Intel Core i5-3360M vs Intel Core i5-5250U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the Intel Core i5-5250U and the Intel Core i5-3360M presents a split result that depends heavily on which benchmarking suite is used. The most striking wins for the Intel Core i5-5250U come in the Geekbench tests, where its architectural advantages become apparent. In geekbench_singlecore, the i5-5250U scores 825 compared to the i5-3360M's 518, a 59.3% advantage. The multicore geekbench result shows a 43% lead, with scores of 1587 versus 1110. These are substantial margins that suggest the newer processor has a significant efficiency advantage in certain workloads.

However, the Cinebench suite tells a completely different story. The Intel Core i5-3360M wins all five Cinebench tests, and it wins them consistently. In cinebench_cinebench_r15_multicore, the i5-3360M scores 246 against the i5-5250U's 209, a 15% lead. The cinebench_cinebench_r20_multicore test shows 1029 versus 873, a 15.2% difference. Single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern: cinebench_cinebench_r20_singlecore yields 145 versus 123, and cinebench_cinebench_r23_singlecore yields 346 versus 293, both showing roughly 15.2% and 15.3% leads respectively. The largest Cinebench margin appears in cinebench_cinebench_r23_multicore, where the i5-3360M scores 2451 versus 2079, again a 15.2% difference.

The data reveals a clear pattern: the i5-3360M dominates in rendering workloads measured by Cinebench, while the i5-5250U excels in the general-purpose Geekbench tests. The overall win count favors the i5-3360M, which takes 5 of the 7 head-to-head benchmarks, while the i5-5250U takes 2. Yet the magnitude of the i5-5250U's Geekbench victories is far larger than any single Cinebench margin, which complicates any simple verdict.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the two processors are very close. The i5-5250U has an average benchmark score of 856, while the i5-3360M sits at 835. The i5-5250U also holds a slightly higher percentile ranking at 23 versus 22. The nearest rivals for the i5-5250U include the Intel Core i5-2500T at an identical 856 average score, the Intel Core i7-4500U at 859 (a 0.4% difference), and the AMD A8-7650K at 860 (a 0.5% difference). The i5-3360M's nearest rivals cluster similarly: the Intel Xeon X3450 at 837, the Intel Core i5-5200U at 838, and the Intel Core i5-3380M at 838, all within a 0.5% band.

The Verdict

The data does not support a single universal winner; it supports two different use cases. The Intel Core i5-3360M is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing sustained multi-core rendering performance as measured by Cinebench. Its consistent 15% advantage across all Cinebench tests indicates that it handles threaded compute tasks more effectively. This is likely due to its higher base and boost clock speeds, which the record shows as 2.80 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost, compared to the i5-5250U's 1.60 GHz base and 2.70 GHz boost.

The Intel Core i5-5250U, however, demonstrates a decisive edge in Geekbench workloads, with a 59.3% single-core lead and a 43% multicore lead. These are not marginal differences; they represent a generational leap in per-clock efficiency. The i5-5250U also edges out the i5-3360M in average benchmark score (856 versus 835) and percentile rank (23 versus 22). The i5-5250U's lower thermal design power of 15 watts, compared to the i5-3360M's 35 watts, supports its positioning as a more efficient part, though the database does not provide direct power consumption measurements.

For a user whose primary applications align with Cinebench-style rendering, the i5-3360M is the better option. For a user whose workloads resemble Geekbench's mixed integer and floating-point tasks, the i5-5250U wins decisively. The overall average scores suggest that the i5-5250U is marginally better on average, but the specific workload will determine which processor actually delivers superior performance.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The Intel Core i5-5250U is built on the Broadwell architecture, specifically the Broadwell-U variant, using a 14 nm process node. The Intel Core i5-3360M uses the older Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm node. The die sizes differ accordingly: the i5-5250U has a die size of 133 mm², while the i5-3360M has a smaller die at 118 mm². The i5-5250U has a recorded transistor count of 1,900 million, while the i5-3360M's transistor count is not recorded in the database.

