CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-5350H vs Intel Core i7-4950HQ
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.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Dual-core limits heavy multitasking, but 3.5GHz boost keeps everyday tasks snappy.
Handles everyday tasks well, but slow by modern standards.
Gaming
Iris Pro 6200 allows for playable framerates in older titles at 1080p.
Competent for 2013 games, but struggles with modern titles.
Virtualization
Can run one light VM, but dual-core design heavily limits virtualization.
Adequate for basic VM usage.
Efficiency
47W TDP is somewhat high for a dual-core, but 14nm helps keep it manageable.
High TDP and 22nm process result in poor battery life.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No AI acceleration
- Dual-core CPU limits inference workloads
- Lacks modern AI acceleration
- Slow compute times
Content Creation
Gaming
- Comparable to mobile discrete GPUs like the GT 740M
- Excellent for indie and eSports titles of its era
- eDRAM significantly helps with frame pacing
- Iris Pro eDRAM helps textures
- Unlocked multiplier allows slight performance tuning
- Not for modern AAA gaming
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
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- End-of-life and heavily outdated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
Pros
- Unlocked multiplier (rare for mobile)
- Iris Pro 5200 with eDRAM
- Solid multi-threaded performance for its era
Cons
- Very poor efficiency by modern standards
- End-of-life
- Soldered to motherboard
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-5350H
- AMD A10-8700PRival
Mobile APU
- Intel Core i7-5557URival
Mobile
- AMD FX-8800PRival
Mobile APU
- Intel Core i5-4278URival
Mobile
- NVIDIA GeForce 940M (paired with standard CPU)Rival
Mobile Graphics
- Alt
A modern ARM alternative that revolutionized mobile CPU and GPU performance.
Compare head-to-head - AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
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 4300UAlt
A budget modern mobile quad-core that easily outperforms this older i5.
Intel Core i7-4950HQ
- AMD A10-5750MRival
Mobile
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i7-4700HQRival
Mobile
- AMD FX-7600PRival
Mobile
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i7-3632QMRival
Mobile
- Apple A7Rival
Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700UAlt
Massive leap in efficiency and multi-core performance.
- Intel Core i7-1165G7Alt
Modern single-core speeds and superior integrated graphics.
- Alt
Industry-leading performance per watt.
Compare head-to-head Better battery life and modern feature set.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
Affordable modern alternative with 6 cores.
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 reviewAn important step forward for mobile integrated graphics, offering unique overclocking potential, but now obsolete.
Best for: Purchasing a used laptop at a rock-bottom price. Buying advice for the Core i7-4950HQ today suggests avoiding significant investment. While it was a formidable processor in its prime, modern applications and operating systems demand greater efficiency and newer instruction sets. If you encounter a used laptop featuring this chip at a very low price, it can still serve adequately for web browsing, office tasks, and media playback. However, its 47-watt TDP and older 22nm process mean it will run warmer and consume more power than modern equivalents. For gaming or content creation, its integrated graphics, while historically significant, no longer meet modern baseline requirements. Save your budget for a newer system that offers better longevity.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-5350H or Intel Core i7-4950HQ?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-5350H comes out ahead with a score of 7/10. 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 i5-5350H or Intel Core i7-4950HQ?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-5350H leads with a gaming performance score of 60/100 among Intel Core i5-5350H and Intel Core i7-4950HQ.
Do Intel Core i5-5350H and Intel Core i7-4950HQ 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 i7-4950HQ has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core i5-5350H (2 cores), Intel Core i7-4950HQ (4 cores).
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i7-4950HQ posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i7-4950HQ (8,400). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.