Intel Core i5-3475S vs Intel Core i7-10510Y Comparison

The Intel Core i7-10510Y and Intel Core i5-3475S land in the same performance tier, with average benchmark scores of 1092 and 1091 respectively, yet they achieve that parity through fundamentally different design philosophies. The i7-10510Y is a 4-core, 8-thread mobile processor built on the 14nm Comet Lake architecture, while the i5-3475S is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop chip from the 22nm Ivy Bridge generation. Their head-to-head results show the i5-3475S winning all five benchmark comparisons, but the i7-10510Y counters with double the thread count and a dramatically lower 9W TDP versus 65W. The data reveals a classic trade-off: the older desktop part delivers consistently higher raw scores, while the newer mobile part offers efficiency and multi-threading capabilities that the benchmarks alone do not fully capture.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-3475S wins every single benchmark comparison in the head-to-head data, making it the clear choice for users prioritizing raw computational throughput. Its victories range from a 13.9% lead in Cinebench R20 multicore (1547 vs 1332) to a 14.2% advantage in Cinebench R20 singlecore (218 vs 187). For applications like video rendering, 3D modeling, or any workload that scales with sustained processing power, the i5-3475S delivers measurably higher performance across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests. The desktop chip also has a notable clock speed advantage, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost of 3.60 GHz, compared to the i7-10510Y's 1.20 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, suggesting it can maintain higher sustained frequencies without relying on short bursts.

The Intel Core i7-10510Y wins in areas that benchmark scores do not directly measure. Its 8 threads versus the i5-3475S's 4 threads means it can handle more concurrent tasks, which may benefit heavily threaded workloads that are not represented in the Cinebench suite. The 9W TDP is a decisive advantage for mobile or fanless designs, as it allows for thinner, lighter, and quieter systems that the 65W desktop chip cannot match. The i7-10510Y also features newer integrated graphics (UHD Graphics) compared to the i5-3475S's Intel HD 4000, which may provide better media playback and basic graphical output. In scenarios where power consumption, portability, or multi-threaded responsiveness are the primary concerns, the i7-10510Y is arguably the better fit despite losing every benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-10510Y has an average benchmark score of 1092, while the Intel Core i5-3475S scores 1091, a difference of just 0.1% in favor of the i7-10510Y. Both processors rank at the 30th percentile among all CPUs, placing them in the same overall performance tier.

Q: How much faster is the i5-3475S in multi-core workloads?

A: The i5-3475S leads by 13.9% in Cinebench R20 multicore (1547 vs 1332) and by 13.9% in Cinebench R23 multicore (3685 vs 3173). This consistent margin across tests indicates a genuine performance advantage in multi-threaded rendering tasks.

Q: Does the i7-10510Y have any benchmark wins over the i5-3475S?

A: No, the head-to-head benchmark data shows the i5-3475S winning all five comparisons, with the i7-10510Y recording zero wins. The closest margin is a 13.9% deficit in R20 multicore, while the largest is 14.2% in R20 singlecore.

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

A: Both processors have 4 cores, but the i7-10510Y supports 8 threads through Hyper-Threading, while the i5-3475S has only 4 threads. This means the i7-10510Y can process twice as many threads simultaneously, potentially improving multitasking and threaded workload performance.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The i7-10510Y has a TDP of 9W, while the i5-3475S has a TDP of 65W, making the i7-10510Y approximately 7 times more power-efficient. This difference is critical for system design, as the i7-10510Y can be used in passive-cooled or battery-powered devices, whereas the i5-3475S requires active cooling and a desktop power supply.

Q: Which processor was released more recently?

A: The i7-10510Y was released on 2019-08-20, while the i5-3475S was released on 2012-05-31, a gap of over 7 years. The newer process node (14nm vs 22nm) partly explains the i7-10510Y's superior efficiency despite its lower benchmark scores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a remarkably consistent picture: the i5-3475S outperforms the i7-10510Y by nearly identical margins across every test. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-3475S scores 371 versus 319, a 14% advantage. This pattern repeats in R20 multicore (1547 vs 1332, -13.9%), R20 singlecore (218 vs 187, -14.2%), R23 multicore (3685 vs 3173, -13.9%), and R23 singlecore (520 vs 447, -14%). The uniformity of these deltas, all hovering around 14%, suggests that the performance gap is primarily due to clock speed and architecture efficiency rather than any workload-specific advantage.

