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Intel Core M-5Y70 "Broadwell" Review

Performance goes up, energy consumption goes down? After a several-month delay, Intel has finally released the fifth incarnation of their "Core" architecture, codenamed Broadwell. It's even coming on the market this year -- at least in a few machines. Initially, the new, extremely low-energy Core M series will only be used in the improved 14 nm manufacturing process. Is it a dream come true? Can we now expect to see high-performance, passively cooled Windows tablets?

For the original German article, see here.

It's reasonable to be a little disappointed already: Intel decided that the first representatives of the new Broadwell generation wouldn't be ultrabook processors or high-performance quad-core powerhouses -- instead they started the Core M series with chips for tablets and thin, 2-in-1 notebooks.

Wait a second, Core M? That's the new label for the CPUs that until now have been characterized by a simple "Y" at the end of their model numbers, whose power consumption rates lie considerably below the 15 Watts needed by processors in the "U" series. While some Haswell models were specified at 11.5 Watts, the TDP for Core M processors has sunk to just 4.5 Watts. Intel promises that this will enable manufacturers to build thinner devices with passive cooling.

Now we'd like to take a more theoretical look at the innovations at work in the new Broadwell architecture. Afterwards, we'll discuss the benchmarks and the impressions the new technology made on us in practice. The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro serves as our test device. By the way: Our full review of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro will be published shortly.

Broadwell: 14-Nanometer Manufacturing and Improved Architecture

Manufacturing Process, Chipset and Package

Though the number of transistors in the Core M processors increased from 0.96 (Haswell-Y) to 1.3 billion, their size shrunk from 131 to just 82 mm². The new 14-nanometer manufacturing process makes this possible. The process, internally referred to as P1272, represents the second generation of so-called FinFET transistors, which no semiconductor manufacturer besides Intel has been able to prepare for series production. But even the chip giant Intel has had to deal with months of bad yield rates -- i.e. low profits from functional chips -- which is why the manufacturer wasn't able to start up mass production until just before Broadwell's release.

As per usual, the new manufacturing process should offer not only nearly double the packing density, but also lower leakage currents and considerably better energy efficiency overall. Intel promises that low-voltage processors, like the Core M CPUs, will have especially significant advantages over older models -- hence the earlier start in production for this class in particular.

The chipset that resides in a package directly beside the CPU is manufactured in the now almost antiquated 32-nanometer process. Even so, depending on the device's level of load, the energy consumption rate can still be reduced by 20 to 25%. Medium-term, Intel may shift to fully-integrated SoC architecture here as well, since more compact chips and carriers can only be realized in this way.

CPU Architecture

As far as the "tick" in Intel's "Tick-Tock" model goes, the Broadwell architecture isn't completely redesigned. Here and there, there's an improved 14-nm version of components in the Haswell CPUs. Even so, there are some interesting changes to report, ranging from newly-optimized jump prediction to enlarged buffers, like the L2 TLB, which has been expanded to 1500 entries. The bottom line is that the processor's per-MHz performance should increase by at least 5%, and in some special cases (for instance cryptography applications and HPC) the increase is expected to be considerably greater. Especially interesting: According to Intel, the increase in energy consumption for any improvement had to be far outweighed by the gain in performance -- that is to say, their focus as developers wasn't simply on increased performance at any cost, but instead on maximizing the chip's efficiency.

GPU Architecture

Intel modified the integrated graphics unit much more comprehensively than they did the CPU. The manufacturer's Gen8 architecture now supports OpenCL 2.0 as well as DirectX 11.2, which means that in terms of features, the GPU is now fully equipped to compete against its rivals from AMD and Nvidia.

Similar to earlier generations, the GPU is constructed out of so-called slices and subslices. The shader-clusters and execution units (EUs), in turn, are integrated into the subslices. While the Haswell HD Graphics 4200 card had two subslices with 10 EUs each, the new HD Graphics 5300 has three subslices, each with 8 EUs -- in total, then, the number of EUs rose from 20 to 24. Larger L1 caches, improvements to the front-end, and various other tweaks should give the performance an extra boost.

