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Intel Core i5-8279U vs Intel Core i7-8559U

Intel Core i5-8279U

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The Intel Core i5-8279U is a quad-core SoC for notebooks based on the Coffee Lake architecture and was announced in the first quarter of 2019. Compared to its predecessor Core i5-7287U, the CPU is now a quad-core with Hyperthreading support for the execution of up to 8 threads simultaneously. The base frequency is 2.4 GHz, but the Turbo goes all the way up to 4.1 GHz. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU with 128 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors. 

Compared to faster Core i7 model (e.g. Core i7-8559U) with eDRAM and 28 Watts, the i5-8279U only features 6 MB smart cache and a slower clock of the Iris Plus GPU.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Kaby Lake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Considering the clocks of the Core i5-8259U, its performance should be between above the 15W model Core i7-8650U. The i5-82769U should still be faster than the i7-8650U in practice thanks to the increased TDP, especially during sustained workloads. Compared to the similar named Intel Core i5-8269U, the 8279U offers a slightly lower performance (-200 MHz Turbo, -100 MHz base) although the name suggests otherwise.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 655 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Kaby Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1150 MHz and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 930M or 940MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Plus 650, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for quad-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.

Intel Core i7-8559U

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The Intel Core i7-8559U is a quad-core SoC for notebooks based on the Coffee Lake architecture and was announced in April 2018. Compared to its predecessor Core i7-7567U, the CPU is now a quad-core with Hyperthreading support for the execution of up to 8 threads simultaneously. The base frequency is 2.7 GHz, but the Turbo goes all the way up to 4.5 GHz. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU with 128 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors.

Compared to faster Core i5 models with eDRAM and 28 Watts, the i5-8559U features 8 MB smart cache and the fastest clock of the Iris Plus GPU.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Kaby Lake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Clocked at up to 4.5 GHz, the Core i7-8559U is currently the fastest quad core ULV from Intel. Whether these speeds can be maintained in practice depends on the cooling capabilities of the laptop, but the performance should be above the Core i7-8650U due to the increased TDPConsidering the clocks of the Core i7-8559U, its performance should be between the 15W models Core i5-8350U and Core i7-8550U. The i5-8259U should still be faster than the i7-8550U in practice thanks to the increased TDP, especially during sustained workloads.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 655 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Coffee Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1200 MHz  and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 930M or 940MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Plus 650, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm++ process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for quad-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.

ModelIntel Core i5-8279UIntel Core i7-8559U
SeriesIntel Coffee LakeIntel Coffee Lake
CodenameCoffee Lake-UCoffee Lake-U
Series: Coffee Lake Coffee Lake-U
Intel Core i7-8559U2.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8557U compare1.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8269U compare2.6 - 4.2 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8279U « 2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8259U compare2.3 - 3.8 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8257U compare1.4 - 3.9 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i3-8109U compare3 - 3.6 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8559U « 2.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8557U compare1.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8269U compare2.6 - 4.2 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8279U2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8259U compare2.3 - 3.8 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8257U compare1.4 - 3.9 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i3-8109U compare3 - 3.6 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Clock2400 - 4100 MHz2700 - 4500 MHz
L1 Cache256 KB256 KB
L2 Cache1 MB1 MB
L3 Cache6 MB8 MB
Cores / Threads4 / 84 / 8
TDP28 Watt28 Watt
Technology14 nm14 nm
max. Temp.100 °C100 °C
SocketFCBGA1528FCBGA1528
FeaturesDual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI, Intel SSE4.1, Intel SSE 4.2Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI, Intel SSE4.1, Intel SSE 4.2
iGPUIntel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (300 - 1150 MHz)Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (300 - 1200 MHz)
Architecturex86x86
Announced
Manufacturerark.intel.comark.intel.com

