Pentium Silver N5000 vs Core i5-5250U

Pentium Silver N5000

4 Cores4 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2017

Core i5-5250U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium Silver N5000

4 / 4

2,442

0.0%

2,450

+0.3%

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 Silver N5000 is positioned at rank 459 and the Core i5-5250U is on rank 685, so the Pentium Silver N5000 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 Silver N5000

#144

Core i7-12650H

MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A

97%

#447

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

601%

#448

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

592%

#449

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

543%

#450

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

541%

#451

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

536%

#453

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

518%

#454

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

496%

#455

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

495%

#456

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

482%

#459

Pentium Silver N5000

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#472

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

MSRP: $80|Avg: $80

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-5250U

#673

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

958%

#674

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

944%

#675

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

866%

#676

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

863%

#677

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

855%

#679

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

825%

#680

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

791%

#681

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

790%

#682

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

769%

#685

Core i5-5250U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#695

Processor N95

MSRP: $160|Avg: $80

98%

#699

Athlon Silver 3050e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium Silver N5000 (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium Silver N5000	Core i5-5250U
Gaming	Balanced gaming performance	Balanced gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Goldmont Plus (2017) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-5250U (2015) relies on 14 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium Silver N5000	Core i5-5250U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Pentium Silver N5000 Benchmark Check

Core i5-5250U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Silver N5000 and Core i5-5250U

Pentium Silver N5000

The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium Silver N5000 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-5250U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium Silver N5000 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 versus 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-5250U — identical boost frequencies (base: 1.1 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-5250U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver N5000 scores 2,442 against the Core i5-5250U's 2,450 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i5-5250U. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-5250U.

Feature	Pentium Silver N5000	Core i5-5250U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	1.6 GHz+45%
L3 Cache	4 MB+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)+1500%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Goldmont Plus (2017)	Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark	2,442	2,450

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-5250U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium Silver N5000	Core i5-5250U
Socket	FCBGA1090	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Silver N5000) / true (Core i5-5250U). The Core i5-5250U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 6000), while the Pentium Silver N5000 requires a dedicated GPU.