Intel Core i5-8279U

The Intel Core i5-8279U is a 4-core, 8-thread mobile processor from the Coffee Lake-U family, released in April 2019. It runs at a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 28W TDP. Its average benchmark score of 2005 places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, and its launch MSRP was $320. The chip is built on a 14 nm process with 2,300 million transistors on a 126 mm² die, and it pairs with an integrated Iris Pro Plus 655 GPU. Benchmark results across Cinebench R15, R20, R23, and Geekbench show a consistent balance between single-thread and multi-thread capability, though its overall performance sits within a very tight cluster of comparable mobile parts.

Who Should Consider It

Users who run multi-threaded creation workloads—such as video encoding, 3D rendering, or batch image processing—will find the i5-8279U serviceable. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6380 is the highest single benchmark in the pack, and the R20 multi-core score of 2679 reinforces that the 8 threads are put to good use. For office productivity, web browsing, and document editing, the single-core scores are adequate: Geekbench single-core 1209, Cinebench R23 single-core 900, and R20 single-core 378. These numbers indicate responsive day-to-day performance, though not class-leading. For gaming, no dedicated gaming benchmarks are included in the data, so a direct assessment is impossible; however, the processor’s single-thread performance is statistically indistinguishable from its nearest rivals, meaning any frame-rate differences will come primarily from the GPU or system configuration rather than the CPU. Users who need a thin-and-light laptop for mixed use—some creation, some office, occasional gaming—will find the i5-8279U a reasonable, if unremarkable, choice.

How It Compares

The i5-8279U’s average benchmark score of 2005 places it in a very tight band around 2000 points. Against the Intel Core i7-7920HQ, which averages 2004, the i5-8279U leads by a margin of 0.1%—essentially a tie. The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H averages 2002, putting the i5-8279U 0.2% ahead, again a negligible difference. The Intel Core i5-8400H is the only rival that edges ahead, with an average score of 2010, making the i5-8279U 0.2% slower. Finally, the Intel Core i3-10305T averages 2000, and the i5-8279U leads it by 0.3%. All four rivals fall within a 0.3% window of the i5-8279U, so the data shows no meaningful performance separation. When choosing among these parts, factors like power efficiency, platform features, and availability will matter more than raw compute.

Power and Thermals

The i5-8279U has a TDP of 28W, which places it in the mainstream mobile power class. This is a moderate power envelope for a 4-core/8-thread part, and it implies that a cooling solution capable of sustaining 28W of heat dissipation is required. The 14 nm process node, with 2,300 million transistors on a 126 mm² die, is typical for a processor of this generation and power target. The 28W TDP allows for a compact cooling solution, suitable for ultraportable laptops, but it is not as low-power as a 15W U-series part nor as high-performance as a 45W H-series chip. The end-of-life production status suggests that thermal solutions were designed for this specific power class, and no unusual cooling requirements are indicated by the data.

Platform and Compatibility

The i5-8279U uses the Intel BGA 1526 socket, which is a ball-grid-array package soldered directly to the motherboard. This means there is no user-upgrade path; the processor is fixed in place. Memory support is DDR4 in dual-channel configuration, with a theoretical bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. ECC memory is not supported. For expansion, the CPU provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), which can be used for discrete GPUs, NVMe storage, or other peripherals. Integrated graphics come in the form of the Iris Pro Plus 655, which handles display output and basic graphics acceleration. The platform is designed for mobile systems, and its end-of-life status means that new designs are unlikely to use it, but existing laptops with this chip will continue to function with standard DDR4 memory and PCIe Gen 3 devices.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-8279U?

A: The launch MSRP is $320.

Q: Does the processor support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported.

Q: How many PCIe lanes does the CPU provide?

A: The CPU provides 16 lanes of PCIe Gen 3 (CPU only).

Q: Can the multiplier be unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the i5-8279U?

A: The dual-channel DDR4 memory configuration yields a bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

Q: Is the processor still in production?

A: No, it is marked as end-of-life.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark results reveal a clear split between single-thread and multi-thread performance. In Cinebench R15, the single-core score is 90, while the multi-core score is 642—a ratio of about 7.1. In R20, the scores are 378 (single) and 2679 (multi), a ratio of 7.1. In R23, the single-core score is 900 and the multi-core is 6380, a ratio of 7.1. Geekbench shows 1209 single and 3764 multi, a ratio of 3.1, but Geekbench’s multi-core scaling is less representative of thread-heavy workloads. The consistent ~7x scaling in Cinebench reflects the 4-core/8-thread configuration, where each physical core can handle two threads. This means that applications that can utilize more than four threads will see substantial gains over a quad-core without hyper-threading. For single-threaded tasks—such as many legacy applications or lightly threaded games—the performance is more modest, but the 4.10 GHz boost clock helps. The data suggests that the i5-8279U is best suited for workloads that can take advantage of its eight threads, while single-thread performance is adequate but not exceptional. Users who primarily run single-threaded software may not notice a significant difference compared to slower-clocked rivals, but those who encode video, compile code, or render 3D scenes will benefit from the multi-thread scaling.