Benchmarks

Performance Rating - CB R15 + R20 + 7-Zip + X265 + Blender + 3DM11 CPU - i7-8559U
32.7 pt (45%)
Cinebench R20 - Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
421 Points (47%)
466 Points (52%)
Cinebench R20 - Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
1717 Points (4%)
1691 Points (4%)
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
min: 743     avg: 750     median: 750 (5%)     max: 757 Points
798 Points (5%)
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64 Bit
min: 166     avg: 167.5     median: 167.5 (50%)     max: 169 Points
188 Points (57%)
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64 Bit
8.3 Points (11%)
7.3 Points (10%)
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64 Bit
1.9 Points (48%)
2.2 Points (54%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (32bit)
6551 Points (40%)
7249 Points (44%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit)
24096 Points (17%)
23215 Points (17%)
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 1024m *
266.1 s (3%)
234.6 s (3%)
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 32m *
8.6 s (2%)
6.5 s (1%)
WinRAR - WinRAR 4.0
5862 Points (9%)
6656 Points (11%)
7-Zip 18.03 - 7-Zip 18.03 Multli Thread 4 runs
22683 MIPS (13%)
min: 22033     avg: 26302     median: 26301.5 (15%)     max: 30570 MIPS
7-Zip 18.03 - 7-Zip 18.03 Single Thread 4 runs
4276 MIPS (51%)
min: 4826     avg: 5499     median: 5498.5 (66%)     max: 6171 MIPS
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 2
45.7 fps (16%)
45.6 fps (16%)
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 1
190 fps (44%)
191.4 fps (44%)
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - HWBOT x265 4k Preset
6 fps (11%)
min: 5.523     avg: 5.7     median: 5.7 (10%)     max: 5.9 fps
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Serpent
0.5 GB/s (0%)
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Twofish
0.8 GB/s (14%)
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt AES
5 GB/s (13%)
Blender - Blender 2.79 BMW27 CPU *
627 Seconds (4%)
min: 650     avg: 666     median: 666 (5%)     max: 682 Seconds
R Benchmark 2.5 - R Benchmark 2.5 *
0.6 sec (14%)
3DMark 06 - CPU - 3DMark 06 - CPU
8830 Points (19%)
8313 Points (18%)
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M *
9.2 s (2%)
8.3 s (2%)
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M *
21.3 s (1%)
18.7 s (1%)
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 32M *
512 s (2%)
464.1 s (2%)
3DMark Vantage - 3DM Vant. Perf. CPU no Physx
24670 Points (22%)
3DMark 11 - 3DM11 Performance Physics
9162 Points (25%)
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Physics
21476 Points (17%)
52765 Points (43%)
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme Physics
21581 Points (18%)
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
24185 Points (20%)
3DMark - 3DMark Cloud Gate Physics
7017 Points (18%)
7377 Points (19%)
3DMark - 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Physics
10411 Points (19%)
10418 Points (19%)
3DMark - 3DMark Time Spy CPU
3439 Points (14%)
3625 Points (15%)
Geekbench 5.5 - Geekbench 5.1 - 5.4 64 Bit Single-Core
723 Points (31%)
Geekbench 5.5 - Geekbench 5.1 - 5.4 64 Bit Multi-Core
3660 Points (7%)
Geekbench 5.0 - Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Single-Core
1150 Points (5%)
Geekbench 5.0 - Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Multi-Core
4440 Points (14%)
Geekbench 4.4 - Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Single-Core
4850 Points (48%)
min: 5372     avg: 5384     median: 5383.5 (54%)     max: 5395 Points
Geekbench 4.4 - Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Multi-Core
17643 Points (20%)
min: 17702     avg: 18095     median: 18095 (20%)     max: 18488 Points
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 64 Bit Multi-Core
16848 Points (26%)
Geekbench 3 - Geekbench 3 64 Bit Single-Core
4494 Points (67%)
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Stream
9111 Points (73%)
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Memory
10023 Points (91%)
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Floating Point
16013 Points (31%)
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Integer
15397 Points (31%)
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Geekbench Total Score
13909 Points (36%)
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Kraken 1.1 Total Score *
740 ms (1%)
Octane V2 - Octane V2 Total Score
44259 Points (40%)
Power Consumption - Cinebench R15 Multi Power Consumption - external Monitor *
74.2 Watt (14%)
Power Consumption - Cinebench R15 Multi Power Efficiency - external Monitor
10.8 Points per Watt (8%)

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-8279U → 100% n=27

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i7-8559U → 109% n=27

- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation

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log 28. 11:25:17

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#3 did not recreate cache, as it is less than 5 days old! Created at Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:35:32 +0100 +0.001s ... 0.001s

#4 composed specs +0.013s ... 0.014s

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#6 getting avg benchmarks for device 11503 +0.003s ... 0.016s

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#8 getting avg benchmarks for device 10072 +0.017s ... 0.042s

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#11 min, max, avg, median took s +0.242s ... 0.293s

#12 return log +0.024s ... 0.317s

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Redaktion, 2017-09- 8 (Update: 2023-07- 1)