Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i3-1125G4

Processor comparisons   03-04-2021
   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i3-1125G4 and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here is useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Gears 5, SuperPi, Prime95, PCMark 10, Furmark, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, 3DMark, Blender, PassMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-1125G4 or Intel Core i5-8260U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i3-1125G4

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i3-1125G4

52%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.3	92.6
Valorant	104.9	105.2
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	58.9
Apex Legends	98.6	98.9
Call of Duty Warzone	78.7	78.9
Overwatch	85.0	85.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.4	72.6
DOOM Eternal	52.4	52.6
Warzone	81.8	82.1
Assassin's Creed	88.1	88.4
Valheim	87.1	87.3

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-8260U

221%

Core i3-1125G4

196%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-8260U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-1125G4 since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 20W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1125G4
Cinbench 15 Single-core	157	198
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	596	778
Cinbench 20 Single-core	409	524
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2046	1922
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1029	1034
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4033	4014

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1125G4
Single-Core	2385	3461
Multi-Core	7652	8031

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1125G4
Single-Core	997	1179
Multi-Core	4222	4510

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1125G4
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	February 24, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1528	FCBGA1449
Core name	Coffee Lake	Tiger Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	11
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.7 MHz
Frequency	1.6 MHz	2 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s OPI	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	20 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-3733
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-1125G4 is 19% better than Core i5-8260U 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 i5-8260U is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-1125G4 is better: 25
Although it should be understood that all the data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-8260U and Intel Core i3-1125G4 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-8260U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8260U specs and review.

Intel Core i3-1125G4 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-1125G4 specs and review.