The single-core results are particularly telling. The i5-3475S leads by 14-14.2% in both R20 and R23 single-core tests, which indicates that its older Ivy Bridge architecture can still execute single-threaded instructions faster than the newer Comet Lake design. This is likely because the i5-3475S's base clock of 2.90 GHz is significantly higher than the i7-10510Y's 1.20 GHz, allowing it to sustain higher throughput even when only one core is active. The i7-10510Y's boost clock of 4.50 GHz is higher than the i5-3475S's 3.60 GHz, but the benchmark results show that this burst capability does not translate into sustained performance wins.

For multi-core tests, the i5-3475S's 4 threads are sufficient to match or exceed the i7-10510Y's 8 threads. The i7-10510Y's thread advantage appears to be offset by its lower base clock and thermal constraints, as the 9W TDP likely limits how long it can maintain high boost frequencies across all cores. The i5-3475S's 65W TDP, while power-hungry, allows it to run at closer to its rated clocks under sustained load, which explains why it wins by the same 14% margin in both single and multi-core tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification. The i7-10510Y uses the Intel BGA 1440 socket, while the i5-3475S uses Intel Socket 1155, making them incompatible with the same motherboards. The i7-10510Y has a base clock of 1200 MHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz, whereas the i5-3475S has a higher base clock of 2.90 GHz but a lower boost of 3.60 GHz. TDP is the most dramatic difference: 9W for the i7-10510Y versus 65W for the i5-3475S, representing a 7x power consumption gap.

The i7-10510Y has 8 threads compared to the i5-3475S's 4 threads, and it features 8 MB of shared L3 cache versus 6 MB for the i5-3475S. The i5-3475S has additional specification details that the i7-10510Y lacks: a dual-channel memory bus, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), 1,400 million transistors, and a die size of 160 mm². The integrated graphics differ as well, with the i7-10510Y using UHD Graphics and the i5-3475S using Intel HD 4000. The i5-3475S also has a part number (SR0PP) listed, while the i7-10510Y does not.

Architecture Differences

The i7-10510Y is built on Comet Lake architecture using a 14nm process node, while the i5-3475S uses Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22nm process. The smaller process node allows the i7-10510Y to achieve much lower power consumption (9W vs 65W) while still providing competitive performance. The i7-10510Y's cache hierarchy is identical to the i5-3475S at the L1 and L2 levels (64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively), but it offers more L3 cache at 8 MB shared versus 6 MB shared.

The i7-10510Y is marketed as a Mobile processor, while the i5-3475S is a Desktop processor, which explains their different design priorities. The i5-3475S includes a dual-channel memory bus and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, features typical of desktop platforms that allow for discrete graphics and faster memory access. The i7-10510Y's memory support is listed simply as DDR3, without a memory bus specification, suggesting it may use a lower-power or more integrated memory controller. Both processors use the same L1 and L2 cache sizes per core, indicating similar core designs, but the i7-10510Y's additional L3 cache and thread support suggest it was designed for more concurrent workloads despite its lower clock speeds.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core i5-3475S for raw performance, as it wins all five benchmark comparisons with a consistent 14% margin. Users who need maximum processing power for rendering, compilation, or other CPU-intensive tasks should choose the i5-3475S, especially if they have a desktop platform that can accommodate its 65W TDP and Socket 1155 requirement. The i5-3475S's higher base clock and larger power budget allow it to sustain performance levels that the i7-10510Y cannot match, despite the latter's newer architecture and higher boost clock.

The Intel Core i7-10510Y is the better choice for mobile or power-constrained applications. Its 9W TDP makes it suitable for ultraportable laptops, fanless designs, or systems where energy efficiency is paramount. The 8-thread capability and larger 8 MB L3 cache provide headroom for multitasking and threaded workloads that the benchmarks may underestimate. The i7-10510Y's 14nm process node and 2019 release date also make it a more modern platform with likely better power management features, even though the performance numbers do not reflect an advantage. For users who prioritize portability and efficiency over raw throughput, the i7-10510Y is the logical selection; for everyone else, the i5-3475S delivers superior benchmark performance.