Looking at Broadwell's multimedia capabilities, the avant-garde H.265 decoder is particularly interesting. The decoder doesn't rely completely on dedicated fixed-function hardware -- instead, part of the computing process is passed on to the GPU's shader units, so the power draw should be markedly higher than it was with H.264 material. Otherwise, HDMI 2.0 is, unfortunately, missing; only HDMI 1.4a, DP 1.2 and eDP 1.3 are on board. With these interfaces, it's possible to run up to three displays at a maximum resolution of 3840x2160 pixels at 60 Hz (though not all simultaneously at such a high resolution; max. 24 Hz @ 4K via HDMI).

Model Overview


Just a few weeks after the official presentation of the first three models -- the Core M-5Y705Y10a and 5Y10 -- Intel already announced their discontinuation: Due to an error in the E0 stepping, the manufacturer had to deactivate the TSX-NI instruction set extension (a technology that optimizes memory access in multi-threaded environments).

Even though most end users probably wouldn't notice the problem, four new processors with the revised F0 stepping will be released to the market in the coming weeks. Depending on the model, the base clock rate now lies at 0.8 to 1.2 GHz, which can be traced back to the previously discussed TDP of just 4.5 Watts. The powerful turbo should take care of peak loads by increasing the clock frequency to between 2.0 and 2.9 GHz. The turbo isn't dependent on the number of cores under load.

Like the 4 MB L3 cache and the dual-channel memory interface, the HD Graphics 5300 graphics unit is identical for all models. At most, there may be small differences in performance, due to the differing maximum clock frequencies of between 800 and 900 MHz.

Alongside the standard TDP of 4.5 Watts, all models also allow the notebook manufacturer to adjust the power consumption rate upwards (6.0 Watts) or downwards (3.5 Watts). On paper, only the CPU's base clock frequency should change (600 MHz at 3.5 Watts, +200 MHz at 6 Watts), but in practice this adjustment could make a significant impact on the CPU and GPU's use of the turbo.

Designation Stepping Cores/Threads CPU-rate GPU-rate Memory TDP
Core M-5Y71 F0 2/4 1.2 - 2.9 GHz 300 - 900 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y51 F0 2/4 1.1 - 2.6 GHz 300 - 900 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y31 F0 2/4 0.9 - 2.4 GHz 300 - 850 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y10c F0 2/4 0.8 - 2.0 GHz 300 - 800 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y70 E0 2/4 1.1 - 2.6 GHz 100 - 850 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y10a E0 2/4 0.8 - 2.0 GHz 100 - 800 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt
Core M-5Y10 E0 2/4 0.8 - 2.0 GHz 100 - 800 MHz LPDDR3/DDR3L-1600 4.5 Watt

The Test Device

The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is one of the first devices to be based on Broadwell architecture. The hybrid notebook's predecessor employed a conventional 15-Watt processor, but with the changeover to the more energy-efficient Core M-5Y70 (1.1 - 2.6 GHz), Lenovo was able to drastically reduce the size and weight of their 2-in-1 -- an improvement which is especially advantageous in tablet mode. Unfortunately, the Yoga 3 breaks one of the new 14-nm generation's most important promises: The device's cooling isn't purely passive. There is one small fan in the case, and though its rotational speed is low, it prevents the hybrid notebook from running silently. You'll find more detailed information on that subject in our coming comprehensive review of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro.

The notebook's other components include 8 GB of soldered LPDDR3 memory, a 256 GB Samsung SSD, and a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 3200x1800 pixels. We ran all our benchmarks under Windows 8.1 64-bit with the preinstalled drivers.

