Intel Core i5-4430 vs Intel Core m5-6Y57

Intel Core i5-4430

The Intel Core i5-4430 is a quad-core processor for desktops of the Haswell generation. It integrates four cores clocked at 3 - 3.2 GHz but without HyperThreading / SMT (4 threads).

Intel Core m5-6Y57

The Intel Core m5-6Y57 is a very power efficient dual-core SoC based on the Skylake architecture and has been launched in September 2015. Thanks to its extremely low TDP, the CPU can be found in passively cooled tablets and 2-in-1 notebooks. In addition to two CPU cores with Hyper-Threading clocked at 1.1 - 2.8 GHz (2 cores: max. 2.4 GHz), the chip also integrates an HD Graphics 515 GPU and a dual-channel LPDDR3-1866/DDR3L-1600 memory controller. The chip is manufactured using a 14 nm process with FinFET transistors.

Architecture

Skylake replaces both Haswell and Broadwell and brings the same microarchitecture in every TDP class from 4.5 to 45 W. The extensive improvements of the Skylake design include increased out-of-order buffers, optimized prefetching and branch prediction as well as additional performance gains through Hyper-Threading. Overall, however, performance per clock has been increased by only 5 to 10 percent (compared to Haswell) respectively under 5 percent (compard to Broadwell), which is quite modest for a new architecture ("Tock").

Performance

Actual performance of the Core m5-6Y57 greatly depends on cooling capabilities and TDP configuration of the related device. While the CPU may be similar to a Core i5-6200U (Skylake, 15 W) in short benchmarks, its performance will fall short of a Core i3-6100U under continuous full load. Overall, the chip has sufficient power for office and multimedia purposes as well as somewhat more demanding applications.

Graphics

The integrated graphics unit called HD Graphics 515 represents the "GT2" version of the Skylake GPU (Intel Gen. 9). The 24 Execution Units, also called EUs, are clocked at 300 - 900 MHz (limited by available TDP headroom) and offer a performance somewhere in range of the old HD Graphics 4400 (Haswell, 15 W). Only a few games of 2015 can be played smoothly in lowest settings. For more information about performance and features, check our page for the HD Graphics 515.

Power Consumption

Specified at a TDP of 4.5 W (including CPU, GPU and memory controller), the CPU is suited for passively cooled notebooks and tablets. Optionally, the TDP can be lowered to 3.5 watts (cTDP down) or raised to 7 watts (cTDP up), affecting both heat dissipation and performance.