Intel Pentium Mobile Processors Compared: How to spot the best CPU for you budget laptop

Samuel TanBest Laptops, HOW-TOs & Tutorials, Laptops 0

We get it. Not everybody needs a top dollar laptop with super duper high specs. Some of us just want a laptop for browsing the web, checking emails, watching videos on YouTube, messaging and updating our social media status. A budget laptop will do just fine but how to pick the right one.

When considering a budget laptop particularly one based on Windows laptop, you will come across the Intel Pentium line of mobile processors. The Pentium name has been around for ages. It was a brand name used by Intel to represent top of the line processors back when there were only Pentium and Celeron processors with the latter being the budget line. Fast forward to today, with the introduction of Intel Core processors, the Pentium line has been relegated to being the mid-budget line.

But buyers of budget laptops often get confused with the model numbers and speed rating or clock speed which may not necessarily represent the true performance of the laptop. We intend to break it down for you in simple terms. First, by listing the five most common processors carrying the Pentium brand in the market right now.

	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread	Cross Platform
Intel Pentium 4415Y @1.60GHz	1625	885	3478
Intel Pentium Gold 4415U @ 2.30GHz	2046	1166	4101
Intel Pentium N4200 @1.1GHz	2149	859	3410
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U @2.3GHz	2302	1323	4315
Intel Pentium Gold 5405U @2.30GHz	2346	1359	4714

Source: cpubenchmark.net

By looking at the Average CPU mark rating, scores submitted by real world users when running the PassMark benchmark software on their system, we have a good idea how the processors compare in terms of performance. See bar chart below for an overall picture.

Table of Contents

1. Intel Pentium 4415Y 1.60 GHz

First off, we have the Intel Pentium 4451Y, the slowest in the 4000 series introduced not long after the Intel Pentium 4415U in above. Hailing from the Kaby Lake family, the dual core processor clocks in at 1.60 GHz with no Turbo Boost frequency. It also has 2MB of SmartCache and runs at half the average power required to sustain its base frequency, using only 6W of power.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium 4415Y @ 1.60GHz Dual Core	1625

Source: www.cpubenchmark.net

It may be the slowest Intel Pentium processors and not as common as the other faster Intel Pentium processors but it found its way into Microsoft’s small tablet, the Surface Go. The efficient processor requires no active cooling, perfect for a 10-inch tablet, allowing the design to be slim and silent. Remember, 6W vs 15W on some of the faster Pentium 4415U is a huge difference. Still, the tablet is a runaway success with many happy owners.

Microsoft Surface Go on Amazon

2. Intel Pentium Gold 4415U 2.30 GHz

First launch in early 2017, the mobile processor from the Pentium 4000 series family is a dual-core processor clocking in at 2.30GHz with 2MB of SmartCache. Being the faster processor, nearly 26% faster than the Intel Pentium 4415Y, it consumes more than double the average power required to sustain the Base Frequency.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium Gold 4415U @ 2.30GHz Dual Core	3154

Source: www.cpubenchmark.net

The CPU consumes 15W while the other Pentium from the 4000 series, the Intel Pentium 4415Y only consumes an average of 6W. It is therefore more power hungry and will run down the battery on your laptop faster compared to the slower Intel Pentium 4415Y.

Still, budget laptops that uses the processor is able to offer all day use per charge or up to 10 hours or more. HP Pavilion 14 Intel Pentium Gold laptop boasts up to 11.5 hours battery life. Given its faster performance, vendors and manufacturers sometime add the word Gold to distinguish it from the slower processors in the 4000 series.

The Intel Pentium Gold 4415U is slowly being replaced by Intel Pentium 4417U processor featured here.
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HP Pavilion 14 Intel Pentium Gold Laptop on Amazon

3. Intel Pentium N4200 1.10GHz

Things get more interesting with the N series. The first in our list being the Intel Pentium N4200. Launched in Q3 of 2016, the quad-core processor with 2MB L2 Cache has a base frequency of 1.10GHz but can go up to 2.5GHz when pushed. Still, it has a low thermal design power of 6W and supports up to a maximum of 8GB memory.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium Silver N4200 @ 1.10GHz Quad Core Turbo Boost up to 2.50 GHz	2149