  • Intel Core M-5Y70, 2 cores/4 threads at 1.1 - 2.6 GHz
  • HD Graphics 5300, 24 EUs at 100 - 850 MHz, Driver 10.18.10.3960
  • 8 GB LPDDR3-1600, dual-channel
  • Samsung PM851 256 GB, M.2 (MZNTE256HMHP)
  • Windows 8.1 64-bit


Benchmarks

CPU Performance

Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
1.13 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
0.88 Points -22%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
0.68 Points -40%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
0.41 Points -64%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
1.14 Points +1%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
2.09 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
1.85 Points -11%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1.06 Points -49%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
1.16 Points -44%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
2.49 Points +19%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
91 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
77 Points -15%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
59 Points -35%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
34 Points -63%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
101 Points +11%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
180 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
171 Points -5%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
93 Points -48%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
95 Points -47%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
231 Points +28%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
3853 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
2920 Points -24%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1921 Points -50%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
1251 Points -68%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
3805 Points -1%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
6773 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
5686 Points -16%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
3382 Points -50%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
3380 Points -50%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
7796 Points +15%
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
5195 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
3890 Points -25%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
2951 Points -43%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
1545 Points -70%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
4953 Points -5%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
8939 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
7188 Points -20%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
4380 Points -51%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
4159 Points -53%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
10041 Points +12%
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 1 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
91.4 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
59.5 fps -35%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
35.66 fps -61%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
33.5 fps -63%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
79.3 fps -13%
Pass 2 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
11.61 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
10.95 fps -6%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
6.13 fps -47%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
6.9 fps -41%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
14.76 fps +27%
TrueCrypt
AES Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
1.6 GB/s
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
1 GB/s -37%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
0.907 GB/s -43%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
0.721 GB/s -55%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
1.4 GB/s -12%
Twofish Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
0.255 GB/s
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
0.157 GB/s -38%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
0.14 GB/s -45%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
0.133 GB/s -48%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
0.217 GB/s -15%
Serpent Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
0.147 GB/s
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
0.091 GB/s -38%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
0.0782 GB/s -47%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
0.0834 GB/s -43%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
0.123 GB/s -16%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance Physics (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
2373 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
2441 Points +3%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1313 Points -45%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
1280 Points -46%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
3142 Points +32%
3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
2660 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
2433 Points -9%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1475 Points -45%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
1336 Points -50%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
3334 Points +25%
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - 1M (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
14.55 s *
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
19.12 s * -31%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
24.94 s * -71%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
40.53 s * -179%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
14.72 s * -1%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
837 s *
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
941 s * -12%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1219 s * -46%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
2065 s * -147%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
756 s * +10%
WinRAR - Result (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
2385 KB/s
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y
1864 KB/s -22%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y
1400 KB/s -41%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T
820 KB/s -66%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U
2213 KB/s -7%

* ... smaller is better

Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
195.1 ms *
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
104.7 ms * +46%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
216 ms * -11%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
120 ms * +38%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
291.1 ms * -49%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
956 ms * -390%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
525 ms * -169%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
458 ms * -135%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
445.7 ms * -128%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
2223 ms *
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
1586 ms * +29%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
3202 ms * -44%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
1806 ms * +19%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
2396 ms * -8%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
6127 ms * -176%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
4286 ms * -93%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
5056 ms * -127%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
23767 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
11188 Points -53%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
20419 Points -14%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
11905 Points -50%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
10512 Points -56%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
5379 Points -77%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
6777 Points -71%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
5640 Points -76%
WebXPRT 2013
Offline Notes (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
370.3 ms *
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
374 ms * -1%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
285 ms * +23%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
336 ms * +9%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
1253 ms * -238%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
748 ms * -102%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
1238 ms * -234%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
265.9 ms *
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
218 ms * +18%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
268 ms * -1%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
1269 ms * -377%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
742 ms * -179%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
1293 ms * -386%
Face Detection (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
735 ms *
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
812 ms * -10%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
404 ms * +45%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
1501 ms * -104%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
1714 ms * -133%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
975 ms * -33%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
2434 ms * -231%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
244.3 ms *
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
409 ms * -67%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
300 ms * -23%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
648 ms * -165%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
981 ms * -302%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
698 ms * -186%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
1964 ms * -704%
Overall (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70
1139 Points
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
1410 Points +24%
Asus B551LA-CN018G
Core i5-4200U
908 Points -20%
Apple iPad Air 2 2014
Apple A8X
764 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
326 Points -71%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
530 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Samsung Exynos 5430
262 Points -77%

