Which Intel Core i5 Processor is the Best: mid-range mobile CPU for portables

Intel Core i5 has always been the best mid-range processor for the masses be it to power the desktop or laptop. The proof in the pudding is in the shear number of choice from manufacturers when it comes to laptops powered by the mobile CPUs in this class. The options are just mind-boggling but here to make your job easier is our article on how to present which is the best Intel Core i5 processor.

How to Identify Intel Core i5 Processors

The quickest way to identify and a processor from Intel is to look at its model number. The first two numbers to follow the Core i5 moniker points to the generation of the chip. For example Intel Core i5-12XXX is from the 12th generation while Intel Core i5-11XXX is from the 11th generation and so on. For mobile processors, there is also the suffix. Within the 12th generation chips, the suffix H is used to represent high performance processors while P and U are energy efficient processors.

As for the 11th generation chips, the suffix H is again used for high performance parts while the G1 and G7 are used for the more rounded, mid-range performers that balances power and efficiency. There aren’t many 10th generation Intel Core i5 chips around. They are mostly in the gaming laptops in the H-series and the odd G1 series.

Intel Core i5 Processors in the Market Right Now

Here is a list of Intel Core i5 processors powering the ultraportables, laptops and gaming laptops in the market right now, split into the different generations.

13th Generation

• Intel Core i5-13500H
• Intel Core i5-13420H
• Intel Core i5-1340P
• Intel Core i5-1335U

12th Generation

• Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-12450H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor

11th Generation

• Intel® Core™ i5-11400H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-11320H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-11300H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor

10th Generation

• Intel® Core™ i5-10500H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-10300H Processor
• Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor

These processors have the following core and thread configurations as well and TDP ratings.

13th Gen

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Typ/Down/Up
Intel Core i5-13500H	12C/16T	4P/8E	3.5/4.7GHz	45/35/95
Intel Core i5-13420H	8C/12T	4P/4E	2.1/4.6GHz	45/35/95
Intel Core i5-1340P	12C/16T	4P/8E	1.9/4.6GHz	28/20/64
Intel Core i5-1335U	10C/12T	2P/8E	1.3/4.6GHz	15/12/55

12th Gen and below

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up
Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor	12C/16T	4P/8E	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/95W
Intel® Core™ i5-12450H Processor	8C/12T	4P/4E	1.5GHz/4.4GHz	35W/90W
Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor	12C/16T	4P/8E	1.2GHz/4.4GHz	28W Typ
Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor	10C/12T	2P/8E	0.9GHz/4.4GHz	15W/55W
Intel® Core™ i5-11400H Processor	6C/12T	NA	2.7GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W
Intel® Core™ i5-11320H Processor	4C/8T	NA	3.2GHz/4.5GHz	28W/35W
Intel® Core™ i5-11300H Processor	4C/8T	NA	3.1GHz/4.4GHz	28W/35W
Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	12W/28W
Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.4GHz/4.2GHz	12W/28W
Intel® Core™ i5-10500H Processor	6C/12T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W
Intel® Core™ i5-10300H Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor	4C/8T	NA	1.0GHz/3.6GHz	13W/25W

As you can see from the table above, the 12th generation Alder Lake processors are ones where Intel starts to stack up the cores combining performance and efficient cores in the chips. Previous generation 11th and 10the generation Intel Core i5 had the odd mobile processors with more than the standard 4-Core 8-Thread configuration such as the Intel Core i5-11400H and Intel Core i5-10500H. These processors come with 6-Core 12-Thread.

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Intel® Core™ i5-13500H Processor – Best in Class

It is still early days for the 13th generation processors from Intel. There are only four Intel Core i5s that we can see on the laptops currently, the Intel Core i5-12500 holds the title of Best in Class just like its predecessor the Intel Core i5-12500H below. Yes, there are other faster processors, if you look at the mobile line-up in this category but they are yet available at the time of writing. We are looking forward to the chart topping Intel Core i5-13600HX. As for now, we are just going to be content with this 12 core processor with its combination of 4 performance cores and 8 efficient cores pumping out 16 processing threads in total. The maximum turbo frequencies for the performance and efficient cores as 4.7GHz and 3.5GHz respectively. These are no double power hungry processors with a base power of 45W boosting up to 94W at maximum frequency. The processor also features 18MB onboard cache and capable of supporting up to 96GB memory.

