Pentium N4200
VS
Core i5-4250U

Pentium N4200 vs Core i5-4250U

Intel

Pentium N4200

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2016
VS
Intel

Core i5-4250U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2013

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 Pentium N4200 is positioned at rank 1012 and the Core i5-4250U is on rank 100, so the Core i5-4250U 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 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 Per Dollar Core i5-4250U

#88
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
274%
#89
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
270%
#90
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
248%
#91
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
246%
#92
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
244%
#94
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
236%
#95
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
226%
#96
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
226%
#97
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
220%
#100
Core i5-4250U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#102
N100
MSRP: $128|Avg: $128
100%
#106
Ryzen 5 2500U
MSRP: $349|Avg: N/A
98%
#109
Celeron 4305U
MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A
97%
#110
Celeron J1850
MSRP: $82|Avg: N/A
97%
#114
Core i3-4100M
MSRP: $225|Avg: $99
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i5-4250U leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium N4200 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightPentium N4200Core i5-4250U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium N4200Core i5-4250U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)
More affordable ($0)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium N4200 and Core i5-4250U

Intel

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.

Intel

Core i5-4250U

The Core i5-4250U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,144 points. Launch price was $430.

Processing Power

The Pentium N4200 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-4250U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N4200 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Pentium N4200 versus 2.6 GHz on the Core i5-4250U — a 3.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-4250U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 1.3 GHz). The Pentium N4200 uses the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-4250U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N4200 scores 2,158 against the Core i5-4250U's 2,144 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium N4200. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N4200 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-4250U.

FeaturePentium N4200Core i5-4250U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.5 GHz
2.6 GHz+4%
Base Clock
1.1 GHz
1.3 GHz+18%
L3 Cache
2 MB L2 Cache
3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
256K (per core)
Process
14 nm-36%
22 nm
Architecture
Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
2,158
2,144
Geekbench 6 Single
770
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,450
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium N4200 uses the FCBGA1296 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4250U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium N4200Core i5-4250U
Socket
FCBGA1296
FCBGA1168
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: not specified (Pentium N4200) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-4250U). The Core i5-4250U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 5000), while the Pentium N4200 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4250U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-4250U rivals Ryzen 3 3200U.

FeaturePentium N4200Core i5-4250U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 5000
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Budget