Intel Core i5-8250U vs Intel Core i5-8350U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8350U and Intel Core i5-8250U are two nearly identical mobile processors from the same Kaby Lake-R refresh family. Both are four-core, eight-thread parts aimed at ultrathin laptops, and both were released on the same date. The database records show that the i5-8350U wins every single benchmark comparison between the two, a clean sweep of 17 wins against zero for the i5-8250U. The margins are consistent, generally hovering in the 4 to 7 percent range, which suggests a small but real clock-speed advantage rather than any architectural breakthrough.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is uniformity. Across all Cinebench and PassMark workloads, the Intel Core i5-8350U posts a higher score in every test. The largest single margin comes in PassMark extended instructions, where the i5-8350U scores 5243 against 4920 for the i5-8250U, a difference of 6.6 percent. Integer math follows closely at 6.5 percent, with the i5-8350U scoring 22244 versus 20885. These two workloads, which stress SIMD and ALU throughput, are the best case for the higher-clocked part.

The Cinebench suite shows a remarkably consistent pattern. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-8350U scores 521 against 495, a 5.3 percent lead. Single-core in the same test sees 73 versus 69, a 5.8 percent advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20, multicore results are 2172 versus 2065 for a 5.2 percent lead, and single-core is 306 versus 291, again 5.2 percent. Cinebench R23 repeats the pattern: multicore 5173 versus 4918, single-core 730 versus 694, both at 5.2 percent. The consistency across generations of the Cinebench test is notable; it indicates the performance gap is not workload-specific but rather a general property of the two chips.

In PassMark tests, the margins fluctuate slightly. Data compression shows the i5-8350U at 79781 versus 76521, a 4.3 percent lead. Data encryption is 2075 versus 1979, a 4.9 percent gap. Find prime numbers is 19 versus 18, a 5.6 percent edge. Floating point math is 13422 versus 12706, also 5.6 percent. Multithreaded performance is 6129 versus 5812, a 5.5 percent advantage. Physics scores are 428 versus 405, a 5.7 percent lead. Random string sorting shows the narrowest margin at 3.8 percent, with 10651 versus 10257. Single-thread performance is 1996 versus 1886, a 5.8 percent gap.

The aggregate picture is clear: the i5-8350U is faster in every measured category, with most margins between 4 and 6 percent. The average benchmark score for the i5-8350U is 8998, compared to 8577 for the i5-8250U, a difference of roughly 5 percent overall. This is not a case where one chip wins in multithreaded workloads and the other wins in single-threaded tasks. The i5-8350U dominates both, which points to a straightforward clock-frequency advantage.

Architecture Differences

At the architectural level, the two processors are essentially identical. Both use the Kaby Lake architecture, specifically the Kaby Lake-R codename, and both are fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node. The die size is the same at 123 mm², and both are built by Intel's own foundry. The cache hierarchy is identical: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have the same integrated graphics in the form of UHD 620.

The only meaningful difference in the specification data lies in clock speeds. The Intel Core i5-8350U has a base clock of 1700.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The Intel Core i5-8250U has a base clock of 1600.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. That 100 MHz difference at base and 200 MHz at boost is the entire source of the performance gap observed in benchmarks. The 5.2 to 5.8 percent margins in Cinebench correlate well with the boost clock difference of about 5.9 percent, suggesting the chips are running at their respective boost clocks during single-threaded tests and that the multicore tests also scale proportionally.

Both processors share the same socket, Intel BGA 1356, and the same 15 W TDP. They belong to the same generation and product family, with the same part family name of Kaby Lake-U Refresh. The part numbers differ, SR3L9 for the i5-8350U and SR3LA for the i5-8250U, which is the only other distinguishing identifier in the database. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so the clock difference is fixed at the factory.

