Intel Core i5-8365UE vs Intel Core i7-3820QM Comparison

The Intel Core i7-3820QM and Intel Core i5-8365UE are both quad-core mobile processors, but they represent vastly different eras of Intel’s engineering. The benchmark data shows a remarkably close contest, with the older i7-3820QM taking every single head-to-head win, albeit by the narrowest of margins. Across six Cinebench tests, the i7-3820QM’s largest advantage is just 1.5%, making this one of the tightest generational matchups in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-3820QM sweeps the board, but its victories are purely symbolic in magnitude. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3820QM scores 481 against the i5-8365UE’s 474, a delta of 1.5%. The single-core R15 test tells the same story: 67 for the i7-3820QM versus 66 for the i5-8365UE, again a 1.5% edge. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-3820QM posts 2006 multi-core and 283 single-core, while the i5-8365UE trails at 1978 and 279, respectively. Both deltas sit at 1.4%. The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, where the i7-3820QM scores 4777 multi-core and 674 single-core, against the i5-8365UE’s 4710 and 665, with the same 1.4% gap. The data is unambiguous: the i7-3820QM wins all six benchmarks, but no single test shows a decisive performance advantage.

For context, the aggregate benchmark scores place these chips in the same percentile tier. The i7-3820QM has an average benchmark score of 1366, while the i5-8365UE sits at 1362. Both land in the 36th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival data confirms their equivalence: the i7-3820QM’s closest competitor is the AMD Opteron 6376 at 1370, a -0.3% delta, and the i5-8365UE’s closest is the Intel Core i5-6500T at 1362, a 0% delta. The two chips are also listed as nearest rivals to each other, with the i7-3820QM showing a +0.3% delta over the i5-8365UE. In practical terms, these processors are interchangeable in raw throughput, despite the seven-year gap in their release dates.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is stark. The i7-3820QM is built on Intel’s 22 nm Ivy Bridge process, featuring 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. Its successor in this comparison, the i5-8365UE, uses the 14 nm Whiskey Lake architecture, though the transistor count and die size for the latter are not listed in the data. The i7-3820QM’s larger, older process node gives it a 45 W TDP, while the i5-8365UE’s more modern 14 nm design sips power at just 15 W. This is a 30 W difference, which is the single most significant spec-level divergence between the two.

Cache configurations also differ. Both chips share the same per-core L1 and L2 caches: 64 KB and 256 KB per core, respectively. However, the i7-3820QM carries 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-8365UE has 6 MB. That 2 MB L3 advantage is notable for the older chip, potentially mitigating its lower boost clock. Integrated graphics differ as well: the i7-3820QM uses Intel HD 4000, while the i5-8365UE includes UHD Graphics 620, reflecting the newer GPU architecture in the Whiskey Lake part. The i5-8365UE also specifies DDR4 memory support with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only); the i7-3820QM’s memory support and PCIe details are not provided in the data.

Where Each One Wins

Despite the i7-3820QM’s clean sweep in Cinebench, the use-case split is more nuanced than the raw scores suggest. The i7-3820QM wins every benchmark, so it is technically the faster chip for all tested workloads. However, the margins are so slim—never exceeding 1.5%—that the i5-8365UE’s efficiency advantages could make it the better choice for sustained or thermally constrained scenarios. The data shows the i5-8365UE has a 4.10 GHz boost clock versus the i7-3820QM’s 3.70 GHz, yet it still loses in single-core tests. This implies the i7-3820QM’s larger L3 cache and older architecture extract more performance per clock, at least in Cinebench.

For multi-core workloads, the i7-3820QM’s 8 MB L3 cache versus 6 MB provides a real, if small, edge. The i5-8365UE counters with a 15 W TDP, which is exactly one-third of the i7-3820QM’s 45 W TDP. In a thin-and-light laptop, the i5-8365UE could sustain its boost clocks longer without thermal throttling, potentially closing the 1.4% multi-core gap in real-world use. The i7-3820QM, with its higher power budget, might be better suited to a thicker chassis with robust cooling. For pure benchmark scores, the i7-3820QM wins outright; for power-sensitive mobile designs, the i5-8365UE’s 15 W envelope is a decisive practical advantage.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs diverge on nearly every physical and platform specification. The i7-3820QM uses the Intel BGA 1224 socket, while the i5-8365UE uses Intel BGA 1528, meaning they are not interchangeable on any motherboard. The i7-3820QM is a 45 W part with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The i5-8365UE is a 15 W part with a base clock of 1600.00 MHz—note the data lists this in MHz, which is equivalent to 1.60 GHz—and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The i5-8365UE’s boost clock is 400 MHz higher, yet it still loses in single-core benchmarks, underscoring the architectural efficiency of the older Ivy Bridge design.

Process node is another major split: 22 nm for the i7-3820QM versus 14 nm for the i5-8365UE. The i7-3820QM has 1,400 million transistors and a 160 mm² die size; the i5-8365UE’s transistor count and die size are not listed. L3 cache is 8 MB versus 6 MB in favor of the i7-3820QM. Memory support is unspecified for the i7-3820QM, while the i5-8365UE explicitly supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The i5-8365UE also lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-3820QM has no PCIe data. Integrated graphics are Intel HD 4000 versus UHD Graphics 620. The i5-8365UE has a launch MSRP of $297; the i7-3820QM has no listed MSRP. Both chips have 4 cores and 8 threads, dual-channel memory buses, and no ECC support. Both are locked (multiplier unlocked: false) and target the mobile market segment. The i5-8365UE’s production status is “Active,” while the i7-3820QM’s status is not listed. Release dates show the i7-3820QM launching on 2012-04-28 and the i5-8365UE on 2019-04-15.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-8365UE has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, which is 400 MHz higher than the Intel Core i7-3820QM’s 3.70 GHz. Despite this, the i7-3820QM wins every single-core benchmark in the head-to-head data.

Q: How do the two chips compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-3820QM scores 4777 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core i5-8365UE scores 4710. This gives the i7-3820QM a 1.4% advantage, which is the same delta seen in the R20 multi-core test.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-3820QM has a TDP of 45 W, while the Intel Core i5-8365UE has a TDP of 15 W. The i5-8365UE uses 30 W less power, which is a significant efficiency advantage for mobile designs.

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

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-3820QM and the Intel Core i5-8365UE have 4 cores and 8 threads. They also share identical per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) cache sizes.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-3820QM has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core i5-8365UE has 6 MB. That 2 MB difference may contribute to the i7-3820QM’s benchmark wins.

Q: What are the socket requirements for each chip?

A: The Intel Core i7-3820QM uses the Intel BGA 1224 socket, while the Intel Core i5-8365UE uses the Intel BGA 1528 socket. The sockets are not compatible with each other.