* ... smaller is better

At first glance, our CPU benchmarks don't paint a very consistent picture: While the Core M-5Y70 places far ahead of the Core i5-4200U in some tests, in other cases the new processor falls behind by a margin of more than 20%. The new SoC surpasses its predecessor model, the Core i5-4202Y, in every discipline, though depending on the application, we see considerable variations here too.

This behavior is correlated with the way the turbo boost functions -- in the Core M processor, the turbo boost acts more dynamically than ever before. Even when both cores are under full load, the SoC runs short benchmarks at the maximum clock rate of 2.6 GHz; but as the benchmark length increases, the clock speed successively decreases. This makes it difficult to make generalized statements about the processor's performance -- both the length of load and whether the device was previously in idle mode are critical factors.

A typical tablet/convertible user is unlikely to work with Cinebench and other such benchmarking applications, so the device's performance when running everyday applications and surfing are probably of much greater import. Here, the powerful turbo flexes its muscles and enables the Core M to achieve excellent results in our browsing benchmarks. These results are especially interesting when compared to those of ARM competitors, like the iPad Air 2 (Apple A8X) or the Nvidia Shield Tablet (Tegra K1): The Broadwell processor in the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro outperforms even the current high-end SoCs at work in these devices by factors of two or three. The top model Core M processor, the Core M-5Y71, runs 300 MHz faster and should attain even better results than the Core M-5Y70 we tested here.

GPU Performance (Synthetic Benchmarks)


3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
2660 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
2433 Points -9%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
1475 Points -45%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
1336 Points -50%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
3334 Points +25%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
691 Points
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
640 Points -7%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
329 Points -52%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
394 Points -43%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
827 Points +20%
Cinebench R15 - OpenGL 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
21.05 fps
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
8.69 fps -59%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
18.27 fps -13%
Cinebench R11.5 - OpenGL 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
17.35 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
16.2 fps -7%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
7.65 fps -56%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
9.44 fps -46%
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
16.43 fps -5%
Unigine Heaven 3.0 - 1920x1080 DX 11, Normal Tessellation, High Shaders AA:Off AF:Off (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.6 fps
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
52 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
47 fps -10%
iPad Air 2
Apple A8X (PowerVR GX6650)
70.5 fps +36%
NVIDIA Shield Tablet P1761W
Nvidia Tegra K1
66 fps +27%
Apple iPhone 6
Apple A8 (PowerVR GX6450)
42.6 fps -18%

While Broadwell's lead over the ARM competition in our CPU tests was very impressive, the new SoC's results in the GPU benchmark GFXBench 2.7 are frankly unimpressive. Even an iPhone 6 only comes in 20% behind our test device; the fastest tablet SoCs actually compute more than 30% faster here. Intel clearly should have invested more chip space in the graphics unit, as the comparison between the Apple A8X (3 million transistors) and Broadwell/Core M (1.3 million transistors) proves.

