Core i5-8259U vs Core i7-8709G

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 i5-8259U is positioned at rank 209 and the Core i7-8709G is on rank 818, so the Core i5-8259U 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 i5-8259U

#57

Ryzen AI 9 365

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#197

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

374%

#198

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

369%

#199

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

338%

#200

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

337%

#201

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

334%

#203

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

322%

#204

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

309%

#205

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

309%

#206

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

300%

#209

Core i5-8259U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8709G

#806

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1250%

#807

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1232%

#808

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1131%

#809

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1126%

#810

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1115%

#812

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1077%

#813

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1033%

#814

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1031%

#815

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1003%

#818

Core i7-8709G

MSRP: $338|Avg: $150

100%

#819

Celeron M 560

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

99%

#824

Celeron Dual-Core T3000

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

96%

#825

Pentium P6100

MSRP: $100|Avg: $16.39

96%

#828

Celeron M 575

MSRP: $86|Avg: $12

95%

#829

Core i7-10710U

MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-8709G delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-8259U in both compute-intensive tasks (1.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-8259U	Core i7-8709G
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake G (2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i5-8259U	Core i7-8709G
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($150)

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 i5-8259U Benchmark Check

Core i7-8709G Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8259U and Core i7-8709G

Core i5-8259U

The Core i5-8259U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,843 points. Launch price was $320.

Core i7-8709G

The Core i7-8709G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake G (2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2270. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 7,934 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-8259U and Core i7-8709G share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-8259U versus 4.1 GHz on the Core i7-8709G — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-8709G (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-8259U uses the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-8709G uses Kaby Lake G (2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8259U scores 7,843 against the Core i7-8709G's 7,934 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i7-8709G. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-8259U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-8709G.

Feature	Core i5-8259U	Core i7-8709G
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.1 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.1 GHz+35%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)	Kaby Lake G (2018)
PassMark	7,843	7,934+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8259U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8709G uses FCBGA2270 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.