Core i5-4278U vs Core i3-4130T

Both the Core i5-4278U and Core i3-4130T share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i5-4278U versus 2.9 GHz on the Core i3-4130T — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-4278U (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). Both are built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture using a 22 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-4278U scores 2,826 against the Core i3-4130T's 2,876 — a 1.8% lead for the Core i3-4130T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 889 vs 890, a 0.1% lead for the Core i3-4130T that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4278U vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-4130T.

The Core i5-4278U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-4130T uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1600 memory speed. The Core i3-4130T supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i5-4278U) vs 16 (Core i3-4130T) — the Core i3-4130T offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel HM86,Intel HM87,Intel QM87 (Core i5-4278U) and H81,B85,Q85,H87,Q87,Z87,H97,Z97 (Core i3-4130T).

Virtualization support: true (Core i5-4278U) vs VT-x, EPT (Core i3-4130T). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Iris Graphics 5100 (Core i5-4278U) and HD Graphics 4400 (Core i3-4130T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4130T targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i3-4130T rivals A8-7600.