Core i5-8250U vs Pentium Gold G7400E

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.

Core i5-8250U vs Pentium Gold G7400E FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-8250U vs Pentium Gold G7400E: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-8250U

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 46W, a 31W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Older platform position on BGA1356 with DDR4, while Pentium Gold G7400E moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Pentium Gold G7400E

2022

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1356 and DDR4.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-8250U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,134 vs 6,158).
❌206.7% higher power demand at 46W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-8250U better than Pentium Gold G7400E?

Yes. Core i5-8250U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 12.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.4% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-8250U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 12.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-8250U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-8250U still makes the most sense overall. Core i5-8250U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 12.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Gold G7400E makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of BGA1356. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i5-8250U vs Pentium Gold G7400E Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-8250U

The Core i5-8250U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 6,158 points. Launch price was $297.

Pentium Gold G7400E

The Pentium Gold G7400E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 46 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 6,134 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-8250U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold G7400E offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-8250U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-8250U versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium Gold G7400E — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G7400E (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-8250U uses the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G7400E uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8250U scores 6,158 against the Pentium Gold G7400E's 6,134 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-8250U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,127 vs 1,960, a 54% lead for the Pentium Gold G7400E that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-8250U	Pentium Gold G7400E
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+6%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	3.6 GHz+125%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+20380%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	6,158	6,134
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,814
Geekbench 6 Single	1,127	1,960+74%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,131

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8250U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G7400E uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Core i5-8250U versus DDR5-4800 on the Pentium Gold G7400E — the Pentium Gold G7400E supports 100% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Pentium Gold G7400E supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 300% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i5-8250U) vs 20 (Pentium Gold G7400E) — the Pentium Gold G7400E offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Kaby Lake-R (Core i5-8250U) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,W680,Q670,B760,H770,Z790 (Pentium Gold G7400E).

Feature	Core i5-8250U	Pentium Gold G7400E
Socket	BGA1356	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR5-4800+100%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	128 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	12	20+67%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-8250U) vs VT-x, VT-d (Pentium Gold G7400E). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 620 (Core i5-8250U) and Intel UHD Graphics 710 (Pentium Gold G7400E) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8250U targets Mainstream Laptop, Pentium Gold G7400E targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i5-8250U rivals Ryzen 5 2500U.

Feature	Core i5-8250U	Pentium Gold G7400E
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 620	Intel UHD Graphics 710
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Mainstream Laptop	Embedded