Intel Core i5-1250P vs Intel Core i9-10900F Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data is unusually one-sided. Across the six head-to-head results recorded in the database, the Intel Core i9-10900F wins every single test. The Intel Core i5-1250P does not secure a single victory in any of the Cinebench R15, R20, or R23 workloads, whether single-core or multi-core. This is not a case of one chip dominating in productivity while the other excels elsewhere; the i9-10900F is consistently ahead in both thread-heavy rendering and lightly threaded tasks.

For multi-threaded workloads, the i9-10900F's advantage comes from its higher core count and thread count. The data shows a 7.3% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core, a 7.3% lead in R20 multi-core, and a 7.3% lead in R23 multi-core. These margins are uniform across all three Cinebench generations, which suggests the advantage scales consistently regardless of the rendering engine version. The i5-1250P, despite having 12 cores to the i9's 10, cannot overcome the i9's 20 threads versus its 16 threads.

In single-threaded tests, the i9-10900F also holds the edge, with deltas of 7.2%, 7.4%, and 7.4% in R15, R20, and R23 respectively. The i5-1250P's higher base clock of 1700.00 MHz is irrelevant here because the i9-10900F boosts to 5.20 GHz, which is 0.80 GHz higher than the i5's 4.40 GHz boost. The single-thread data indicates that the older Comet Lake architecture still has enough per-core strength to outperform the newer Alder Lake mobile part in these specific tests.

The average benchmark score in the database further confirms the overall positioning. The i9-10900F averages 4664 across all recorded benchmarks, while the i5-1250P averages 4515. Both processors sit at the 58th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy a similar performance tier overall, but the i9 sits slightly higher within that tier.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i9-10900F is built on the Comet Lake architecture, which uses Intel's 14 nm process node. The Intel Core i5-1250P uses the Alder Lake architecture, specifically the Alder Lake-P variant, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process. This node difference is significant: the newer 10 nm process allows for a denser, more power-efficient design, which is why the i5-1250P has a much lower TDP of 28 watts compared to the i9-10900F's 65 watts.

The core configurations differ in an interesting way. The i9-10900F has 10 cores and 20 threads, all of them traditional hyper-threaded cores. The i5-1250P has 12 cores but only 16 threads, which indicates a hybrid arrangement where not all cores contribute equally to thread count. This is a hallmark of the Alder Lake hybrid design, where performance cores and efficiency cores coexist, and the efficiency cores do not add to the thread count in the same way. The i5-1250P's die size is recorded as 217 mm², whereas no die size is available for the i9-10900F.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The i9-10900F has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-1250P has 80 KB of L1 per core, a much larger 1.25 MB of L2 per core, but only 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger per-core L2 cache on the Alder Lake part is a notable difference, but the i9's larger L3 pool of 20 MB versus 12 MB gives it more shared cache capacity for multi-threaded workloads.

Memory support is another differentiator. The i9-10900F supports DDR4 memory only, with dual-channel memory bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. The i5-1250P supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, also dual-channel, but its memory bandwidth is not recorded in the database. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The platform sockets are incompatible. The i9-10900F uses Intel Socket 1200, a desktop socket. The i5-1250P uses Intel BGA 1744, a mobile socket, which means it is soldered to the board and not upgradeable. PCIe support differs as well: the i9-10900F provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the i5-1250P provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The i5-1250P also includes integrated graphics in the form of Iris Xe 80EU, whereas the i9-10900F has no integrated graphics (the F suffix indicates this). The i9-10900F was released on 2020-04-29 and is marked end-of-life, while the i5-1250P was released on 2022-02-22 and remains active in production.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The six recorded head-to-head benchmarks all favor the Intel Core i9-10900F, and the margins are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i9-10900F scores 1688 against the i5-1250P's 1573, a 7.3% advantage. In single-core R15, the i9 scores 238 against 222, a 7.2% lead. These are the only two tests where the delta drops below 7.3%.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the i9-10900F records 7036 in multi-core versus 6556 for the i5-1250P, again a 7.3% difference. The single-core R20 result is 993 versus 925, a 7.4% lead. The pattern holds in Cinebench R23: the i9-10900F scores 16753 multi-core against 15610, a 7.3% delta, and 2365 single-core against 2203, a 7.4% delta.

