Intel Processor U300 vs Intel Core i7-11390H

Intel Processor U300

The Intel Processor U300 is an entry-level mobile CPU for thin and light laptops of the Raptor Lake-U series. It was announced in early 2023 and offers one performance core (Raptor Cove architecture P-core, similar to Alder Lake) and 4 efficient cores (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading for 6 processing threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rate ranges from 1.2 to 4.4 GHz on the performance cluster and 0.9 to 3.3 GHz on the efficient cluster. The per-clock performance of the E-cores should be similar to old Skylake cores (compare to the Core i7-6700HQ). All cores have access to 8 MB of L3 cache.

Performance

While we have not tested a single system powered by the U300 as of February 2024, its performance should be very similar to the outgoing Alder Lake Pentium 8505, since there is little difference between the two. The average U300 is set to be 10% to 20% behind the Ryzen 3 5300U and the Core i7-1185G7, as far as multi-thread benchmark scores are concerned, making the former an entry-level chip as of early 2024.

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are.

Features

The integrated memory controller supports various memory types up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200, LPDDR5-5200, and LPDDR4x-4267. The Thread Director (in hardware) can support the operating system to decide which thread to use on the performance or efficient cores for the best performance. For AI tasks, the CPU also integrates GNA 3.0 and DL Boost (via AVX2). Quick Sync in version 8 is the same as in the Rocket Lake CPUs and supports MPEG-2, AVC, VC-1 decode, JPEG, VP8 decode, VP9, HEVC, and AV1 decode in hardware. Several PCIe 4 lanes (x8 for a GPU and two x4 for SSDs) as well as several PCIe 3 lanes are on offer.

The integrated graphics adapter is based on the Xe architecture and offers 48 of the 96 EUs (Execution Units) operating at up to 1.1 GHz.

Power consumption

The U300 has a base power consumption of 15 W, with 55 W being its maximum Intel-recommended Turbo power consumption. The CPU is built with a 10 nm process marketed as Intel 7.

Intel Core i7-11390H

The Intel Core i7-11390H is a high-end quad-core SoC for thin and light gaming laptops and mobile workstations. It is based on the Tiger Lake H35 generation and was announced in mid-2021 as a refresh. It integrates four Willow Cove processor cores (8 threads thanks to HyperThreading). The base clock speed depends on the TDP setting and can vary from 2.9 (28 W TDP) to 3.4 GHz (35 W). Compared to the i7-11375H, the 11390H can now also boost with two cores up to 5 GHz and all four cores can reach a 300 MHz higher clock speed of 4.6 GHz. Both i7 use the whole 12 MB level 3 cache.

The SoC also includes the improved Xe iGPU with all 96 EUs enabled clocked at up to 1400 MHz.

Furthermore, Tiger Lake SoCs add PCIe 4 support (four lanes), AI hardware acceleration, and the partial integration of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 and Wi-Fi 6 in the chip.

All articles on Tiger Lake can be found on our Tiger Lake architecture hub.

Performance

The average 11390H in our database matches the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U and the Intel Core i7-10710U in multi-thread performance to be a decent mid-range chip, as of late 2021 - provided one isn't too picky when it comes to load times.

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are, and how competent the cooling solution of your system is.

Power consumption

This Core i7 series chip has a default TDP of 28 W to 35 W, the expectation being that laptop makers will go for a higher value in exchange for higher performance. Either way, a proper coolu\ing solution is a must.

The CPU is built with Intel's third-gen 10 nm manufacturing process marketed as SuperFin for lower-than-average, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.