Intel Core i5-4210U vs Intel Pentium Silver J5005 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4210U and Intel Pentium Silver J5005 are two low-power mobile chips from different eras of Intel's lineup, and the recorded data shows a clean sweep for the newer part. The J5005 wins every head-to-head benchmark in the database, taking five of five contests across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. What makes the comparison interesting is how the two arrive at their results: the i5-4210U is a dual-core processor with hyper-threading on a 22 nm Haswell design, while the J5005 is a quad-core Gemini Lake chip built on 14 nm Goldmont Plus architecture. Despite both landing at the same 21st percentile against all CPUs in the database, their strengths, memory platforms, and platform features diverge in ways that matter for specific use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The short answer is that the Pentium Silver J5005 wins everywhere, at least in the multi-core and single-core rendering tests the database records. In Cinebench R15 multi-core it posts 268 points against 197 for the i5-4210U, a 26.5 percent margin. The pattern repeats almost exactly in every other test: R20 multi-core is 1117 versus 824 (26.2 percent), R20 single-core 157 versus 116 (26.1 percent), R23 multi-core 2660 versus 1962 (26.2 percent), and R23 single-core 375 versus 277 (26.1 percent). The i5-4210U records zero head-to-head wins in this dataset.

The consistency of that margin is itself informative. A gap that holds steady at roughly 26 percent across both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads indicates the J5005's advantage comes from per-core efficiency as much as from having four physical cores versus two cores with four threads. If the win were purely a core-count story, the multi-core delta would be much larger than the single-core delta. Instead, the data shows a uniformly stronger processor.

Where the i5-4210U remains relevant is in its Haswell-class core design and its 3 MB of shared L3 cache, which the J5005 lacks entirely. Workloads that benefit from a large shared last-level cache and sustained per-thread throughput on two heavily threaded cores are the closest thing to a win condition for it, though the benchmark record shows even those scenarios favor the J5005 by a wide margin.

Architecture Differences

The two chips represent fundamentally different design philosophies separated by roughly three and a half years. The i5-4210U is a Haswell-generation part, released on April 13, 2014, built on Intel's 22 nm process, with 1,400 million transistors on a 118 mm² die. The J5005 belongs to the Gemini Lake family, codenamed Goldmont Plus architecture, released on December 10, 2017, manufactured on the newer 14 nm node with a smaller 93 mm² die. Transistor count for the J5005 is not recorded in the database.

Core topology is the biggest structural difference. The i5-4210U pairs two physical cores with four threads via simultaneous multi-threading, while the J5005 runs four physical cores with four threads, one thread per core. Clocks are close: the i5-4210U bases at 1700 MHz and boosts to 2.70 GHz, whereas the J5005 bases lower at 1500 MHz but boosts slightly higher to 2.80 GHz.

Cache hierarchies diverge sharply. The i5-4210U carries 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3. The J5005 has 56 KB of L1 per core and a single 4 MB shared L2, with no L3 at all. Memory support also differs: the older chip takes DDR3, while the J5005 supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of recorded bandwidth. On expansion, the J5005 offers PCIe Gen 2 with 6 lanes from the CPU; the database lists no PCIe data for the i5-4210U.

Integrated graphics differ too. The i5-4210U ships with Intel HD 4400, the J5005 with UHD Graphics 605. Power envelopes favor the newer chip as well: the J5005 is rated at a 10 W TDP against 15 W for the i5-4210U, meaning it delivers its full performance advantage inside a tighter thermal budget. Neither chip supports ECC memory or has an unlocked multiplier. Both use soldered ball-grid sockets, BGA 1168 for the i5-4210U and BGA 1090 for the J5005, so neither is socket-upgradable in practice. The J5005 carries a launch MSRP of $161; no launch MSRP is recorded for the i5-4210U. The J5005 is listed as end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in benchmarks?

A: The Pentium Silver J5005, by roughly 26 percent in every recorded test. It leads 268 to 197 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 1117 to 824 in R20 multi-core, and 2660 to 1962 in R23 multi-core. Single-core results show the same margin, 375 to 277 in R23.

Q: Does the older Core i5 have any advantage in core technology?

A: Its Haswell cores are the more advanced big-core design of the era, with hyper-threading giving two cores four threads, and it has 3 MB of shared L3 cache the J5005 lacks. However, the benchmark data shows the J5005's four physical Goldmont Plus cores overcome those advantages in every measured workload.

Q: Which chip uses less power?