The consistent 7.3% to 7.4% margins across all six tests are striking. The i9-10900F does not just win; it wins by nearly identical margins in every workload. This uniformity suggests that the performance gap is structural rather than workload-specific. The i9-10900F's higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz versus 4.40 GHz likely drives the single-core advantage, while the 20 threads versus 16 threads drives the multi-core advantage.

Looking beyond the head-to-head results, the i9-10900F's broader benchmark suite in the database includes 3DMark tests and Geekbench results that are not available for the i5-1250P. The i9-10900F scores 7274 in 3DMark 16-thread, 7866 in 3DMark max-threads, and 8447 in Geekbench multi-core. These scores place it in the 58th percentile overall, matching the i5-1250P's percentile. However, the i5-1250P lacks these additional benchmark entries, so a direct comparison on those tests is not possible from the recorded data.

The nearest rivals for each processor provide context. The i9-10900F's closest competitor is the Intel Core i9-9900KF with an average score of 4652, a negligible 0.3% difference. The Intel Core i9-10900 sits 1.1% behind at 4614. On the i5-1250P side, the Intel Core i7-12700TE matches it exactly at 4513 with a 0.0% delta, and the Intel Core i5-1340P is 0.7% ahead at 4545. These rival relationships show that both processors are tightly grouped with their peers, but the i9-10900F's absolute average score of 4664 is higher than the i5-1250P's 4515.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear conclusion for most use cases. The Intel Core i9-10900F is the faster processor in every recorded benchmark. If the task is multi-threaded rendering, video encoding, or any workload that scales with thread count, the i9-10900F's 20 threads deliver a consistent 7.3% advantage over the i5-1250P's 16 threads. If the task is single-threaded, the i9-10900F's 5.20 GHz boost clock provides a 7.2% to 7.4% edge over the i5-1250P's 4.40 GHz boost.

However, the platform context matters. The i9-10900F is a desktop processor on Socket 1200, with a 65 watt TDP and no integrated graphics. It requires a discrete GPU. The i5-1250P is a mobile processor on BGA 1744, with a 28 watt TDP and integrated Iris Xe 80EU graphics. These are not interchangeable parts; they serve different physical platforms. The i5-1250P is designed for laptops and other mobile devices where power efficiency and integrated graphics are essential. The i9-10900F is designed for desktop systems where a discrete GPU is assumed and the higher 65 watt power budget is acceptable.

For a desktop user who already has a discrete GPU and wants maximum computing performance from the recorded benchmarks, the i9-10900F is the clear choice. It wins every test, has a higher average benchmark score, and supports DDR4 memory with a recorded bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. Its end-of-life production status and launch MSRP of $464 are worth noting, but the performance data shows it remains competitive.

For a mobile user who needs a processor with integrated graphics and lower power consumption, the i5-1250P is the only viable option between these two, simply because the i9-10900F does not exist in a mobile form factor. The i5-1250P's support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory and its PCIe Gen 4 interface are modern features that the i9-10900F lacks. But on raw benchmark performance, the i5-1250P trails by 7.3% across the board.

The 58th percentile ranking for both processors indicates they sit in the same overall performance tier. The i9-10900F edges out the i5-1250P by an average score of 4664 versus 4515, a difference of about 3.3%. The nearest rival data reinforces this: the i9-10900F is within 1.1% of several other i9 parts, while the i5-1250P is within 0.7% of other mobile and low-power processors. Neither chip is an outlier in its class, but the i9-10900F is the stronger performer in direct comparison.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i9-10900F wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests. It scores 1688 versus 1573 in R15, 7036 versus 6556 in R20, and 16753 versus 15610 in R23, each a 7.3% advantage.

Q: Does the i5-1250P win any single-core tests?

A: No. The i9-10900F wins single-core tests by 7.2% in Cinebench R15 and 7.4% in both R20 and R23. The i5-1250P's higher core count of 12 does not translate into a single-core victory.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The i9-10900F has 10 cores and 20 threads. The i5-1250P has 12 cores and 16 threads. Despite having more cores, the i5-1250P has fewer threads.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The i9-10900F supports DDR4 only, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. The i5-1250P supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The i9-10900F has no integrated graphics, as indicated by the F suffix. The i5-1250P includes Iris Xe 80EU integrated graphics.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i9-10900F is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-9900KF and 1.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-10900. The i5-1250P matches the Intel Core i7-12700TE exactly and trails the Intel Core i5-1340P by 0.7%.