Both processors feature 2 physical cores and 4 threads, with identical cache configurations: 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The memory support differs, with the i5-5250U supporting DDR3 memory and a dual-channel memory bus delivering 29.9 GB/s of bandwidth. The i5-3360M also uses a dual-channel memory bus, but its memory support type and bandwidth are not recorded.

The integrated graphics differ significantly. The i5-5250U comes with Intel HD 6000 graphics, while the i5-3360M has Intel HD 4000. The i5-5250U also supports PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-3360M's PCIe configuration is not listed. The sockets are different as well: the i5-5250U uses Intel BGA 1168, while the i5-3360M uses Intel BGA 1023. The i5-5250U was released later, on 2015-02-28, compared to the i5-3360M's 2012-05-31. The i5-5250U has a launch MSRP of $315, while no launch price is recorded for the i5-3360M. Both processors have locked multipliers and are not production-unlocked.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-3360M has a base clock of 2.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-5250U has a base clock of 1.60 GHz.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-5250U has a TDP of 15 watts, while the Intel Core i5-3360M has a TDP of 35 watts.

Q: Which processor performs better in Geekbench multicore tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-5250U scores 1587 in geekbench_multicore, which is 43% higher than the i5-3360M's score of 1110.

Q: How do the Cinebench R23 multicore scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i5-3360M scores 2451 in cinebench_cinebench_r23_multicore, while the i5-5250U scores 2079, giving the i5-3360M a 15.2% lead.

Q: Do both processors have the same cache layout?

A: Yes, both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which integrated graphics solution is present in each?

A: The Intel Core i5-5250U uses Intel HD 6000 graphics, while the Intel Core i5-3360M uses Intel HD 4000.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-3360M wins all Cinebench benchmarks, making it the stronger choice for rendering tasks that are heavily threaded and rely on raw clock speed. Its 15% lead in cinebench_cinebench_r15_multicore, 15.2% in cinebench_cinebench_r20_multicore and singlecore, and 15.3% in cinebench_cinebench_r23_singlecore shows that it maintains a consistent edge across the entire Cinebench suite. The higher base clock of 2.80 GHz and boost clock of 3.50 GHz likely contribute to this sustained performance.

The Intel Core i5-5250U wins the Geekbench tests by large margins. Its 59.3% single-core advantage and 43% multicore advantage indicate that its Broadwell architecture delivers better per-clock performance and better memory efficiency in mixed workloads. The lower TDP of 15 watts also suggests that this processor can maintain its performance within a tighter power envelope, making it suitable for thinner or passively cooled devices.

In terms of overall database standing, the i5-5250U holds a slight edge with an average benchmark score of 856 versus 835 and a percentile ranking of 23 versus 22. Users should select the i5-3360M for compute-heavy rendering, and the i5-5250U for general-purpose tasks that resemble Geekbench's test patterns.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification fields. The base clocks differ: the i5-5250U runs at 1.60 GHz, while the i5-3360M runs at 2.80 GHz. Boost clocks also differ, with the i5-5250U boosting to 2.70 GHz and the i5-3360M boosting to 3.50 GHz. The thermal design power is 15 watts for the i5-5250U and 35 watts for the i5-3360M. The sockets are different: the i5-5250U uses Intel BGA 1168, while the i5-3360M uses Intel BGA 1023. The architecture and process node differ, with the i5-5250U on Broadwell at 14 nm and the i5-3360M on Ivy Bridge at 22 nm. The die size is 133 mm² for the i5-5250U and 118 mm² for the i5-3360M. The i5-5250U has 1,900 million transistors, while the i5-3360M's transistor count is not recorded. The memory support field shows DDR3 for the i5-5250U, while the i5-3360M's memory support is not listed; the memory bandwidth is 29.9 GB/s for the i5-5250U, but not recorded for the i5-3360M. The PCIe configuration is Gen 2 with 12 lanes for the i5-5250U, while the i5-3360M has no PCIe data. The integrated graphics differ: Intel HD 6000 versus Intel HD 4000. The release dates differ, with the i5-5250U released on 2015-02-28 and the i5-3360M on 2012-05-31. The i5-5250U has a launch MSRP of $315, while the i5-3360M has no recorded launch price. The part numbers also differ: SR26C for the i5-5250U and SR0MW for the i5-3360M.