GPU Performance (Games)


Anno 2070
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:on AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4.8 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
5.4 fps +13%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
5.87 fps +22%
1366x768 High Preset AA:on AF:2x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
10.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
12.3 fps +16%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
8.1 fps -24%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
13.15 fps +24%
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:on (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20.1 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
21.2 fps +5%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
12.9 fps -36%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
22.33 fps +11%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
40.5 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
41.8 fps +3%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
29.3 fps -28%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
48.12 fps +19%
Diablo III
1920x1080 High AA:on (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
10.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
9.8 fps -8%
1366x768 High AA:on (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
18 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
16.9 fps -6%
1366x768 Medium / low (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
21.3 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
23.3 fps +9%
1024x768 Low / off (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
28.5 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
38.7 fps +36%
BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.2 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.51 fps +10%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
2.8 fps -12%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
5.2 fps +63%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.8 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.24 fps -5%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
11.2 fps -5%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
10.6 fps -10%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
15.6 fps +32%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
14.6 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
14.43 fps -1%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
13.1 fps -10%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
12.9 fps -12%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
18.9 fps +29%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
18.73 fps +28%
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
27.8 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
27.43 fps -1%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
25.4 fps -9%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
24 fps -14%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
38 fps +37%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
36.84 fps +33%
F1 2014
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12 fps
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13 fps +8%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20 fps 0%
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
34 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
33 fps -3%
Tomb Raider
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
6.1 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
4.3 fps -30%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
7.9 fps +30%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12.3 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
14.7 fps +20%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
8.1 fps -34%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
9.9 fps -20%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
6.9 fps -44%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
14.7 fps +20%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
15.5 fps +26%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
18.8 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20 fps +6%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
14.3 fps -24%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
17.1 fps -9%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
10.2 fps -46%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
26.1 fps +39%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
26 fps +38%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
37.5 fps
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
40.8 fps +9%
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
31.5 fps -16%
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
33.9 fps -10%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
20.7 fps -45%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
53.3 fps +42%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
52.8 fps +41%
Ryse: Son of Rome
1366x768 Medium Texture Res. + Normal Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4.6 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
9.8 fps +113%
1024x768 Low Texture Res. + Low Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:2x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.1 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
15.8 fps +123%
Alien: Isolation
1920x1080 High, On, Shadow Map 1536, Standard SSAO AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.6 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
10.8 fps
1366x768 Medium, On (AA & SSAO Off), Shadow Map 1024 AF:4x (sort by value)
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13.9 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
20.6 fps
1024x768 (Very) Low, Off, Shadow Map 512 AF:1x (sort by value)
HP Envy X2-j001ng
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20.1 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
33.3 fps
Fifa 15
1920x1080 High Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
8.3 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:2x MS (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13.8 fps
1280x720 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
21.1 fps
Sims 4
1920x1080 Ultra Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
6.6 fps
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
8.5 fps
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
17.6 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
24.4 fps +39%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
91 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
89.1 fps -2%
Risen 3: Titan Lords
1920x1080 High, On AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4.6 fps
1366x768 Medium, Off (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.7 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
11.7 fps 0%
1024x768 Low, Off (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
17.3 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
19.9 fps +15%
GRID: Autosport
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
12.5 fps
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12.5 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
15.8 fps +26%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
14 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
18.9 fps +35%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
34.2 fps +144%
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
48.3 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
57.5 fps +19%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
Core i5-4200U (HD Graphics 4400)
98.3 fps +104%
Thief
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
2.2 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4.3 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
