Intel Core i5-8305G

The Intel Core i5-8305G is a 4-core, 8-thread mobile processor built on Intel’s 14 nm process with the Kaby Lake G architecture. It runs at a 2.80 GHz base clock, boosts to 3.80 GHz, and is rated at a 65 W TDP. Benchmark data places it at the 44th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1867. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around that average, with deltas ranging from -0.7% to +0.6%, so this part is best understood as a mid-pack mobile chip in a very close performance group.

How It Compares

Against the Intel Xeon D-1531, the data shows a tie. The Core i5-8305G averages 1867, while the Xeon D-1531 averages 1866, and the deltaPct is 0. In practical terms, the two CPUs are interchangeable in aggregate benchmark results, even though they are different product types.

Against the Intel Core i7-8706G, the Core i5-8305G is slightly behind. The i7-8706G averages 1872, and the deltaPct is -0.2, meaning the i5-8305G trails by 0.2%. That is a very narrow margin, well within what a single workload difference could mask.

Against the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v4, the Core i5-8305G comes out slightly ahead. The Xeon averages 1856, and the deltaPct is 0.6, so the i5-8305G leads by 0.6%. Again, the gap is small, but the direction is in this CPU’s favor.

Against the Intel Core i3-9100F, the Core i5-8305G has its largest listed deficit. The i3-9100F averages 1881, and the deltaPct is -0.7, so the i5-8305G is 0.7% behind. That is still a tiny margin, and it reinforces the picture of a tightly grouped set of rivals.

Power and Thermals

The Core i5-8305G is specified at a 65 W TDP. For a mobile processor, that is a substantial thermal budget. A laptop using this chip needs a cooling solution capable of managing a 65 W sustained load, rather than a low-power passive design. The fact pack does not list cooling hardware, so the only thermal constant available is the 65 W figure. That number implies the i5-8305G belongs in a performance-class mobile chassis, not an ultra-compact fanless system. The 3.80 GHz boost clock depends on that thermal envelope; in a chassis that cannot sustain cooling, the processor would not be able to hold peak performance. The benchmark results in the pack likely reflect a system with adequate cooling, but the thermal behavior under extended all-core loads is not documented here.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The single-thread scores are consistently low but functional: 84 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 350 in Cinebench R20 single-core, 834 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 1150 in Geekbench single-core. The multi-thread scores are much higher: 595 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 2481 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, 5908 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 3536 in Geekbench multi-core. The base clock of 2.80 GHz is modest, but the 3.80 GHz boost clock gives single-thread workloads a clear speed advantage when only one or two cores are active. The multi-thread results show that the 4-core/8-thread design can extract additional throughput from parallel workloads. The Cinebench series shows a larger spread between single-thread and multi-thread scores than Geekbench does, which suggests these test suites weight parallel execution differently. For real workloads, the meaning is straightforward: serial tasks rely on the Kaby Lake core and the boost clock, while rendering, encoding, and other threaded tasks benefit from the 8 threads. The multi-thread ceiling is still bounded by the modest core count, so heavily threaded high-end workloads will not scale as far as they would on a higher-core part.

Who Should Consider It

The Core i5-8305G sits at the 44th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1867. That places it below the center of the database, so it is not a top-throughput part. It is best suited for users who need a mobile platform with a 4-core/8-thread CPU and integrated graphics in the same package. The integrated Radeon RX Vega M GL is a significant feature: it provides a graphics path without requiring a separate discrete GPU. For gaming, the CPU’s single-thread scores, such as the 834 R23 single-core result and the 1150 Geekbench single-core result, are the more relevant figures for many game engines. The multi-thread scores, especially the 5908 R23 multi-core result and 3536 Geekbench multi-core result, point to moderate capability for video editing, rendering, or other creation tasks. Office workloads are well within reach; the 3.80 GHz boost clock helps keep everyday applications responsive, and the 8 threads allow background tasks to spread across cores. Users who run sustained all-core workloads on a regular basis will likely want a CPU with more cores, but the i5-8305G can handle mixed workloads in a mobile chassis.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark set includes four test suites. In Cinebench R15, the i5-8305G scores 595 multi-core and 84 single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 2481 multi-core and 350 single-core. In Cinebench R23, it scores 5908 multi-core and 834 single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 3536 multi-core and 1150 single-core. The average benchmark score is 1867, which is the value used for the nearest-rival comparisons.

The deltaPct numbers against the nearest rivals are exact and small. The Xeon D-1531 has an average score of 1866 and a deltaPct of 0, so the i5-8305G is at parity. The Core i7-8706G has an average score of 1872 and a deltaPct of -0.2, so the i5-8305G is 0.2% behind. The Xeon E5-1630 v4 has an average score of 1856 and a deltaPct of 0.6, so the i5-8305G is 0.6% ahead. The Core i3-9100F has an average score of 1881 and a deltaPct of -0.7, so the i5-8305G is 0.7% behind. These margins are tiny. The entire rival group spans from 1856 to 1881, a very narrow band, and the i5-8305G lands in the middle of it. In aggregate, the data cannot separate this CPU from its nearest rivals in any meaningful way; the differences are fractions of a percent. The individual Cinebench and Geekbench scores provide more texture than the average alone, but they do not change the conclusion that the i5-8305G is a solidly mid-range part in a crowded performance cluster.

Platform and Compatibility

The Core i5-8305G uses the Intel BGA 2270 socket, and its market segment is Mobile. It was released on 2018-01-31 and its production status is Active. The architecture is Kaby Lake, with the codename Kaby Lake G and the generation listed as Core i5 (Kaby Lake-G). The process node is 14 nm, and the foundry is Intel. The cache hierarchy is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4, though the fact pack does not list memory bus width, memory bandwidth, or PCIe specifications. ECC memory is not supported, which is consistent with a consumer-oriented mobile part. The multiplier is locked, so overclocking is not available. Because the socket is Intel BGA 2270, the CPU is mounted to the board; the upgrade path is therefore tied to the host system rather than a simple socket swap. Systems built around this CPU are closed mobile platforms, and any future CPU upgrade would require a different motherboard or platform.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Core i5-8305G use?

A: It uses the Intel BGA 2270 socket.

Q: What is the TDP of the Intel Core i5-8305G?

A: Its TDP is 65 W.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-8305G support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory support is false.

Q: What integrated graphics does the Intel Core i5-8305G include?

A: It includes the Radeon RX Vega M GL integrated graphics.

Q: What is the average benchmark score of the Intel Core i5-8305G?

A: Its average benchmark score is 1867, and it sits at the 44th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: When was the Intel Core i5-8305G released?

A: It was released on 2018-01-31.