U claims 6, but the margins tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count suggests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in PassMark's integer math test, where the i5-10210U scores 22732 against the i5-7500's 15768. That is a 44.2% advantage for the mobile chip, and it represents the single largest delta in the entire benchmark set. The i5-10210U also wins floating point math with 13657 versus 13174, a 3.7% edge, and random string sorting at 10730 versus 10134, a 5.9% gain. In data encryption, the i5-10210U scores 2051 to the i5-7500's 1817, a 12.9% lead. Even in the multithreaded PassMark test, the i5-10210U edges ahead with 6104 versus 6028, a modest 1.3% margin.

The i5-7500, however, dominates in almost every other category. Geekbench multicore shows the biggest gap: the i5-7500 scores 3619 against 3054 for the i5-10210U, a 15.6% swing. Single-core Geekbench goes to the desktop part at 1277 versus 1213, a 5% difference. Cinebench results are extremely tight but consistently favor the i5-7500. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the i5-7500 scores 5133 versus 5122, a 0.2% margin; R20 multicore is 2155 versus 2151; and R15 multicore is 517 versus 516. Single-core Cinebench results are nearly identical, with R23 at 724 versus 723 and R15 tied at 72. PassMark single-thread also goes to the i5-7500 at 2253 versus 2131, a 5.4% advantage.

The i5-7500's wins extend to more specialized workloads. Extended instructions show a 24.4% lead at 6971 versus 5269. Find prime numbers is a 35.7% blowout at 28 versus 18. Data compression goes to the i5-7500 at 83250 versus 80157, a 3.7% edge. Physics tests favor the desktop chip at 471 versus 410, a 13% gap. The pattern is clear: the i5-7500 wins on raw speed and legacy workloads, while the i5-10210U wins on modern instruction efficiency and certain math-heavy tasks.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 14nm process node, but they come from different architectural families. The i5-10210U uses Comet Lake-U architecture with the codename Comet Lake, while the i5-7500 is Kaby Lake. The i5-10210U has 4 cores and 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, whereas the i5-7500 has 4 cores and 4 threads with no simultaneous multithreading. This thread count difference is fundamental to their behavior in multithreaded workloads, though the benchmark results show it does not always translate to a win.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The i5-10210U has a base clock of 1600 MHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The i5-7500 runs at a base of 3.40 GHz and boosts to 3.80 GHz. The i5-10210U compensates for its lower base with a higher peak boost, but the i5-7500's higher sustained clocks give it an edge in single-threaded and bursty workloads. Thermal design power is another major divider: the i5-10210U is rated at 25W, while the i5-7500 draws 65W. This explains the i5-10210U's placement in mobile segments despite its competitive benchmark scores.

Cache hierarchies are identical in structure: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. The i5-10210U supports DDR3 and DDR4 memory, while the i5-7500 supports only DDR4. The i5-7500 has a dual-channel memory bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, whereas the i5-10210U does not list memory bus or PCIe specifications in the data. Integrated graphics also differ: the i5-10210U has UHD Graphics, while the i5-7500 has HD 630. The i5-10210U uses socket Intel BGA 1440, making it soldered to the board, while the i5-7500 uses Socket 1151, which is replaceable.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-10210U boosts to 4.20 GHz, which is higher than the i5-7500's 3.80 GHz boost.

Q: Is the i5-10210U faster in any major benchmark?

A: Yes. The i5-10210U wins PassMark integer math by 44.2%, data encryption by 12.9%, floating point math by 3.7%, random string sorting by 5.9%, and multithread by 1.3%.

Q: Does the i5-7500 have more cores?

A: No. Both CPUs have 4 cores, but the i5-10210U has 8 threads while the i5-7500 has only 4 threads.

Q: Which CPU supports more memory types?

A: The i5-10210U supports both DDR3 and DDR4, whereas the i5-7500 only supports DDR4.

Q: Are these CPUs interchangeable in the same motherboard?

A: No. The i5-10210U uses Intel BGA 1440, a soldered mobile socket, while the i5-7500 uses Intel Socket 1151 for desktop boards.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference?