A: The J5005, with a 10 W TDP versus 15 W for the i5-4210U, despite delivering better performance across the board.

Q: Which memory does each support?

A: The i5-4210U supports DDR3. The J5005 supports DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s of recorded bandwidth.

Q: How do they rank against other CPUs?

A: Both sit at the 21st percentile versus all CPUs in the database. The i5-4210U has an average benchmark score of 788, the J5005 776, putting them in nearly identical overall territory. The i5-4210U's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-3610ME, AMD Opteron 3350 HE, and Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650, all within a fraction of a percent. The J5005's nearest rivals are the AMD Athlon X4 760K, Intel Core i3-3250T, Intel Celeron G5920, and Intel Pentium G4520, again all within a fraction of a percent.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: No. Both have locked multipliers, and both are soldered to their respective BGA packages, so clock tuning and socket upgrades are both off the table.

Specification Differences

• Cores: i5-4210U has 2, J5005 has 4
• Threads: i5-4210U has 4 (2 cores with hyper-threading), J5005 has 4 (1 per core)
• Base clock: 1700 MHz for the i5-4210U, 1500 MHz for the J5005
• Boost clock: 2.70 GHz for the i5-4210U, 2.80 GHz for the J5005
• TDP: 15 W for the i5-4210U, 10 W for the J5005
• Architecture: Haswell versus Goldmont Plus (Gemini Lake)
• Process node: 22 nm versus 14 nm
• Die size: 118 mm² versus 93 mm²
• L1 cache: 64 KB per core versus 56 KB per core
• L2/L3: 256 KB L2 per core plus 3 MB shared L3 versus 4 MB shared L2 and no L3
• Memory: DDR3 versus DDR4, with the J5005 on a dual-channel bus at 38.4 GB/s
• PCIe: not recorded for the i5-4210U, Gen 2 with 6 lanes for the J5005
• Integrated graphics: Intel HD 4400 versus UHD Graphics 605
• Socket: BGA 1168 versus BGA 1090
• Release date: April 2014 versus December 2017

Fields where the two match include manufacturer (Intel), market segment (Mobile), ECC support (absent on both), and locked multipliers on both.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Walking through the recorded results test by test, the J5005's dominance is unusually uniform. Cinebench R15 multi-core goes to the J5005 at 268 points against 197, a 26.5 percent gap and the largest margin of the series. Cinebench R20 multi-core lands at 1117 versus 824, a 26.2 percent gap. R20 single-core is 157 versus 116, 26.1 percent apart. Cinebench R23 multi-core is 2660 versus 1962, again 26.2 percent, and R23 single-core closes the set at 375 versus 277, 26.1 percent.

Two observations stand out. First, the multi-core and single-core gaps are nearly identical, which means the J5005's four modest Goldmont Plus cores are individually stronger in these tests than the i5-4210U's hyper-threaded Haswell cores, and the quad-core layout compounds that per-core lead in parallel work. Second, the J5005 achieves this inside a lower 10 W thermal envelope, so the performance lead comes with better efficiency rather than merely trading power for speed.

For context against the wider database, the i5-4210U's average score of 788 places it within 0.1 percent of the Intel Core i5-3610ME and within 0.2 percent of the AMD Opteron 3350 HE, Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650, and Core 2 Extreme QX9770. The J5005's average of 776 puts it within 0.2 percent of the AMD Athlon X4 760K, Intel Core i3-3250T, Celeron G5920, and Pentium G4520. Both sit at the 21st percentile of all recorded CPUs.

The Verdict

The data admits only one conclusion for performance-focused buyers: the Pentium Silver J5005 is the stronger processor in every measured category, by roughly 26 percent, while also drawing less power at 10 W versus 15 W. Its newer platform features, DDR4 with dual-channel 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, PCIe Gen 2 expansion lanes, and UHD Graphics 605, make it the more complete package for a compact or low-power system. The database confirms it is end-of-life, so availability is a practical constraint.

The Core i5-4210U's case rests on qualitative traits rather than recorded wins: Haswell big-core design, hyper-threading, and a 3 MB shared L3 cache. But the benchmarks show no scenario in the measured set where those traits translate into a victory. Its average score of 788 is marginally higher than the J5005's 776, and its percentile ranking is identical at 21, yet in direct head-to-head testing it loses all five contests. Anyone choosing between the two based on this data should pick the J5005 for performance, efficiency, and platform modernity; the i5-4210U is defensible only where its specific platform, an existing BGA 1168 board with DDR3, is already in place.