CPU Comparison

Intel Core i5-5350H vs Intel Core i7-4870HQ

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-5350H is a 5th generation Broadwell-H dual-core mobile processor featuring Hyper-Threading and powerful Iris Pro Graphics 6200 for compact laptops.

Intel · Core i5
Intel Core i5-5350H
2C / 4T3.5 GHz47 W
7
Full review
Intel · Core i7
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
4C / 8T3.7 GHz47 W
7
Full review

The Bottom Line

Overview & Launch

Brand
Intel
Intel
Market
Mobile
Mobile
Segment
Mobile
Mobile
Generation
5th Gen Core i5
4th Gen Core i7 (Crystal Well)
Launched
2015
2014
Status
End-of-life
End-of-life
Codename
Broadwell-H
Crystalwell
Series
Core i5
Core i7
Family
5th Generation
4th Gen Crystal Well
Predecessor
Intel Core i5-4278U
Core i7-4750HQ
Successor
Intel Core i5-6287U
Broadwell mobile series

Specifications Compared

Cores & Clocks
Cores
2
4
Threads
4
8
Base Clock
3.1 GHz
2.5 GHz
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz
3.7 GHz
Cache & Power
L3 Cache
4 MB
6 MB
TDP
47 W
47 W
Architecture
Architecture
Broadwell-H
Crystalwell
Process Node
14nm
22nm
Memory
Memory Type
DDR3
DDR3
Memory Speed
DDR3-1866
1600 MT/s
Memory Channels
Dual (2)
Dual (2)
Max Memory
32 GB
32 GB
Platform & I/O
Socket
Intel BGA 1364
Intel BGA 1364
PCIe Version
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
PCIe Lanes
16
16
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
Unlocked
No
No

Performance Compared

Productivity

Intel Core i5-5350H55

Dual-core limits heavy multitasking, but 3.5GHz boost keeps everyday tasks snappy.

Intel Core i7-4870HQ55

Adequate for standard office tasks and light content creation.

Gaming

Intel Core i5-5350HBest60

Iris Pro 6200 allows for playable framerates in older titles at 1080p.

Intel Core i7-4870HQ45

Handles older or less demanding games well, but struggles with modern titles.

Virtualization

Intel Core i5-5350H40

Can run one light VM, but dual-core design heavily limits virtualization.

Intel Core i7-4870HQBest50

Can handle basic VMs but limited by 47W TDP and older architecture.

Efficiency

Intel Core i5-5350HBest65

47W TDP is somewhat high for a dual-core, but 14nm helps keep it manageable.

Intel Core i7-4870HQ30

22nm process is inefficient compared to modern mobile chips.

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Intel Core i5-5350HPoor
  • No AI acceleration
  • Dual-core CPU limits inference workloads
Intel Core i7-4870HQPoor
  • No dedicated AI hardware
  • Slow inference times

Content Creation

Intel Core i5-5350HGood
PhotoshopLight 1080p Video EditingIllustrator
Intel Core i7-4870HQModerate
Adobe Premiere Pro (1080p)PhotoshopLight CAD

Gaming

Intel Core i5-5350HModerate
  • Comparable to mobile discrete GPUs like the GT 740M
  • Excellent for indie and eSports titles of its era
  • eDRAM significantly helps with frame pacing
Intel Core i7-4870HQFair
  • Good for retro gaming
  • Iris Pro eDRAM helps frame rates
  • Not suitable for modern AAA games

Industry Impact

Gaming
Moderate
Moderate
Workstations
Low
Low
Content Creation
Moderate
Moderate
Virtualization
Low
Low

Best CPU by Use Case

1080p Gaming
Good
Photo Editing
Good
Media Encoding
Very Good
Office Productivity
Excellent
Code Compilation
Moderate
1080p Video Editing
Good
Casual Gaming
Very Good
Programming
Very Good
Web Browsing
Excellent

Target Audience

Gamers
Targeted
Targeted
Content Creators
Targeted
Targeted
Developers
Targeted
Targeted
Workstation Users
Streamers
Office / Productivity
Targeted
Targeted
Students
Targeted
Targeted

Strengths & Weaknesses

Intel Core i5-5350H

Pros

  • Powerful Iris Pro 6200 graphics for a dual-core chip
  • High 3.1 GHz base clock
  • Includes 128MB L4 eDRAM
  • Hyper-Threading provides 4 threads

Cons

  • Only 2 physical cores
  • End-of-life and heavily outdated
  • 47W TDP runs warm for a dual-core
  • Soldered to the motherboard (BGA)
  • Limited to DDR3 memory
Intel Core i7-4870HQ

Pros

  • Strong integrated graphics for its era
  • Good multi-threaded performance
  • Includes eDRAM cache

Cons

  • End-of-life platform
  • High TDP for mobile
  • Poor efficiency by modern standards

Competitors & Alternatives

Intel Core i5-5350H

  • AMD A10-8700P

    Mobile APU

    Rival
  • Intel Core i7-5557U

    Mobile

    Rival
  • AMD FX-8800P

    Mobile APU

    Rival
  • Intel Core i5-4278U

    Mobile

    Rival
  • NVIDIA GeForce 940M (paired with standard CPU)

    Mobile Graphics

    Rival
  • A modern ARM alternative that revolutionized mobile CPU and GPU performance.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
    Alt

    A modern mobile hexa-core that obliterates this chip in every possible metric.

  • A modern quad-core mobile chip with vastly superior Iris Xe graphics.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
    Alt

    A budget modern mobile quad-core that easily outperforms this older i5.

Intel Core i7-4870HQ

  • AMD A10-5750M

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Compare head-to-head
  • AMD FX-7500

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Intel Core i5-4200H

    Mobile

    Rival
  • NVIDIA Tegra K1

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Vastly superior performance and efficiency in the mobile space.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
    Alt

    More cores, better integrated graphics, and modern architecture.

  • Intel Core i7-1165G7
    Alt

    Massive leap in single-thread speed and battery life.

  • Revolutionary ARM-based efficiency and performance.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5800U
    Alt

    Excellent multi-core scaling and low power consumption.

Our Verdict on Each

An impressive mobile chip for its time, offering high-end integrated graphics on a dual-core design, though its CPU limits are apparent by modern standards.

Best for: Buying a very cheap used laptop for basic media consumption and light retro gaming.

Read the full review

An innovative mobile processor for its time, offering strong integrated graphics, though outclassed by modern efficiency standards.

Best for: Buying a used laptop for basic computing or retro gaming at a heavily discounted price. Buying Advice for the Core i7-4870HQ in the modern context is straightforward: it is no longer viable for new builds, and purchasing a used laptop with this processor requires careful consideration. While it still offers respectable performance for basic productivity, web browsing, and media consumption, its age means it lacks support for modern instruction sets and efficiency improvements found in current-generation chips. If you are buying a used laptop heavily discounted, ensure the battery is healthy, as older systems degrade over time. For any serious gaming or content creation, a newer processor—even a budget modern one—will vastly outperform this aging chip. Avoid spending significant money on this platform today.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-5350H or Intel Core i7-4870HQ?

For gaming, the Intel Core i5-5350H leads with a gaming performance score of 60/100 among Intel Core i5-5350H and Intel Core i7-4870HQ.

Do Intel Core i5-5350H and Intel Core i7-4870HQ use the same socket?

Yes — all of these CPUs use the Intel BGA 1364 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.

Which has more cores?

The Intel Core i7-4870HQ has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core i5-5350H (2 cores), Intel Core i7-4870HQ (4 cores).

Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?

The Intel Core i7-4870HQ posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i7-4870HQ (8,520). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.