5.8 fps +35%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
5.1 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
7.1 fps +39%
1024x768 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
9.3 fps
HP Split x2 13-m210eg
Core i3-4012Y (HD Graphics 4200)
11 fps +18%
X-Plane 10.25
1920x1080 ultra (fps_test=4) test_flight_c4 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.4 fps
1366x768 high (fps_test=3) test_flight_c4 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.9 fps
1366x768 med (fps_test=2) test_flight_c4 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
10.7 fps
1024x768 low (fps_test=1) test_flight_c4 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
26.7 fps
Battlefield 4
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
2.5 fps
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.5 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
6.6 fps -12%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
10.1 fps -13%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
15.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
15.9 fps +5%
Fifa 14
1920x1080 High Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
21.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
22.3 fps +3%
1366x768 High Preset AA:2x MS (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
45.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
33.3 fps -26%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
48.8 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
59.7 fps +22%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
91.4 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
90.8 fps -1%
Total War: Rome II
1920x1080 Extreme Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
4.7 fps +31%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
13.3 fps +2%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
17.4 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
18.4 fps +6%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
24.9 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
27.7 fps +11%
Dota 2
1920x1080 High / On, Render Quality: 100 % (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
11.5 fps -6%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
21.46 fps +76%
1366x768 Medium / On, Render Quality: 70 % (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
26.7 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
21.6 fps -19%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
39.72 fps +49%
1024x768 Low / Off, Render Quality: 40 % (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
53.6 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
40 fps -25%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
50.9 fps -5%
Company of Heroes 2
1366x768 High AA:Medium (sort by value)
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
4.3 fps
1366x768 Medium AA:Off (sort by value)
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
7 fps
1024x768 Minimum / Low / Off AA:Off (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
8.3 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
8.3 fps 0%
Metro: Last Light
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
3 fps -6%
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
6.1 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
5.3 fps -13%
1366x768 Medium (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
10.1 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
9.1 fps -10%
1024x768 Low (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13.3 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
12.7 fps -5%
SimCity
1366x768 High AA:on (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
8 fps
1366x768 Medium (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12.4 fps
1024x768 Low (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
26 fps
Crysis 3
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:2xSM AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
1.7 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4.2 fps
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.5 fps
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
12.5 fps
Dead Space 3
1920x1080 Very High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
7.1 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
7.2 fps +1%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
13.9 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
14.2 fps +2%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
18.3 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
20.9 fps +14%
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
35.9 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
47.6 fps +33%
Borderlands 2
1920x1080 (Ultra) High / On (PhysX low) AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
4 fps
1366x768 High / On (PhysX low) AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
9.5 fps
1366x768 Medium / Off (PhysX low) (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.3 fps
1024x768 Low / Off (PhysX low) (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
20.2 fps
Counter-Strike: GO
1920x1080 (Very) High, FXAA AA:4x MS AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
11.8 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
12.5 fps +6%
1366x768 High AA:2x MS AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
23.7 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
18.9 fps -20%
1366x768 Medium (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
37.7 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
35.5 fps -6%
1024x768 (Very) Low (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
53.5 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
70.7 fps +32%
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:8x AF:16x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
3.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
2.9 fps -9%
1366x768 High Preset AA:8x AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
5.8 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
5.7 fps -2%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
7.2 fps +24%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
11.17 fps +93%
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
9.2 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
10.2 fps +11%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
11.3 fps +23%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
18.54 fps +102%
1280x720 Low Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Core M-5Y70 (HD Graphics 5300)
19.5 fps
HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2
Core i5-4202Y (HD Graphics 4200)
24.4 fps +25%
HP Stream 14-z050ng
A4 Micro-6400T (Radeon R3)
17 fps -13%
HP Spectre 13-3010eg
Core i7-4500U (HD Graphics 4400)
35.83 fps +84%
low med. high ultra
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 19.5 9.2 5.8 3.2
Anno 2070 (2011) 40.5 20.1 10.6 4.8
Diablo III (2012) 28.5 21.3 18 10.6
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) 53.5 37.7 23.7 11.8
Borderlands 2 (2012) 20.2 11.3 9.5 4
Dead Space 3 (2013) 35.9 18.3 13.9 7.1
Crysis 3 (2013) 12.5 7.5 4.2 1.7
Tomb Raider (2013) 37.5 18.8 12.3 6.1
SimCity (2013) 26 12.4 8
BioShock Infinite (2013) 27.8 14.6 11.8 3.2
Metro: Last Light (2013) 13.3 10.1 6.1 3.2
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 8.3
Dota 2 (2013) 53.6 26.7 12.2
Total War: Rome II (2013) 24.9 17.4 13 3.6
Fifa 14 (2013) 91.4 48.8 45.2 21.6
Battlefield 4 (2013) 15.2 11.6 7.5
X-Plane 10.25 (2013) 26.7 10.7 3.9 3.4
Thief (2014) 9.3 5.1 4.3 2.2
GRID: Autosport (2014) 48.3 14 12.5
Risen 3: Titan Lords (2014) 17.3 11.7 4.6
Sims 4 (2014) 91 17.6 8.5 6.6
Fifa 15 (2014) 21.1 13.8 8.3
Ryse: Son of Rome (2014) 7.1 4.6
F1 2014 (2014) 34 20 12 12
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) 21.2 8.8 5.8 4.5