The memory support is also the same, with both supporting DDR4. No memory bus width or bandwidth figures are recorded, so any comparison there is not possible from the data. PCIe configuration is also unrecorded for both. The integrated graphics are the same UHD 620, with no additional graphics specifications given. Production status is listed as Active for both, and both were released on the same date in August 2017.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-8350U is the faster processor in every test recorded, and the margins are consistent enough to be considered a reliable performance tier above the i5-8250U. For users who prioritize raw compute throughput, whether in Cinebench rendering, PassMark integer math, or data encryption, the i5-8350U is the better choice. The 5.5 percent lead in PassMark multithread and the 5.2 percent lead in Cinebench R23 multicore translate to tangible time savings in CPU-bound workloads.

However, the i5-8250U is not a weak processor. Its average benchmark score of 8577 places it in the 64th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the i5-8350U sits at the 65th percentile. The difference in percentile ranking is small, and both chips are firmly in mid-pack territory for mobile processors. The i5-8250U's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-10510U at a 0 percent delta and the Intel Core i5-8265U at a 0.1 percent advantage for the i5-8250U. That means the i5-8250U is effectively performance-equivalent to those parts, which are themselves common in mainstream laptops.

The i5-8350U, by contrast, sits alongside the Intel Core i5-1135G7 at a 0.6 percent disadvantage and the Intel Xeon Gold 6330 at a 0.7 percent advantage. That comparison is notable because the Xeon Gold 6330 is a server-class chip, yet the i5-8350U scores within 0.7 percent of it in the database's average benchmark score. For a 15 W mobile part, that is a strong showing.

For laptop buyers, the choice is straightforward. If the option exists between these two specific processors, the i5-8350U is the better performer in every measured category. The i5-8250U only makes sense if it comes at a lower price, but pricing data is not part of this analysis. From a pure performance standpoint, the i5-8350U wins all 17 head-to-head comparisons and carries a 5 percent higher average benchmark score. The 64th versus 65th percentile ranking shows that both are comparable in the broader CPU landscape, but within this pairing, the i5-8350U is the clear leader.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in exactly three recorded specification fields. The first is base clock: the i5-8350U runs at 1700.00 MHz while the i5-8250U runs at 1600.00 MHz. The second is boost clock: 3.60 GHz for the i5-8350U versus 3.40 GHz for the i5-8250U. The third is the part number, SR3L9 for the i5-8350U and SR3LA for the i5-8250U.

All other specifications are identical. Both have 4 cores and 8 threads. Both have a 15 W TDP and use the Intel BGA 1356 socket. Both are Kaby Lake architecture with the Kaby Lake-R codename, built on Intel's 14 nm process with a 123 mm² die size. Both have 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. Both support DDR4 memory, lack ECC support, and feature UHD 620 integrated graphics. Both are mobile segment parts, currently Active in production, released on the same date, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The manufacturer, foundry, and market segment are all the same.

The absence of any cache or node difference reinforces that the performance gap comes entirely from the clock speed delta. A 200 MHz higher boost clock on the i5-8350U yields roughly 5 to 6 percent higher scores across the board, which is approximately linear scaling. There is no evidence of a hidden advantage such as a larger cache or a different process bin.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U scores 5173, while the Intel Core i5-8250U scores 4918, giving the i5-8350U a 5.2 percent lead.

Q: Do the two processors have the same number of cores and threads?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the difference in boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U has a boost clock of 3.60 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-8250U has a boost clock of 3.40 GHz, a difference of 200 MHz.

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

A: Yes, both are fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node with a die size of 123 mm².

Q: How does the i5-8350U compare to the Intel Core i5-1135G7 in the database?

A: The i5-1135G7 has an average score of 9053, which is 0.6 percent higher than the i5-8350U's average score of 8998.

Q: Does the i5-8250U win any benchmark against the i5-8350U?

A: No. Out of 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the i5-8350U wins all 17, with the i5-8250U recording zero wins.

Q: What integrated graphics do both processors feature?

A: Both integrate Intel UHD 620 graphics.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: The i5-8350U is in the 65th percentile of all CPUs, while the i5-8250U is in the 64th percentile, a difference of one percentile point.