Intel Core i5-8257U vs Intel Core i3-9350K

Processor comparisons 18-01-2022

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-8257U vs Intel Core i3-9350K and decide which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Blender, Blender, 3DMark, PCMark 10, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, WPrime, MATLAB, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, 7zip, Furmark, RealBench, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Rainbow Six Siege
Apex Legends
Fortnite
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Valorant
Halo Infinite
Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Death Stranding
Watch Dogs Legion
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Cyberpunk 2077
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch
Red Dead Redemption 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Valheim
Last Man Standing

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-9350K or Intel Core i5-8257U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-8257U

52%

Core i3-9350K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8257U

52%

Core i3-9350K

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.0	93.2
Valorant	104.6	105.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.6	59.3
Apex Legends	98.3	99.5
Call of Duty Warzone	78.4	79.4
Overwatch	84.7	85.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.2	73.0
DOOM Eternal	52.3	52.9
Warzone	81.6	82.6
Assassin's Creed	87.8	88.9
Valheim	86.8	87.9

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-8257U

235%

Core i3-9350K

45%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-8257U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-9350K as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 91W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-8257U	Intel Core i3-9350K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	159	165
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	667	832
Cinbench 20 Single-core	391	476
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1628	1833
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1054	1000
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4128	3885

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-8257U	Intel Core i3-9350K
Single-Core	2350	2875
Multi-Core	7832	7773

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-8257U	Intel Core i3-9350K
Single-Core	1061	1254
Multi-Core	3939	5053

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8257U	Intel Core i3-9350K
Announcement date	November 07, 2019	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1528	FCLGA1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	9
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	1.4 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	2400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	91 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-9350K is 65% better than Core i5-8257U in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8257U is better: 5
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-9350K is better: 28
Although it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-8257U and Intel Core i3-9350K before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-8257U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-8257U specs and review.

• Intel Core i3-9350K specs and review.