The results from our numerous gaming benchmarks confirm our hunch that the HD Graphics 5300's performance barely surpasses that of the HD Graphics 4200. Consequently, the graphics performance is substantially lower than that of Haswell-based ultrabooks with conventional 15-Watt CPUs and the HD Graphics 4400. As a result, only a few current games with low hardware demands -- for instance The Sims 4, Grid: Autosport and F1 2014 -- can be fluidly rendered at minimum settings and XGA resolution (1024x768 pixels). Unfortunately, it's little consolation that Intel's graphics drivers are now of an entirely satisfactory quality and we didn't run into any graphics errors or incompatibilities.

We'll finish off this topic with a short look at the frames rates we recorded for the game Dota 2. There are no obvious outliers in this graph, and starting at 30 fps, the game should run well.

Frame Rate Progression


Dota 2
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1920x1080High / On, Render Quality: 100 %12.2 fps
 1366x768Medium / On, Render Quality: 70 %26.7 fps
 1024x768Low / Off, Render Quality: 40 %53.6 fps
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Energy Consumption and Turbo Boost Analysis


Because the whole turbo boost issue is so complex, with the help of four example scenarios, we want to try to make sense of it all. All the tests were run after the device had been in idle mode for some time.

1. Single-Thread Load

For our first scenario, we selected the benchmark SuperPi 32M, which only loads one core fully over a 10-minute period. As to be expected, the Core M-5Y70 began the test at the full 2.6 GHz, which drove the chip's power consumption rate up to about 6 Watts -- 1.5 Watts more than the TDP allows. After about 60 seconds, the clock rate decreased slightly at first, then in the following minutes leveled off at just 2.1 GHz. Consequently, the energy-usage rate even fell below the specified 4.5 Watts. Lenovo was perhaps too conservative here, as neither the Core M's core nor the Yoga 3 Pro's case grew excessively hot.

2. Multi-Thread Load

Our test device behaved very differently in the Cinebench R15 multi-thread test. In the beginning, we did in fact see the full CPU turbo of 2.6 GHz, but after just 20 seconds, the frequency fell to just 1.8 GHz. At almost 12 Watts, the power-consumption rate blatantly exceeded the TDP, which resulted in a steep increase in temperatures. However, the decrease in clock speed and energy usage prevented the device from overheating. Shortly before the three-and-a-half minute benchmark ended, we recorded a core clock rate of 1.7 GHz at a power consumption rate of about 5 Watts.

3. 3D Game (Dota 2)

Unlike SuperPi and Cinebench, both of which only load the processor, our next test also employs the graphics unit. The action-RTS Dota 2 is popular with both casual gamers and pros, and it's one of the few current games the Core M-5Y70 can render fluidly, albeit at low settings. Since the chip already has to get to work in the menu and while the game is loading, we didn't see any obvious peak in the CPU or GPU frequencies at the beginning of our measurements. We did, however, see the frequencies drop slightly within the first 10 minutes of the game, which had a corresponding effect on the frame rate. The gaming benchmarks displayed above should therefore only be considered a point of reference; as is true for many other low-voltage CPUs, the performance drops a little as the game runs longer.

