CPU Comparison
Intel Core 5 330 vs Core 7 150U
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. A 6-core mobile SoC from Intel’s Wildcat Lake family that pairs two Cougar Cove P-cores with four Darkmont low-power E-cores, Xe3 integrated graphics, and a 16 TOPS NPU in a 15 W/35 W envelope aimed at budget laptops and edge systems.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Snappy single‑thread performance from the Cougar Cove P‑cores makes everyday tasks, office suites, and web apps feel responsive, though sustained multi‑thread workloads are limited by 6‑core/6‑thread configuration and single‑channel memory.
Handles office suites and web applications with ease,得益于 the efficient core layout.
Gaming
With two Xe3 cores and single‑channel memory, the Core 5 330 can handle older or lighter games and eSports titles at low/medium settings, but it is not intended as a gaming chip.
Virtualization
Supports VT‑x, VT‑d, and EPT, so it can run a few VMs for light lab work, but with only 6 cores and modest memory bandwidth it is better suited to one or two light VMs than heavy server workloads.
Efficiency
The 15 W base power and Intel 18A process contribute to strong efficiency for everyday workloads, aligning with Intel’s all‑day battery claims for the Wildcat Lake platform.
Very competitive power efficiency within the 15W TDP limit.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- NPU delivers 16 INT8 TOPS with sparsity support, suited to local inference tasks.
- GPU contributes an additional 20 INT8 TOPS; CPU also supports DL Boost.
- Software support includes OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX RT, and WebNN.
- Meets everyday AI features (e.g., Windows Studio Effects) but falls short of Microsoft’s 40 TOPS NPU‑only Copilot+ PC requirement.
- Lacks a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit).
- Relies on CPU and GPU for AI inference tasks.
- Gaussian NPU acceleration is not present on this silicon.
Content Creation
Gaming
- Integrated Intel Graphics with 2 Xe3 cores and up to 2.5 GHz boost.
- Single‑channel memory limits GPU bandwidth.
- Best suited for eSports and older titles at 1080p low/medium.
- AV1 encode/decode helps with streaming from supported apps.
- Iris Xe graphics are suitable for esports titles like League of Legends.
- AAA titles will require low settings and 720p resolution.
- Performance heavily dependent on dual-channel memory configuration.
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Modern Intel 18A compute tile with Cougar Cove and Darkmont LP‑E cores.
- 16 TOPS NPU plus 20 TOPS GPU AI (40 TOPS platform total including CPU).
- Single‑channel LPDDR5X‑7467 / DDR5‑6400 with a 4 MB memory‑side cache.
- Very low 15 W base power with 35 W turbo for occasional bursts.
- Thunderbolt 4 and six PCIe 4.0 lanes for a value platform.
- SIPP and TXT support for commercial and fleet deployments.
- AV1 encode/decode and Quick Sync Video for modern codecs.
Cons
- Only six PCIe 4.0 lanes and single‑channel memory, limiting high‑end use cases.
- No Hyper‑Threading on LP‑E cores, so threads equal cores (6/6).
- Not intended for serious gaming or heavy content creation workloads.
- Multiplier is locked; no enthusiast overclocking.
Pros
- Excellent efficiency for battery life
- Strong single-core burst performance
- 10 cores provide smooth multitasking
- Support for fast DDR5/LPDDR5 memory
- Mature and reliable Intel 7 process node
Cons
- No dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU)
- Integrated graphics are limited compared to modern Arc iGPUs
- Performance heavily throttles under sustained loads
- BGA socket means it cannot be upgraded
- Multimedia performance lags behind H-series chips
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core 5 330
- AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 (Krackan Point)Rival
Value thin‑and‑light / mainstream laptops
- Apple A18 Pro (MacBook Neo)Rival
ARM‑based premium/value ultraportables
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8‑coreRival
ARM ‘AI PC’ thin‑and‑lights with big NPU
- Intel Core 7 150URival
Prior‑gen Intel U‑class (2P+8E, 15 W, dual‑channel)
- Intel Core 3 304 (Wildcat Lake)Rival
Entry 5‑core Wildcat Lake variant with 1 Xe3 core and 15 TOPS NPU
- Intel Core 5 320 (Wildcat Lake)Alt
Very similar to 330 but without SIPP validation; pick 320 for non‑commercial use cases where SIPP is unnecessary.
- AMD Ryzen AI 5 340Alt
Competing x86 value chip with Zen 5/Zen 5c cores, Radeon 840M graphics, and XDNA NPU; better if you prefer AMD’s software stack.
- Intel Core 7 350 (Wildcat Lake)Alt
Higher NPU (17 TOPS) and slightly higher P‑core turbo (4.8 GHz) if you want more AI headroom and can spend a bit more.
Core 7 150U
- AMD Ryzen 7 7840URival
Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 7 8840URival
Mobile
- Compare head-to-headApple M2Rival
Mobile
- Intel Core Ultra 7 155HRival
Mobile
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X EliteRival
Mobile
Lower cost option for basic tasks.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 7640UAlt
Better integrated graphics for casual gaming.
Includes NPU and Arc graphics for modern AI workloads.
Compare head-to-head- Apple MacBook Air M3Alt
Superior battery life and efficiency.
- Intel Core i7-1355UAlt
Nearly identical performance at a potentially lower price.
Our Verdict on Each
The Core 5 330 brings Intel’s latest CPU and Xe3 graphics IP to the value segment with a sipping 15 W base power and a 16 TOPS NPU. It is well-suited for everyday tasks and light AI workloads, though single-channel memory and six PCIe lanes make it a poor fit for gaming or heavy content creation.
Best for: Budget laptops for students, small businesses, or embedded/edge systems that need modern AI features, long battery life, and commercial stability (SIPP) at a low price.
Read the full reviewA solid incremental update over previous generations, offering excellent multi-core efficiency for a 15W chip, though it lacks the AI capabilities of the newer Core Ultra series.
Best for: Buying a thin-and-light laptop for work or study in 2024.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core 5 330 or Core 7 150U?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Core 7 150U comes out ahead with a score of 7.5/10. 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 5 330 or Core 7 150U?
For gaming, the Intel Core 5 330 leads with a gaming performance score of 55/100 among Intel Core 5 330 and Core 7 150U.
Do Intel Core 5 330 and Core 7 150U use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core 5 330: FCBGA1516 (Intel BGA 1516), Core 7 150U: Intel BGA 1744), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which has more cores?
The Core 7 150U has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core 5 330 (6 cores), Core 7 150U (10 cores).
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Core 7 150U posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Core 7 150U (11,500). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.