Search Intel Pentium N4200 Laptop on Amazon

4. Intel Pentium Silver N5000 1.10 GHz

Next, we have the Intel Pentium Silver N5000, a quad-core processor first introduced at the end of 2017. The processor has a base frequency of 1.10 Ghz but can be boosted up to 2.7 GHz when needed. It also has double the amount of cache at 4MB and a lower average power consumption of 6W. It is the fastest Intel Pentium processor in our line-up. Unfortunately, laptops with the Intel Pentium N5000 are hard to come by but certainly worth a look if you come across one. Like the N4200, it also supports up to a maximum of 8GB memory.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium Silver N5000 @ 1.10GHz Quad Core Turbo Boost up to 2.70 GHz	2743

Source: www.cpubenchmark.net

Running cooler and consuming less power, the processor is able to balance performance and power based on the systems requirements and workload. Laptops based on the processor such as the Acer Swift 1 tends to have very long battery life. The Acer Swift 1 boast 2 and a half work days use on a single charge or up to 17 hours.The other processor in the Silver series, the Intel Pentium Silver J5005 processor running at 1.50 GHz is designed for desktops.

Acer Swift 1 14-inch Intel Pentium Silver Laptop on Amazon

5. Intel Pentium Gold 4417U 2.30GHz

The newer Intel Pentium Gold 4417U launched early 2019 is a dual-core Kaby Lake R mobile processor with a high Thermal Design Power of 15W. The processor with its base frequency of 2.30Ghz comes with 2MB of SmartCache with no Turbo Boost frequency. Instead, it does the opposite by introducing a configurable TDP-down frequency of 800MHz with a TDP-down of 12.5W to save energy.

It does not sound all that bad when it is the second fastest Intel Pentium processor in our table above not counting the Intel Pentium N5000. The biggest advantage has to be that the processor supports up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, that’s four times bigger than the standard 8GB. This means you can treat your laptop to a mid-life upgrade when things starts to feel slow. But, you must check the specification of your laptop for the maximum installable memory. This can be limited to 16GB.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium Gold 4417U @ 2.30GHz Dual Core	2302

Source: www.cpubenchmark.net

Search Intel Pentium 4417U Laptop on Amazon

6. Intel Pentium Gold 5405U 2.30GHz

Also launched early 2019, the Whiskey Lake dual-core processor also clocks in at 2.30GHz with no burst frequency and 2MB Smart Cache. It also has a high Thermal Design Power of 15W. The processor comes with a configurable TDP-down of 12.5W to save energy. When running at this level, the frequency drops to 800MHz. Nonetheless, this is the fastest processor in our line-up discounting the Intel Pentium N5000. Not by a big margin compared to Intel Pentium Gold 4417U but it is certainly one to go for as it is capable of higher memory bandwidth with support for up to 64GB of memory. Please note that most laptop would only support a maximum of 16GB.

PassMark Average CPU Rating

Intel Pentium Gold 5405U @ 2.30GHz Dual Core	2346

Source: www.cpubenchmark.net

Search Intel Pentium Gold 5405U Laptop on Amazon

Performance Comparison Between the Different Pentium Processors

Using the Pentium 4415Y as baseline, the fastest processor in the table below, the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U is 44% faster while the Pentium Gold 4417U with the same clock frequency is 42.6% faster. Next, we have the N-series Pentium, the N4200 with a 32% performance gain over the Pentium 4415Y. Finally, the Intel Pentium Gold 4415U has a 25% performance gain.

This goes to show that it pays to look at the performance of your next Intel Pentium laptop. Anything at or above 25% gain is considered significant. One that goes up to 44% is worth a look. If you consider the rare Intel Pentium Silver N5000 quad-core processor with an Average CPU Mark score of 2743, that’s nearly 68.8% faster than the Intel Pentium 4415Y.

	Ave CPU Mark	Single Thread	Cross Platform
Intel Pentium 4415Y @1.60GHz	1625	885	3478
Intel Pentium Gold 4415U @ 2.30GHz	2046	1166	4101
Intel Pentium N4200 @1.10GHz	2149	859	3410
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U @2.30GHz	2302	1323	4315
Intel Pentium Gold 5405U @2.30GHz	2346	1359	4714