Intel Core i5-4250U vs Intel Core i7-3687U Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split personality. The Intel Core i7-3687U wins the majority of the head-to-head benchmark matchups, taking 5 of the 7 recorded tests, with a dominant showing across every Cinebench workload. The Intel Core i5-4250U counterattacks decisively in the Geekbench suite, winning both single-core and multi-core tests by substantial margins. This is not a simple "one is better" conclusion. The i7-3687U is the choice for sustained, heavily threaded rendering and CPU-centric productivity where Cinebench scores matter, offering consistent 23% advantages across the board. The i5-4250U is the pick for tasks that reflect Geekbench's workload mix, where it leads by roughly 27% to 29%. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the i7-3687U at 773 and the i5-4250U at 756, a gap of only about 2.2%. The percentile rankings reinforce this parity, with the i7 sitting at the 21st percentile and the i5 at the 20th percentile of all CPUs. For a builder, the decision hinges on which benchmark philosophy aligns with the intended software. If the workload is Cinebench-like, the i7-3687U is the clear winner. If the workload is Geekbench-like, the i5-4250U pulls ahead decisively.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-3687U establishes its territory in the Cinebench family of tests. It wins the R15 multi-core test by 23.1%, scoring 224 against 182. The R20 multi-core test shows a 23.3% lead, with scores of 937 and 760. The single-core R20 test is close in percentage terms, a 23.4% advantage (132 versus 107). The R23 multi-core test continues the trend with a 23.2% delta, scoring 2231 versus 1811, and the R23 single-core test shows the largest relative gain at 23.5%, with scores of 315 and 255. These are consistent, almost uniform margins, indicating a stable architectural advantage under this specific load profile. The i7-3687U converts its higher clock speeds and larger cache into a reliable win across all render workloads.

The Intel Core i5-4250U wins the Geekbench tests, and it does so by a wider margin than the i7 wins Cinebench. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5 scores 1434 against the i7's 1044, a delta of 27.2% in favor of the i5. In Geekbench single-core, the i5 scores 742 against 526, a 29.1% lead. This is a significant reversal. The i5-4250U's Haswell architecture appears to handle Geekbench's particular mix of integer, floating-point, and memory tests more efficiently, despite having a lower base clock and a smaller L3 cache. The data shows that the i5-4250U is not merely competitive in these tests; it is categorically superior, with leads that exceed the i7's Cinebench advantages.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 22 nm process node, and both have the same die size of 118 mm². The fundamental layout is also identical in core count and thread count, with 2 cores and 4 threads each. The i7-3687U is based on the Ivy Bridge architecture and belongs to the Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) generation. The i5-4250U is based on the Haswell architecture and belongs to the Core i5 (Haswell) generation. The i5-4250U has a transistor count of 1,400 million, while the i7-3687U does not have a recorded transistor count in the database. The cache hierarchy differs in the shared L3 portion. The i7-3687U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-4250U has 3 MB of shared L3 cache. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core. The integrated graphics differ, with the i7-3687U featuring Intel HD 4000 and the i5-4250U featuring Intel HD 5000. The sockets are different as well, with the i7-3687U using Intel BGA 1023 and the i5-4250U using Intel BGA 1168. Memory support for both is DDR3, with the i7-3687U explicitly recorded as dual-channel. The i5-4250U's memory bus configuration is not recorded. Both processors have locked multipliers, and neither supports ECC memory. The clock speeds tell a significant story. The i7-3687U has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz. The i5-4250U has a base clock of 1300.00 MHz (1.30 GHz) and a boost clock of 2.60 GHz. The i7 has a 17 W TDP, while the i5 has a 15 W TDP. The release dates are separated by several months, with the i7-3687U released in January 2013 and the i5-4250U in June 2013.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-3687U is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core, scoring 2231 against the i5-4250U's 1811, a 23.2% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-4250U win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the i5-4250U wins both Geekbench tests. It scores 1434 in multi-core versus 1044 for the i7-3687U, and 742 in single-core versus 526.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The average benchmark score for the i7-3687U is 773, and for the i5-4250U it is 756. The i7's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-680, has an average score of 772, a delta of 0.2%. The i5-4250U's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon E5450, has an average score of 756, a delta of -0.1%.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-3687U has a boost clock of 3.30 GHz, which is higher than the i5-4250U's boost clock of 2.60 GHz.

Q: What are the cache sizes for each processor?

A: Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The i7-3687U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-4250U has 3 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Are both processors built on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-3687U and the Intel Core i5-4250U are built on Intel's 22 nm process node and have a die size of 118 mm².

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a consistent pattern of the i7-3687U dominating the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7 scores 224 against 182, a 23.1% lead. This is the smallest of the i7's Cinebench wins. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test shows a score of 937 for the i7 and 760 for the i5, a 23.3% delta. The Cinebench R20 single-core test has the i7 at 132 and the i5 at 107, a 23.4% margin. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test sees the i7 at 2231 and the i5 at 1811, a 23.2% difference. The Cinebench R23 single-core test is the i7's largest win, with scores of 315 and 255, a 23.5% advantage. The consistency of these deltas, all clustering between 23.1% and 23.5%, suggests that the i7-3687U's advantage is uniform across both single-core and multi-core Cinebench workloads, regardless of the specific test version.

The i5-4250U's wins are fewer but larger. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5 scores 1434 against the i7's 1044. This is a 27.2% advantage for the i5. In Geekbench single-core, the i5 scores 742 against 526, a 29.1% lead. These are the two largest deltas in the entire head-to-head set. The i5-4250U's Geekbench wins are more decisive than the i7-3687U's Cinebench wins. The i7 wins by roughly 23% consistently, while the i5 wins by 27% to 29%. This means that in a mixed workload environment, the choice of benchmark matters enormously. The i7-3687U's 5 wins in the head-to-head set outnumber the i5's 2 wins, but the magnitude of the i5's wins is greater. The data shows that the i5-4250U is not just slightly better in Geekbench; it is significantly better, and that performance gap could be the deciding factor for users whose software relies on Geekbench-like operations.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several key differences between the two processors. The base clocks are notably different, with the i7-3687U running at 2.10 GHz and the i5-4250U running at 1300.00 MHz. The boost clocks also differ, with the i7 at 3.30 GHz and the i5 at 2.60 GHz. The TDP values are close but not identical, with the i7 at 17 W and the i5 at 15 W. The sockets are different, with the i7-3687U using Intel BGA 1023 and the i5-4250U using Intel BGA 1168. The shared L3 cache differs, with the i7 having 4 MB and the i5 having 3 MB. The integrated graphics are different, with the i7 featuring Intel HD 4000 and the i5 featuring Intel HD 5000. The architectures are different generations, with the i7 based on Ivy Bridge and the i5 based on Haswell. The transistor count is recorded for the i5-4250U at 1,400 million, but no transistor count is recorded for the i7-3687U. The memory support is DDR3 for both, but the dual-channel configuration is explicitly recorded only for the i7-3687U. The release dates differ, with the i7-3687U released in January 2013 and the i5-4250U released in June 2013. The part numbers also differ, with the i7-3687U listed as SR0XH and the i5-4250U listed as SR16M. Both processors have 2 cores, 4 threads, 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 22 nm process nodes, 118 mm² die sizes, locked multipliers, and no ECC memory support. The market segment for both is Mobile.