CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-4210U vs Intel Core i3-1115G4
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-4210U is a dual-core mobile processor launched in early 2014 as a minor refresh within the 4th Generation Core (Haswell) family. Designed for thin-and-light laptops and Ultrabooks, it operates on a 15-watt thermal envelope, offering a balance of battery life and everyday productivity performance. It features two physical cores and four threads, utilizing Hyper-Threading to improve multitasking efficiency. The processor has a base clock of 1.7 GHz and can dynamically boost up to 2.7 GHz using Intel Turbo Boost technology, providing extra headroom for bursty workloads. It includes 3 MB of L3 cache and integrates Intel HD Graphics 4400, which is capable of handling 1080p media playback and basic graphics tasks. This refresh offered a marginal clock speed bump over the i5-4200U, aiming to keep the Haswell lineup competitive in the mobile market until the arrival of Broadwell.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Struggles with heavy multitasking.
Handles word processing and spreadsheets effortlessly, but heavily multitasked office environments will expose the 2-core limitation.
Gaming
Only suitable for 2D or very old games.
The Iris Xe iGPU can handle older or 2D indie games at low settings, but modern AAA titles are unplayable.
Virtualization
Basic VM support only.
2 cores and 4 threads are insufficient for running anything beyond a single, very lightweight virtual machine.
Efficiency
Excellent battery life.
The configurable 12W-28W TDP range allows OEMs to tune it for excellent battery life in thin chassis designs.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI capabilities.
- No dedicated NPU
- AVX-512 provides some acceleration for specific vector math workloads
- Not intended for AI development or inference
Content Creation
Gaming
- Not designed for gaming.
- Lacks the core count and GPU power for modern gaming
- Can manage basic e-sports titles like League of Legends at 720p/1080p low
- Memory bandwidth limitations heavily cap iGPU performance
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Good battery life
- Decent turbo boost for 2014
- Hardware video decoding
- Low heat output
Cons
- Obsolete dual-core design
- Soldered BGA
- Slow modern web browsing
- No Windows 11 support
Pros
- High 4.1 GHz boost clock for snappy single-thread tasks
- Modern Iris Xe-LP integrated graphics
- Low 15W TDP enables thin, quiet laptops
- AVX-512 instruction set support
- Efficient 10nm SuperFin manufacturing process
Cons
- Only 2 cores and 4 threads severely limit multitasking
- 6MB L3 cache is small for modern workloads
- Only 4 direct CPU PCIe 4.0 lanes
- No DDR5 or LPDDR5 support
- BGA package prevents any upgrades
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-4210U
- AMD A10-5745MRival
Mobile
- Intel Core i7-4510URival
Mobile
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-4200URival
Mobile
- Intel Core i3-4030URival
Mobile
- AMD A8-6410Rival
Mobile
Broadwell successor, slightly better.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core i7-4600UAlt
More powerful Haswell chip.
- Intel Core i5-8250UAlt
Massive leap in performance with 4 cores.
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200UAlt
Modern budget alternative.
- Intel Core i3-8130UAlt
Faster modern dual-core.
Intel Core i3-1115G4
- AMD Ryzen 3 5300URival
Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 3 3250URival
Mobile
- Compare head-to-headApple M1Rival
Mobile
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2Rival
Mobile
- MediaTek Kompanio 500TRival
Mobile
Offers 4 cores and 8 threads, doubling the multitasking capability with only a small power increase.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
Provides 6 Zen 2 cores and 12 threads, vastly superior multi-core performance.
12th-gen successor featuring 2 P-Cores and 4 E-Cores for much better background task handling.
Compare head-to-head- Apple M1 (base)Alt
Far superior performance per watt and unmatched battery life in a similar power class.
- AMD Ryzen 3 5400UAlt
6 cores at a competitive price point, offering much better long-term usability.
Our Verdict on Each
A 100MHz bump over the 4200U doesn't change the fact it's obsolete today.
Best for: Free or extremely cheap used laptop
Read the full reviewA capable entry-level mobile processor for basic tasks, hindered by its 2-core limit but benefiting from strong single-core speeds and a modern iGPU architecture.
Best for: Purchasing a highly discounted budget laptop for basic school or office work where no heavy multitasking is required.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-4210U or Intel Core i3-1115G4?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-4210U leads with a gaming performance score of 20/100 among Intel Core i5-4210U and Intel Core i3-1115G4.
Do Intel Core i5-4210U and Intel Core i3-1115G4 use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i5-4210U: Intel BGA 1168, Intel Core i3-1115G4: BGA 1449), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-4210U posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-4210U (3,100). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.