CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-4210U vs Intel Core i3-8145U
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.
Adequate for a single Word or Excel window, but modern heavy web applications will saturate the 4 threads quickly.
Gaming
Only suitable for 2D or very old games.
Not capable of modern gaming. UHD 620 can only handle very old or lightweight 2D games.
Virtualization
Basic VM support only.
4 threads and 4MB cache make virtualization practically impossible for anything beyond a tiny Linux container.
Efficiency
Excellent battery life.
The 10nm process provided good idle battery life for 2018-era laptops, though sustained loads drain the battery quickly due to the low core count.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI capabilities.
- No AI hardware.
- 2 cores are insufficient for any modern AI workload.
Content Creation
Gaming
- Not designed for gaming.
- UHD 620 is not a gaming GPU.
- 2 cores cannot feed modern game engines.
- Playable only in legacy eSports titles at lowest settings.
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
- Hardware security fixes out of the box
- 10nm power efficiency for its era
- High 3.9 GHz single-core boost
- Configurable TDP for different chassis sizes
Cons
- Only 2 cores and 4 threads
- Very high $281 launch price for a dual-core
- Lacks LPDDR4 support
- UHD 620 graphics are obsolete
- Completely outclassed by modern ARM chips
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 i3-8145U
- AMD Ryzen 3 2200URival
Budget Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200URival
Budget Mobile
- Intel Core i3-8130URival
Previous Gen Mobile
- Intel Pentium Gold 5405URival
Entry Mobile
- Apple A12X BionicRival
Premium Tablet
A 4-core Whiskey Lake chip that provides drastically better multitasking.
Compare head-to-headThe Ice Lake successor offers better graphics and LPDDR4X support.
Compare head-to-head- Alt
For modern lightweight laptops, ARM architecture provides exponentially better performance and battery life.
Compare head-to-head - Intel N100Alt
For embedded or ultra-budget replacements, the N100 offers 4 modern cores.
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 reviewHistorically significant for being Intel's first 10nm mobile i3 with hardware security fixes, but its 2-core layout and high $281 launch price make it entirely obsolete for modern computing.
Best for: Only if repairing an existing laptop that uses this specific chip and the board is not compatible with newer generations.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-4210U or Intel Core i3-8145U?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-4210U comes out ahead with a score of 5/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-4210U or Intel Core i3-8145U?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-4210U leads with a gaming performance score of 20/100 among Intel Core i5-4210U and Intel Core i3-8145U.
Do Intel Core i5-4210U and Intel Core i3-8145U use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i5-4210U: Intel BGA 1168, Intel Core i3-8145U: BGA 1528), 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.