Processor	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-13500H Processor	22935	3522

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1340P Processor – Best for Performance & Efficiency

If you are after something that runs a little cooler and still packs a punch look for the Intel Core i5-1340P. This processor has the same core configuration as the faster Intel Core i5-13500H above yet it sweeps the floor clean, besting even the Intel Core i5-13420H and Intel Core i5-1335U in our comparison. Power consumption figures maxes out at 64W with a base power of 28W. This is definitely

Processor	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1340P Processor	20621	3614

Here is a quick look at the 13th generation Intel Core i5 processors and how they compare in benchmarks.

Processor	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1335U Processor	17934	3630
Intel® Core™ i5-1340P Processor	20621	3614
Intel® Core™ i5-13420H Processor	18938	3485
Intel® Core™ i5-13500H Processor	22935	3522

Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor – Best from the 12th Gen

As for the 12th generation processors, the most powerful in the line-up is the Intel Core i5-12500H. It is also the most power hungry, running hot at 35W at base and 95W at maximum frequency. While it shares the same number of cores as the 12th generation Intel Core i5-1240P, that where the similarity ends. It is actually 26% faster than the Intel Core i5-1240P and nearly three times (2.88 times) faster than the slowest processor on our list, the Intel Core i5-1035G1. Plus, it has a massive 18MB cache on board.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-12500H: ASUS Vivobook S 15 K3502ZA, Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro 16, ASUS Vivobook 16X X1603ZA
• Gaming Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-12500H: Acer Nitro 5 15.6

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor	12C/16T	4P/8E	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/95W	21856	3582

 

Intel® Core™ i5-12450H Processor

When the extra performance is only around 5% compared to the next Intel Core i5-1240P below, it begs the question, is the Intel Core i5-12450H worth the extra? It is if you mate it with a powerful discrete GPU. This then puts it up there among powerful gaming laptops. But, if all you need to laptop for is productivity work, content creation and the odd video editing, give this one a miss. It has fewer cores, 8 instead of 12 yet consumes just as much power as the Intel Core i5-12500H above.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-12450H: Huawei Datebook D16
• Gaming Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-12450H: ASUS TUF Dash F15, HP Victus 15.6-inch

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-12450H Processor	8C/12T	4P/4E	1.5GHz/4.4GHz	35W/95W	18220	3556

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor

This may be a P-series processor but performance wise, it up there with the H-series processor, particularly the Intel Core i5-12450H. As we said earlier, the Intel Core i5-1240P processor is only marginally slower with a small 5% difference but makes up for it with better power efficiency. It only draws around two thirds the power needed to sustain that performance. With the same number of cores and thread even the same performance to efficient core configuration as the chart topping Intel Core i5-12500H so you are bang up to date in terms of technology and architecture. The slight disadvantage being it only comes with 12MB cache instead of 16MB, just like the Intel Core i5-12450H above. Don’t expect to find this in a gaming laptop.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-1240P: ASUS Zenbook 14 UX3402ZA, Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro 14, Acer Swift 3 14, Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 13.3 and 15.6, HP Envy x360 15.6, Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 2-in-1,  HP Pavilion Plus 14, Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, LG Gram 16Z90Q 16, Acer Swift X 14, LG Gram 17Z90Q 17-inch

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor	12C/16T	4P/8E	1.2GHz/4.4GHz	20W/64W	17353	3257

