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In the entry-level and budget lineups, the Intel Core i3 and i5 chipsets rule the laptop market. Over the years, Team Blue has launched multiple low-power and high-performance options in the segment that can make choosing the best chip quite difficult. All of these processors bear a complex alphanumeric string that can easily scare off a less tech-savvy crowd.
There are also fundamental differences between all of these SKUs that can alter the user experience by leaps and bounds. Some chips are built with power efficiency in mind, while others are purely performance-oriented. All of this may cause users to opt for the wrong option between the i3 and i5 chips.
There isn't a clear winner among the two processor lineups, and the optimal choice will vary depending on your use case. Thus, in this article, we will pitch the latest Core i3 and i5 offerings against each other and try to find out which is the better buy for you.
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Choosing between the Core i3 and i5 can be quite difficult
Before delving further into the comparison, it's worth noting that the i3 and i5 brands are for two completely different tiers of PSUs. Both were introduced back in 2008, with the cheaper i3 lineup referring to two dual-core CPUs and the i5 being exclusively for quad-core systems.
In recent years, the number has gone up to four cores for i3 chips and six for the i5. However, with the new hybrid Alder Lake and Raptor Lake architectures, core counts have increased massively, with up to eight core options in the i3 lineup.
Intel Core i3: Who is it for?
The i3 processors are a great option that bring the improved single-core performance of the new architectures to a budget audience. The processors don't pack a ton of computing power and are only good for basic work like media consumption, word processing, and light gaming.
Intel has introduced two low-power i3 mobile chips in the Raptor Lake lineup, while the Alder Lake lineup had three. These aren't high-performance processors that can handle the latest video games like The Last of Us Part 1 or Hogwarts Legacy.
Team Blue has exclusively locked the laptop lineup of their budget chips to low-power applications, unlike the desktop equivalent, which has chips like the Core i3 13100. Thus, we recommend that gamers and creative professionals (who need solid performance from their portable machines) avoid using a Core i3 chip.
Core i5: Who is it for?
Unlike the Core i3 lineup, there are a variety of i5 processors to choose from. Some of these chips share the same DNA as their less powerful siblings, but the company also has come up with offerings like the Core i5-13500HX and the i5-13600HX, which rank among the best laptop processors in terms of performance.
These chips are good enough for gaming and productivity workloads like 3D rendering, modeling, and more.
On the other end of the spectrum, we also have low-power chips like the Core i5-1334U and the 1345U. These CPUs are great options for basic computing, coding, media consumption, and more. They also pack relatively high core counts, which drives their multi-core performance to new levels. Thus, coupled with the Iris Xe, they can handle simple 1080p video editing and 3D modeling workloads with ease.
Intel has launched thirteen Core i5 processors as part of the Raptor Lake lineup. This is in sharp contrast to the two chips in the i3 family. It is important to consider your needs and workloads to ensure that you choose the most suitable processor for your laptop.
