Intel Core i5-8265U vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-8265U vs Intel Core i7-8550U and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be 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 Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, MATLAB, WPrime, PassMark, SuperPi, Prime95, Blender, AIDA64, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or Intel Core i5-8265U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8265U

51%

Core i7-8550U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8265U

51%

Core i7-8550U

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 run 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, just 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: Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Control, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.4	91.9
Valorant	103.8	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	58.5
Apex Legends	97.6	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	77.9	78.3
Overwatch	84.1	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	72.0
DOOM Eternal	51.9	52.2
Warzone	81.0	81.4
Assassin's Creed	87.2	87.7
Valheim	86.2	86.6

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, 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 i5-8265U

201%

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a final resolution 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 i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8265U as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor includes all threads and cores 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i5-8265U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	171	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	549	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	401	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1135	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	606	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1674	3111

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

	Intel Core i5-8265U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	2175	2072
Multi-Core	6181	5970

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

	Intel Core i5-8265U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	907	1027
Multi-Core	3312	3788

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-8265U	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	April 01, 2018	April 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1528	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Whiskey Lake	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	8
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	1.6 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 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	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-8550U is 11% better than Core i5-8265U 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 i5-8265U is better: 7
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 21
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-8265U and Intel Core i7-8550U before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-8265U specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.