Core i5-5250U vs Phenom II X4 850
Core i5-5250U
Phenom II X4 850
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 i5-5250U is positioned at rank 685 and the Phenom II X4 850 is on rank 251, so the Phenom II X4 850 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-5250U
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 850
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-5250U | Phenom II X4 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($28) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-5250U | Phenom II X4 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($28) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-5250U and Phenom II X4 850
Core i5-5250U
The Core i5-5250U 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 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 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: 2,450 points. Launch price was $315.
Phenom II X4 850
The Phenom II X4 850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,441 points. Launch price was $111.
Processing Power
The Core i5-5250U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X4 850 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 850 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-5250U versus 3.3 GHz on the Phenom II X4 850 — a 20% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 850 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-5250U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X4 850 uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-5250U scores 2,450 against the Phenom II X4 850's 2,441 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-5250U. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-5250U vs 0 kB on the Phenom II X4 850.
| Feature | Core i5-5250U | Phenom II X4 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.7 GHz | 3.3 GHz+22% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.3 GHz+106% |
| L3 Cache | 3 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm-69% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Broadwell-U (2015) | Propus (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,450 | 2,441 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-5250U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X4 850 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-5250U | Phenom II X4 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | 1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (Core i5-5250U) / not specified (Phenom II X4 850). The Core i5-5250U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 6000), while the Phenom II X4 850 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Core i5-5250U | Phenom II X4 850 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 6000 | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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