Intel Core i5-5200U

The Intel Core i5-5200U is a mobile Broadwell-U processor with 2 cores and 4 threads, a 2.20 GHz base clock, a 2.70 GHz boost clock, a 15 W TDP, and Intel HD 5500 integrated graphics. It ranks at the 22nd percentile of all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 852. The nearest rivals in the aggregate data are the Intel Xeon X5492, AMD Athlon X4 830, Intel Core i5-2500T, and Intel Xeon W3520, and all of them land within a very tight range of the i5-5200U’s score.

How It Compares

Against the Intel Xeon X5492, the i5-5200U is a dead tie. Both chips post an average benchmark score of 852, and the deltaPct is 0. The two parts come from very different market positions, but the aggregate benchmark data treats them as equivalent performers.

Compared to the AMD Athlon X4 830, the i5-5200U is 0.4% higher. The Athlon’s average score is 848, which is the lowest score in this nearest-rival cluster. A 0.4% gap is negligible in practice, but the direction favors the Core i5.

Compared to the Intel Core i5-2500T, the i5-5200U is 0.5% lower. The i5-2500T’s average score is 856, and the deltaPct of -0.5 means the i5-5200U sits just behind. This is still an extremely small margin, close enough that benchmark variance can reorder the two chips.

Compared to the Intel Xeon W3520, the i5-5200U is also 0.5% lower. The Xeon W3520 averages 857, the highest score in this group. In aggregate, the i5-5200U is not an outlier in either direction; it sits in the middle of a cluster that spans from 848 to 857.

Power and Thermals

The 15 W TDP is the defining thermal number for this processor. It places the i5-5200U in the low-power mobile class, where cooling is designed around a compact system rather than a high-airflow desktop tower. The 14 nm process, 82 mm² die size, and 1,300 million transistors are consistent with a small, low-heat design.

Because the package is Intel BGA 1168 and the market segment is Mobile, the cooling solution is part of the original system. This is not a socketed desktop chip that a builder would pair with a third-party cooler; it is an integrated mobile processor. The 15 W TDP implies that a modest low-profile cooling solution can handle the thermal load for everyday work. The multiplier is not unlocked, so there is no overclocking headroom to push thermals higher.

The base clock of 2.20 GHz and boost clock of 2.70 GHz operate within that tight power envelope. Sustained performance will depend on the host laptop’s cooling implementation, but the low TDP means the i5-5200U will not demand the kind of cooling hardware associated with high-performance desktop CPUs.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

Single-thread performance is the weaker side of this processor. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 126. In Cinebench R23, it is 300. Geekbench single-core is 786. These are low numbers, and they reflect the chip’s modest boost ceiling and low-power mobile design.

Multi-thread performance is higher in absolute terms. Cinebench R15 multi-core is 214, Cinebench R20 multi-core is 894, Cinebench R23 multi-core is 2129, and Geekbench multi-core is 1513. The processor has only 2 cores and 4 threads, so the multi-core results are still limited by that narrow physical core count.

The Cinebench R20 and R23 multi-core scores are several times higher than their single-core scores in this dataset. Geekbench shows a more conservative relationship, with multi-core at 1513 and single-core at 786. For real workloads, the practical consequence is that lightly threaded tasks will not get much help from the extra thread count, while threaded tasks can use the 4 threads and produce stronger results than a pure 2-core chip. The shared 3 MB L3 and dual-channel DDR3 memory access keep the processor from being completely starved in multithreaded work, but the ceiling remains low.

Who Should Consider It

This processor belongs in an office laptop or a secondary mobile system. The 15 W TDP, integrated Intel HD 5500 graphics, and 22nd percentile standing make it suitable for web work, document editing, and media playback. Those workloads do not lean heavily on single-core performance or sustained multi-core throughput, so the low scores are less of a limitation.

Creation-oriented users should treat the i5-5200U as a light-duty option, not a primary render machine. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 2129 is enough for occasional rendering tasks, but the 2-core, 4-thread architecture will be a bottleneck for longer, heavier creation sessions. The Geekbench multi-core score of 1513 reinforces that the chip can multitask for a while, but it does not have the core count for serious parallel work.

Gaming is not a realistic target for this CPU based on the score profile. The Cinebench R20 single-core score of 126 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 300 are far below the levels expected for demanding game logic. The integrated graphics is Intel HD 5500, and there is no discrete GPU built into the processor. This chip is best left to productivity and general use rather than gaming.

The i5-5200U is also only relevant to systems that already use it. Since it is end-of-life and packaged in a BGA socket, it is not a reasonable part for a new DIY desktop build. A buyer evaluating an older laptop with this chip should set expectations around light office work, not high-end performance.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score of 852 places the i5-5200U at the 22nd percentile of all CPUs in the database. That is a low position. Looking at its own benchmark results, the multi-core scores are the strongest part of the profile: Cinebench R15 multi-core at 214, Cinebench R20 multi-core at 894, Cinebench R23 multi-core at 2129, and Geekbench multi-core at 1513.

The single-core results tell a different story. Cinebench R20 single-core is 126, Cinebench R23 single-core is 300, and Geekbench single-core is 786. These are the numbers that keep the chip in the lower percentile range. The aggregate average does not hide this imbalance; it simply mixes the two together into an 852 score.

Against the nearest rivals, the exact deltas are clear. The i5-5200U is at 0% relative to the Intel Xeon X5492, which also has an average score of 852. It is 0.4% higher than the AMD Athlon X4 830 at 848. It is 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i5-2500T at 856. It is also 0.5% lower than the Intel Xeon W3520 at 857.

None of these deltas represent a meaningful performance advantage or disadvantage. All four rival scores sit in the same tight band around 852. The i5-5200U should be considered a peer of these parts. In this benchmark database, the CPU is not defined by the half-percent edges over or behind its rivals; it is defined by the low 22nd percentile placement and the weak single-core numbers.

Platform and Compatibility

The Intel Core i5-5200U uses the Intel BGA 1168 socket. Since the market segment is Mobile, this is a board-integrated processor rather than a socketed drop-in part. The upgrade path for a system using this CPU is the entire motherboard or laptop, not a processor swap.

Memory support is DDR3 over a dual-channel bus, rated at 25.6 GB/s. ECC memory is not supported, so the platform is aimed at mainstream client systems, not error-corrected workstation setups. The cache layout is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3.

PCIe support is Gen 2 with 12 lanes from the CPU. This is a limited PCIe configuration, and the CPU-only lane count leaves expansion options constrained by the mobile platform. Integrated graphics are provided by Intel HD 5500, so no separate GPU is included in the CPU package. The multiplier is locked, meaning there is no enthusiast overclocking control. The part number is SR23Y.

The processor was released on February 28, 2015 and is end-of-life. A system built around this chip is a fixed, closed platform with DDR3 memory and BGA packaging. It should be treated as an integrated appliance rather than a future upgrade base. The launch MSRP was $281.