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor

This super efficient U-series processor, the Intel Core i5-1235U takes a nosedive in performance for the 12th generation processors. It is actually slower than the 11th generation Intel Core i5-11400H, our wildcard processor. Although, it has to be said that the wildcard processor runs hotter being a H-series processor. If you are looking for an ultra slim laptop without having to worry about heat, this is the processor for you. It is still more powerful than the rest of the 11th and 10th generation Intel Core i5 so you are assured of its performance. Compared to Intel Core i5-1240P it is 22% slower but when compared to Intel Core i5-11320H, it leads with a healthy 23% faster performance. Again, don’t expect to find this in a gaming laptop.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-1235U: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14, Samsung Galaxy Book 2 15.6, Dell Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1, Dell Inspiron 14 7420, HP Pavilion 14, HP Pavilion x360 14, Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 15.6, Acer Aspire 5 14 and 15.6, Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13 and Surface Laptop 5 13.5-inch.

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor	10C/12T	2P/8E	0.9GHz/4.4GHz	15W/55W	13516	3364

 

Intel® Core™ i5-11400H Processor – Wildcard

This 11th generation ‘wildcard’ processor outperforms even the 10-core Intel Core i5-1235U above and is only 7.7% slower than the Intel Core i5-1240P. The Intel Core i5-11400H‘s real bonus is that it draws a less power than the 12th generation Intel Core i5 processors we have see so far and yet out performs one of them. The hex-core processor supports 12 processing threads while consuming as little as 35W of power to a maximum of only 45W. Give this Tiger Lake processor a look if you are looking for an affordable yet portable gaming laptop.

• Gaming Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-11400H: Acer Nitro 5 15.6, MSI GF63 Thin 15.6, Gigabyte G5 KD 15.6,

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-11400H Processor	6C/12T	NA	2.7GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W	16009	3060

 

Intel® Core™ i5-11320H Processor

I want to love these next H-series processors, the Intel Core i5-11320H and the Intel Core i5-11300H but they do not offer much in terms of performance compared to their energy efficient G7 counterparts below. In fact, the two processors are almost identical albeit with slightly higher base and turbo speeds on this one. You will also be lucky to find laptops powered by these processor. For our efforts, we only found one.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-11320H: Dell Inspiron 15 5518 15.6,

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-11320H Processor	4C/8T	NA	3.2GHz/4.5GHz	28W/35W	10992	2940

 

Intel® Core™ i5-11300H Processor

A couple of laptops come to mind, the one of a kind Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4 that looks more like a Surface Pro stuck to a hefty base and the HP Envy 14. These laptops are powered by the Intel Core i5-11300H. Beyond that, you will be lucky to find another device using the same CPU.

• Laptops powered y Intel Core i5-11300H: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4, HP Envy 14,

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-11300H Processor	4C/8T	NA	3.1GHz/4.4GHz	28W/35W	11081	2842

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 Processor

The same can be said about these 11th generation G-series processors, the Intel Core i5-1155G7 and the Intel Core i5-1135G7. They are very similar in performance and configurations even sharing the same TDP rating. However, the latter is more popular and more widely available on laptops compared to this processor. Even though this processor has a higher base and turbo speeds, it is still trumped by the lower Intel Core i5-1135G7 below. Unlike the next processor, laptops based on Intel Core i5-1155G7 are very rare, almost non-existent.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-1155G7: ASUS Zenbook Duo 14, Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 15.6, Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	12W/28W	10022	2875

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor – Best Value

Easily the most widely available Intel Core i5 processor is the Intel Core i5-1135G7. While manufacturers are churning out new laptops with 12th generation Intel Core i5 processors, there is still a large number of laptop based on this processor out there. In fact, we believe the same manufacturers are shipping these too at lower prices. This is still a good mid-range mobile processor that is 32.4% faster than the Intel Core i5-1035G1.

• Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-1135G7: too many to list

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.4GHz/4.2GHz	12W/28W	10050	2722

 

Intel® Core™ i5-10500H Processor – Wildcard

The second wildcard on our list, the Intel Core i5-10500H wipes out the floor, outperforming all but one 11th generation Processors; Intel Core i5-1135G7, 1155G7, 11300H and 11320H above. In fact, it is only 14.5% slower than the 12th generation Intel Core i5-1235U. If the price is right and you get a good discrete card thrown in like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB or the RTX 3060 6GB, grab it.

• Gaming Laptops powered by Intel Core i5-10500H: Gigabyte G5 15.6, Dell G15 5510

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-10500H Processor	6C/12T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W	11548	2625

 

Intel® Core™ i5-10300H Processor

We are going to leave the last two 10th generation processors, the Intel Core i5-10300H and the Intel Core i5-1034G1 below out. While one is from the high performance H-series and the other from an energy efficient G1-series, they do not offer much in way of performance owing to limited number of cores. Unless you get an absolute bargain on these, making them a better buy than some of the 11th generation Intel Core i3 listed here then you can safely give these a miss.

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-10300H Processor	4C/8T	NA	2.5GHz/4.5GHz	35W/45W	8646	2606

 

Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor

Processor	Core/Thread	Perf/Effi	Base/Turbo	TDP Down/Up	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor	4C/8T	NA	1.0GHz/3.6GHz	13W/25W	7588	2275

 

Performance Comparison

Using the Average CPU Mark ratings as submitted by real world users, we are able to place the processors, ranking them from best to worst while keeping them within the generation they are from. You would imagine that from one generation to the next that processors will get faster which is largely the case. There are however a couple of wildcard processors. Those that perform better than the generation that supersedes it. We are talking about the hexa-core processors, the Intel Core i5-11400H and the Intel Core i5-10500H from 11th and 10th generation respectively.

Processor	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread
Intel® Core™ i5-1335U Processor	17934	3630
Intel® Core™ i5-1340P Processor	20621	3614
Intel® Core™ i5-13420H Processor	18938	3485
Intel® Core™ i5-13500H Processor	22935	3522
Intel® Core™ i5-12500H Processor	21856	3582
Intel® Core™ i5-12450H Processor	18220	3556
Intel® Core™ i5-1240P Processor	17353	3257
Intel® Core™ i5-1235U Processor	13516	3364
Intel® Core™ i5-11400H Processor	16009	3060
Intel® Core™ i5-11320H Processor	10992	2940
Intel® Core™ i5-11300H Processor	11081	2842
Intel® Core™ i5-1155G7 Processor	10022	2875
Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor	10050	2722
Intel® Core™ i5-10500H Processor	11548	2625
Intel® Core™ i5-10300H Processor	8646	2606
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1 Processor	7588	2275

To better illustrate the difference in performance, we have prepared the performance comparison graph below.

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Final Thoughts

In the 13th gen, Intel Core i5-13500H processor holds the title for the fastest in the line-up. This is followed by Intel Core i5-1340P outgunning the Intel Core i5-13420H thanks to those extra cores. The last of the 13th gen, the energy efficient Intel Core i5-1335U is still faster than previous generation Intel Core i5-1240P and almost on part with Intel Core i5-12450H so even that is worth a look.

As for the 12th gen and earlier, the fastest Intel Core i5-12500H commonly found in gaming laptops and high performance portable machines is nearly three times (2.88 times) more powerful than our baseline, the Intel Core i5-1035G1. This is followed closely by yet another H-series chip, the Intel Core i5-12450H and an energy efficient Intel Core i5-1240P. Both are 2.4 times and 2.3 times more powerful than our baseline. Unfortunately, the slowest 12th generation Intel Core i5 title goes to Intel Core i5-1235U.

For the 11th generation mobile processors, we kick off with the powerful Intel Core i5-11400H. This is by far the most powerful 11th generation processor for laptops. It is 2.1 times more powerful than the baseline when other 11th generation Core i5 processors are only managing between 1.32 to 1.46 times better performance. But the most popular of these 11th generation processors falls to Intel Core i5-1135G7.