Core i3-5010U vs Pentium N4200

Core i3-5010U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2015

Pentium N4200

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-5010U

2 / 4

2,157

0.0%

2,158

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i3-5010U is positioned at rank 521 and the Pentium N4200 is on rank 1012, so the Core i3-5010U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-5010U

#167

Core Ultra 7 258V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

98%

#509

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

680%

#510

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

670%

#511

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

615%

#512

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

612%

#513

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

607%

#515

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

586%

#516

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

562%

#517

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

561%

#518

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

546%

#521

Core i3-5010U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium N4200

#1000

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2190%

#1001

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2157%

#1002

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1981%

#1003

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1972%

#1004

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1954%

#1006

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1887%

#1007

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1809%

#1008

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1806%

#1009

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1757%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

100%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

100%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

99%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

98%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

98%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

97%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

97%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

96%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

95%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

95%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

95%

#1023

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

94%

#1025

Core i5-4200M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

93%

#1026

Celeron 1000M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N4200 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-5010U in both compute-intensive tasks (0% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-5010U	Pentium N4200
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i3-5010U	Pentium N4200
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-5010U Benchmark Check

Pentium N4200 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-5010U and Pentium N4200

Core i3-5010U

The Core i3-5010U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,157 points. Launch price was $281.

Pentium N4200

The Pentium N4200 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,158 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-5010U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium N4200 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N4200 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Core i3-5010U versus 2.5 GHz on the Pentium N4200 — a 17.4% clock advantage for the Pentium N4200 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i3-5010U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium N4200 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-5010U scores 2,157 against the Pentium N4200's 2,158 — a 0% lead for the Pentium N4200. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-5010U vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N4200.

Feature	Core i3-5010U	Pentium N4200
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.1 GHz	2.5 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+91%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-U (2015)	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
PassMark	2,157	2,158
Geekbench 6 Single	737	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-5010U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium N4200 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-5010U	Pentium N4200
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1296
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-5010U) / not specified (Pentium N4200). The Core i3-5010U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 5500), while the Pentium N4200 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-5010U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i3-5010U rivals A10-8700P.