4. Stress Test

To finish up, we'd like to take a look at our stress test, in which Prime95 and FurMark run simultaneously, simulating a theoretical full-load scenario for both the processor and the graphics unit. Once again, the power-consumption rate rose after a short period -- reaching a new record of a full 15 Watts. In the seconds immediately following that spike, the clock rate dove to about 6 Watts, after which the clock speed and energy-usage rate both continued to fall at a much slower rate. Only when the power-consumption rate had fallen to just over 4 Watts did the system stabilize. The CPU and GPU had to reduce their clock frequencies to 500 MHz and 150-200 MHz, respectively. Just as we saw in the gaming test, the processor didn't even run at its guaranteed base clock rate here either.

In summary, the Core M exceeds its TDP by a much greater margin percentage-wise and for much longer periods than any Core CPU before it. Even so, it's justifiable for the Core M-5Y70 to be classified as a 4.5-Watt SoC: Under sustained load, the power-consumption rates certainly fall below this number. It even seems possible that Lenovo chose to set the TDP for their Yoga 3 Pro to an even lower number -- about 4 Watts -- despite the fact that the device is actively cooled. Our measurements certainly seem to suggest that. However, the newly introduced HP Envy x2 proves that Broadwell chips can run in a fanless case without overheating.

Multimedia: Video Playback and Quick Sync

Fluid 4K trailer in Windows Media Player
Fluid 4K trailer in Windows Media Player
Stuttering playback of 4K videos on YouTube
Stuttering playback of 4K videos on YouTube

With its extremely sharp QHD+ display (3200x1800 pixels), the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is basically predestined for displaying high-resolution 4K material. Even with the high data rate of about 100 Mbit/s, the device rendered our test video in the H.264 codec fluidly over the course of the entire video, at a CPU load rate of less than 20%. With the new H.265 standard, the Core M had to work considerably harder: Just a 720p trailer pushed the CPU load rate up to about 40%. However, this could be the result of the fact that the existing hardware acceleration doesn't quite work with the graphics drivers and the player (VLC) we used in combination. Similar problems are probably also responsible for the stuttering 4K trailers on YouTube (Google Chrome 38).

To encode and transcode videos, not only the CPU but also Intel's Quick Sync technology will do the trick. In our test, we converted the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264, 1080p) to the iPhone 5 preset using CyberLink MediaEspresso. While this process took a full 758 seconds on the CPU, Quick Sync finished the same job in just 71 seconds. Subjectively, at least, the resulting image quality is identical. Unfortunately, we're unable to provide a direct comparison to a Haswell Y model here, but in earlier tests, a Core i7-4600U (15 Watts) needed 480 seconds / 61 seconds (CPU and Quick Sync, respectively) -- comparatively, not a bad result for the much more energy-efficient Core M.

Verdict

Intel Core M-5Y70 in the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro
Intel Core M-5Y70 in the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro

Considering the radically lower TDP, straight from the beginning of our tests it was clear that the new Core M series can't compete with the performance of commonplace ultrabook CPUs from the older Haswell generation. But we were surprised with how close the Core M-5Y70 came to its 15-Watt siblings in many of our benchmarks: The higher per-MHz performance and powerful turbo boost enable the performance to spike to unimaginable heights, at least briefly. Even though the CPU successively lowers its clock rate after several seconds, enough performance reserves remain for everyday applications and multitasking.

In view of the low energy-consumption rates, the 3D performance is acceptable as well -- though some ARM competitors are stronger here. For current games, the HD Graphics 5300 is almost always too slow. Users will be better off limiting themselves to simple casual games from the Windows Store or enjoying the chip's manifold multimedia talents.

We would have liked to pit the Core M-5Y70 against AMD's A10 Micro-6700T, but so far no product with this processor is available here in Europe. We're also sorry to disappoint any of you who are longing to hear about stronger Broadwell CPUs from the 15, 28 and 47-Watt classes; at least the ultrabook chips should be released in the beginning of January at CES 2015, while the quad-core powerhouses are to be expected later this coming year.

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Till Schönborn, 2014-11-28 (Update: 2020-06- 8)