A: The i5-10210U is rated at 25W TDP, while the i5-7500 is rated at 65W TDP.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ on several key specification fields. The i5-10210U has 8 threads versus 4 threads on the i5-7500. Base clock is 1600 MHz on the mobile part versus 3.40 GHz on the desktop part. Boost clock is 4.20 GHz versus 3.80 GHz. TDP is 25W versus 65W. Socket is Intel BGA 1440 versus Intel Socket 1151. Architecture is Comet Lake-U versus Kaby Lake. The i5-10210U supports DDR3 and DDR4 memory; the i5-7500 only supports DDR4. The i5-7500 lists dual-channel memory with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the i5-10210U has no memory bus, bandwidth, or PCIe data listed.

Integrated graphics differ: UHD Graphics on the i5-10210U versus HD 630 on the i5-7500. Market segment is Mobile for the i5-10210U and Desktop for the i5-7500. Production status is End-of-life for the i5-10210U and Active for the i5-7500. Release dates are 2019-08-20 for the i5-10210U and 2017-01-02 for the i5-7500. The i5-7500 has a part number SR335, while the i5-10210U has none listed. Both CPUs have the same L1 cache (64 KB per core), L2 cache (256 KB per core), and L3 cache (6 MB shared). Both are locked multipliers, and neither supports ECC memory.

The Verdict

The benchmark data shows a clear split based on workload type. The i5-7500 wins 13 out of 19 tests, including all Cinebench variants, both Geekbench tests, PassMark single-thread, physics, extended instructions, prime numbers, and data compression. The i5-10210U wins 6 tests, but its victories are concentrated in areas that reflect its architectural strengths: integer math, floating point math, encryption, random string sorting, and overall multithreaded PassMark score. The i5-10210U's 44.2% integer math lead is the most decisive win of any test, but it cannot overcome the i5-7500's consistent advantages across the majority of benchmarks.

Geekbench multicore is the most telling divergence, with the i5-7500 ahead by 15.6%. That gap suggests the i5-7500's higher sustained clocks matter more than the i5-10210U's extra threads in this particular test. The Cinebench results, however, are nearly identical, with the i5-7500 winning by 0.1% to 0.3% in every variant. This indicates that in heavily threaded rendering workloads, the two CPUs are effectively equal, despite the thread count difference. The i5-10210U's 8 threads compensate for its lower base clock, but only to a point.

The i5-10210U is the better choice for integer-heavy or encryption-heavy tasks, where its 44.2% and 12.9% leads respectively are decisive. The i5-7500 is the better general-purpose performer, with wins in single-threaded tests, physics, and most PassMark sub-tests. The i5-7500 also has an active production status, while the i5-10210U is end-of-life. For a desktop user rebuilding or upgrading, the i5-7500's socket 1151 and replaceable nature offer more flexibility. For a mobile user, the i5-10210U's 25W TDP is the only realistic option, and its benchmark deficits are modest outside of Geekbench.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-10210U wins in workloads that leverage its 8 threads and modern instruction handling. PassMark integer math is its standout victory, with a 44.2% margin over the i5-7500. Data encryption shows a 12.9% advantage, and floating point math adds a 3.7% gain. Random string sorting and the multithreaded PassMark score also go to the i5-10210U. These results point toward tasks like compression, encryption, and certain scientific or financial calculations that rely on parallel integer operations.

The i5-7500 wins in almost everything else. Its Geekbench multicore lead of 15.6% is the largest single benchmark gap in its favor. Single-threaded performance is consistently better, with a 5% Geekbench single-core lead and a 5.4% PassMark single-thread lead. Physics tests favor the i5-7500 by 13%, extended instructions by 24.4%, and prime number calculations by 35.7%. Data compression is also better on the i5-7500 by 3.7%. Its dominance in Cinebench, albeit by tiny margins, confirms that for rendering tasks, the two CPUs are effectively interchangeable.

The overall win count of 13 to 6 in favor of the i5-7500 reflects its broader applicability. The i5-10210U is not a weak processor; it is a specialized one. Its wins are meaningful and large in specific domains, but the i5-7500's consistency across the benchmark suite makes it the safer recommendation for general desktop use. The i5-10210U's mobile segment and 25W TDP are its defining traits, and the data shows it can hold its own against a desktop part with double the TDP in several key areas. For a laptop buyer, the i5-10210U offers competitive performance in a low-power envelope. For a desktop builder, the i5-7500's broader benchmark wins and active production status make it the better pick.