CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-5250U
Core i7-920
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Core i5-5250U vs Intel Core i7-920
The Intel Core i7-920 and Intel Core i5-5250U represent two very different eras of Intel design: a 2008 desktop flagship with a 130 W power envelope versus a 2015 mobile part drawing just 15 W. Despite their disparate origins, their average benchmark scores land close together, 840 for the i7-920 and 856 for the i5-5250U, placing them within 2% of each other in overall performance. The data shows a clear split: the older desktop chip wins every head-to-head Cinebench test, while the newer mobile chip counters with superior efficiency and a much higher percentile ranking among all CPUs.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The i7-920 wins all five recorded head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with margins that are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-920 scores 246 against the i5-5250U’s 209, a 17.7% advantage. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i7-920 posts 1025 versus 873, a 17.4% lead. The R23 multicore test shows a similar gap: 2442 for the i7-920 against 2079 for the i5-5250U, a 17.5% difference. These multicore results are not surprising given the i7-920’s 4 cores and 8 threads versus the i5-5250U’s 2 cores and 4 threads.
More telling is the single-core performance. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-920 scores 144 versus the i5-5250U’s 123, a 17.1% advantage. The R23 single-core test shows 344 versus 293, a 17.4% gap. This is significant because the i5-5250U has a much newer architecture (Broadwell versus Nehalem) and a higher base clock (1600 MHz versus 2.67 GHz, though the i7-920 boosts higher). Despite the architectural advancements, the i7-920’s higher boost clock of 2.93 GHz and its larger 8 MB L3 cache appear to give it a decisive edge in per-thread performance.
The deltaPct values in the head-to-head data are all between 17.1% and 17.7%, showing a very uniform performance spread. This consistency suggests the i7-920’s advantage is not workload-specific but rather a fundamental throughput edge across the Cinebench suite. The i5-5250U’s only victories come in benchmarks not shared in the head-to-head table: Geekbench multicore (1587) and Geekbench single-core (825), which are listed only for the i5-5250U. However, these cannot be directly compared since the i7-920 has no Geekbench scores in the data. The wins tally is 5 for the i7-920 and 0 for the i5-5250U, making the overall picture unambiguous: in pure compute, the older desktop part dominates.
Architecture Differences
The architectural gap between these two chips is vast. The i7-920 uses the Nehalem architecture on a 45 nm process at Intel’s foundry, featuring 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. The i5-5250U uses Broadwell on a 14 nm process, also at Intel, with 1,900 million transistors on a much smaller 133 mm² die. This represents a dramatic increase in transistor density, roughly 2.6 times more transistors in half the die area, which explains how the i5-5250U achieves competitive single-thread performance at a fraction of the power.
Core and cache configurations differ sharply. The i7-920 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-5250U has 2 cores and 4 threads. Both share the same L1 cache at 64 KB per core and L2 at 256 KB per core, but the L3 cache is a major differentiator: the i7-920 provides 8 MB shared versus the i5-5250U’s 3 MB shared. This 5 MB difference likely contributes to the i7-920’s multicore advantage, as more cache can reduce memory stalls in multi-threaded workloads.
Memory support also diverges. The i7-920 uses triple-channel DDR3, while the i5-5250U uses dual-channel DDR3 with a listed memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. The i7-920 has no listed memory bandwidth figure, but triple-channel architecture generally provides higher throughput. Both support DDR3, but the i5-5250U’s integrated memory controller is more modern. PCIe support is Gen 2 on both, though the i5-5250U specifies 12 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-920 lists no lane count. The i5-5250U includes integrated graphics, Intel HD 6000, while the i7-920 has none, a critical difference for systems without discrete GPUs.
Power consumption is the starkest contrast: the i7-920 draws 130 W TDP versus the i5-5250U’s 15 W. That is an 8.7x difference in thermal design power. The i7-920 uses a socketed design (Intel Socket 1366), while the i5-5250U is soldered (Intel BGA 1168), reflecting their desktop and mobile market segments respectively. The i7-920 was released on 2008-11-16, the i5-5250U on 2015-02-28, a gap of over six years. Both are end-of-life, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.
The Verdict
From the data alone, the choice depends entirely on use case and system constraints. If raw compute performance is the sole criterion, the Intel Core i7-920 is the clear winner: it outperforms the i5-5250U by 17.1% to 17.7% across all Cinebench tests. Its 4 cores and 8 threads provide a structural advantage in multi-threaded workloads, and its single-core scores are also higher, which is unexpected given the i5-5250U’s newer architecture. The i7-920’s 8 MB L3 cache versus 3 MB likely explains part of this edge.
However, the i5-5250U is not without merits. Its average benchmark score of 856 is slightly higher than the i7-920’s 840, and its percentile ranking among all CPUs is 23 versus 22, indicating that relative to the entire CPU landscape, it performs marginally better. The i5-5250U’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-2500T (equal score of 856) and the AMD A8-7650K (860, 0.5% faster), while the i7-920 sits with the Intel Xeon X5470 (839, 0.1% faster) and Intel Core i5-3380M (838, 0.2% faster). These rival comparisons show both chips are in similar performance tiers, despite their different architectures.
For a system builder prioritizing low power and integrated graphics, the i5-5250U is the only viable choice, the i7-920 has no iGPU and requires a separate graphics card. The i5-5250U’s 15 W TDP enables fanless or compact designs, while the i7-920’s 130 W TDP mandates substantial cooling. For a desktop workstation where power is not a concern, the i7-920’s superior multi-core throughput is decisive. The data does not support any claim of the i5-5250U being faster in compute, only that it is more efficient and newer.
Specification Differences
The table below lists only the fields where the two processors differ, based on the the benchmark database data.
| Specification | Intel Core i7-920 | Intel Core i5-5250U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 4 | 2 |
| Threads | 8 | 4 |
| Base Clock | 2.67 GHz | 1600 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2.93 GHz | 2.70 GHz |
| TDP | 130 W | 15 W |
| Socket | Intel Socket 1366 | Intel BGA 1168 |
| Architecture | Nehalem | Broadwell |
| Codename | Bloomfield | Broadwell-U |
| Generation | Core i7 (Bloomfield) | Core i5 (Broadwell-U) |
| Process Node | 45 nm | 14 nm |
| Transistors | 731 million | 1,900 million |
| Die Size | 263 mm² | 133 mm² |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 3 MB (shared) |
| Memory Bus | Triple-channel | Dual-channel |
| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 29.9 GB/s |
| PCIe | Gen 2 (no lane count) | Gen 2, 12 Lanes (CPU only) |
| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel HD 6000 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |
| Release Date | 2008-11-16 | 2015-02-28 |
| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $315 |
| Part Number | SLBCHSLBEJ | SR26C |
FAQ
Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?
A: The Intel Core i7-920 scores 2442, which is 17.5% higher than the i5-5250U’s 2079.
Q: Does the i5-5250U have a higher average benchmark score than the i7-920?
A: Yes. The i5-5250U’s average benchmark score is 856, while the i7-920’s is 840, a difference of 16 points.
Q: What is the TDP difference between the two chips?
A: The i7-920 has a TDP of 130 W, while the i5-5250U has a TDP of 15 W, making the i7-920 draw approximately 8.7 times more power.
Q: Does the i7-920 have integrated graphics?
A: No. The i7-920 lists no integrated graphics, whereas the i5-5250U includes Intel HD 6000.
Q: How do the core counts compare?
A: The i7-920 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-5250U has 2 cores and 4 threads.
Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the i5-5250U?
A: The i5-5250U has a listed memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s, using dual-channel DDR3. The i7-920 uses triple-channel DDR3 but has no bandwidth figure listed.