Intel Core i5-8265U vs Intel Core i5-8350U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8350U and Intel Core i5-8265U are two 15-watt mobile processors that target similar ultrathin laptops, yet the recorded benchmarks show a clear and consistent performance gap. Both chips share the same core and thread configuration, but the 8350U, built on the older Kaby Lake architecture, outperforms the newer Whiskey Lake-based 8265U across nearly every workload in the database. This analysis relies exclusively on measured scores and recorded specifications to explain which processor delivers more compute throughput and where the 8265U manages to reclaim a small advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U has a base clock of 1700 MHz, while the Intel Core i5-8265U runs at a lower 1600 MHz base clock.

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

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-8350U and the Intel Core i5-8265U feature 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, and by how much?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U scores 5173 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core i5-8265U scores 4482, resulting in a 15.4% advantage for the 8350U.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the Intel Core i5-8265U comes out ahead?

A: Yes, in the PassMark single-thread test, the 8265U scores 2030 compared to the 8350U's 1996, a 1.7% lead for the 8265U.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U has an average benchmark score of 8998, while the Intel Core i5-8265U averages 8568, placing the 8350U about 5% higher overall.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-8350U is listed as Active, while the Intel Core i5-8265U is marked as End-of-life.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i5-8350U as the better-performing processor for almost all compute tasks. It wins 15 of the 17 recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with the only exceptions being two identical PassMark single-thread results that favor the 8265U by a narrow margin. In rendering, encryption, compression, and general multithreaded workloads, the 8350U consistently leads by margins ranging from 3.2% to 15.9%. For users who prioritize raw CPU throughput in mobile systems, the 8350U is the clear choice based on the recorded measurements.

The Intel Core i5-8265U still holds value in one specific area: single-threaded responsiveness. Its PassMark single-thread score of 2030 edges out the 8350U's 1996, and its higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz compared to 3.60 GHz supports that result. However, that 1.7% advantage does little to offset the 8265U's losses in every Cinebench test and nearly every PassMark workload. The 8265U also carries a launch MSRP of $297, but pricing considerations aside, the benchmark data shows the older 8350U delivering superior performance in the vast majority of scenarios.

Buyers should select the 8350U if their workloads involve multi-threaded applications, content creation, or any task that scales across cores. The 8265U only makes sense when the absolute best single-thread score is the deciding factor, and even then the difference is minimal. Given the 8350U's active production status and its consistent benchmark lead, the database clearly favors it for general mobile computing.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the 8350U's dominance in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 8350U scores 521 against the 8265U's 451, a 15.5% margin. The single-core R15 test shows a similar gap, with 73 versus 63, a 15.9% lead. Moving to Cinebench R20, the 8350U posts 2172 multi-core and 306 single-core, while the 8265U manages 1882 and 265 respectively, yielding 15.4% and 15.5% advantages. Cinebench R23 follows the same trend: 5173 versus 4482 in multi-core (15.4% lead) and 730 versus 632 in single-core (15.5% lead). These consistent double-digit margins across three generations of Cinebench indicate a substantial architectural efficiency advantage for the 8350U in rendering workloads.

The PassMark results tell a slightly different story, with smaller but still consistent wins for the 8350U. In data compression, the 8350U scores 79781 versus 76049, a 4.9% lead. Data encryption shows 2075 against 1961, a 5.8% advantage. Extended instructions favor the 8350U at 5243 versus 4904, a 6.9% margin. Prime number finding is close, 19 versus 18, a 5.6% lead. Floating-point math sees the 8350U at 13422 against 12963, a 3.5% edge, while integer math shows 22244 versus 21560, a 3.2% lead. The multithread score is 6129 versus 5838, a 5% margin, and physics tests put the 8350U at 428 versus 405, a 5.7% advantage. Random string sorting rounds out the 8350U wins at 10651 versus 10117, a 5.3% lead.

The only benchmark where the 8265U takes the win is PassMark single-thread, where it scores 2030 against the 8350U's 1996. That 1.7% difference appears twice in the database, once under the single_thread label and once under singlethread, but it is the same test result. This single victory highlights the 8265U's higher boost clock, yet it cannot overcome the 8350U's superiority across the other 15 tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge in several key specifications despite sharing the same core count and thread count. The base clock differs, with the 8350U at 1700 MHz and the 8265U at 1600 MHz, a 100 MHz advantage for the 8350U. However, the boost clock reverses this relationship: the 8265U reaches 3.90 GHz while the 8350U tops out at 3.60 GHz, giving the 8265U a 300 MHz higher ceiling.

The socket is another differentiating factor. The 8350U uses Intel BGA 1356, while the 8265U uses Intel BGA 1528, meaning they are not interchangeable on the same motherboard. The die size also differs, with the 8350U measuring 123 mm² while the 8265U has no recorded die size in the database. The memory bus configuration is only specified for the 8265U, which lists dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the 8350U's memory bus and bandwidth are not recorded. PCIe support is likewise only noted for the 8265U, which offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the 8350U has no PCIe data in the database.

Release dates set the two apart as well. The 8350U launched on August 20, 2017, while the 8265U arrived over a year later on September 30, 2018. Production status differs, with the 8350U still Active and the 8265U listed as End-of-life. The part numbers are unique, SR3L9 for the 8350U and SRFFXSREJQSREJR for the 8265U. The 8265U also has a recorded launch MSRP of $297, while the 8350U has no launch price in the database. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both support DDR4 memory without ECC.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two chips is notable because the newer processor does not outperform the older one. The 8350U is built on Kaby Lake architecture with the codename Kaby Lake-R, while the 8265U uses Whiskey Lake architecture with the codename Whiskey Lake-U. Both are fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node and produced by Intel's foundry, so the process technology is identical. The integrated graphics differ slightly in naming: the 8350U lists UHD 620, while the 8265U lists UHD Graphics 620, though both are the same generation of Intel integrated graphics.

Cache configurations are identical across both processors. Each core has 64 KB of L1 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache, and both share 6 MB of L3 cache. The total L3 cache is not recorded as a separate field for either chip, but the shared 6 MB figure applies to both. With the same cache hierarchy, the performance differences cannot be attributed to cache capacity.

The 8265U's Whiskey Lake architecture does bring some platform-level updates, such as the recorded dual-channel memory bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, as well as Gen 3 PCIe with 16 lanes. The 8350U's Kaby Lake-R architecture does not have these details recorded, so a direct comparison of memory bandwidth and PCIe throughput is not possible from the available data. What the benchmarks show is that the 8350U's Kaby Lake implementation delivers higher instruction throughput in rendering and compute tasks, despite the 8265U's newer Whiskey Lake branding and higher boost clock.

The 8265U's advantage in single-thread PassMark likely stems from its 3.90 GHz boost clock, which exceeds the 8350U's 3.60 GHz by 300 MHz. Yet in Cinebench single-core tests, the 8350U still wins by roughly 15%, suggesting that the 8350U's architecture sustains higher effective performance under those specific workloads. The 8265U's Whiskey Lake architecture may prioritize power efficiency or platform features over raw compute, but the measured data does not show a performance benefit for the newer design. With the 8350U at 65th percentile versus the 8265U at 64th percentile among all CPUs, the database places the 8350U slightly higher in overall standing, reinforcing its benchmark lead.