Intel Pentium Silver N5030 Review | 78 Data compared

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  • Avg. price in UK: ~£310
  • Avg. price in US: ~$160
  • PassMark benchmark result: 2534
  • N. of physical cores: 4
  • CPU boost clock speed: 3.1 GHz

Intel Pentium Silver N5030 review. Compare 78 technical specifications and user reviews to see how it ranks among processors and if it is worth buying.

3.6

Overall score

What it is: An overall evaluation of the processor's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.

When it matters: When you need a quick reference to identify the best processors on the market.

Score components:

90.0%

3.6

Technical Score

10.0%

?

User score

Poor
3.6

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the processor's technical performance, covering key areas such as processing performance, core configuration, efficiency, platform support, integrated features, and thermal behavior.

When it matters: When you want to compare processors based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

60.0%

2.6

Performance

18.0%

4.4

Cache & Architecture

10.0%

3.4

Memory & PCIe

7.0%

7.6

Power & Thermal

4.0%

6.9

Platform

1.0%

6.8

Integrated Graphics

Poor
?

User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the processor.

When it matters: When you want to know how a processor performs in real workloads and how reliable it is for gaming, productivity, and efficiency according to user feedback.

Score components:

70.0%

?

User reviews

30.0%

?

Popularity

  • 1.3
    Gaming

    Score components:

    30.0%

    1.1

    PassMark single-core benchmark score

    25.0%

    1.0

    Geekbench 6 single-core benchmark score

    20.0%

    1.9

    CPU boost clock speed

    17.0%

    1.0

    L3 cache

    8.0%

    1.8

    N. of physical cores

  • 1.3
    Video editing

    Score components:

    45.0%

    1.1

    Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark score

    20.0%

    1.8

    N. of physical cores

    20.0%

    1.6

    CPU threads

    15.0%

    1.0

    L3 cache

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Best prices in UK

    N/A~ £310

Best rankings

?

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).
All: ranking among all products in the database.

Verdict

The Intel Pentium Silver N5030 is a quad-core entry-level processor from the Gemini Lake Refresh family. It has 4 cores, 4 threads, a 4 MB L2 cache, and a base clock of 1.1 GHz. Its burst frequency can reach up to 3.1 GHz. It is manufactured on a 14nm process. The processor's low 6W Thermal Design Power (TDP) allows for fanless, quiet operation. It is also energy-efficient for budget laptops and thin notebooks. It includes Intel UHD Graphics 605 and a video engine that can decode H.265 and VP9 content through hardware. The processor's performance is limited in multi-threaded tasks. It lacks AVX instruction support, which impacts modern software and gaming. The integrated GPU is only for basic activities or low-demand games.

Technical Specifications of processor Intel Pentium Silver N5030

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the processor's technical performance, covering key areas such as processing performance, core configuration, efficiency, platform support, integrated features, and thermal behavior.

When it matters: When you want to compare processors based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

60.0%

?

Performance

18.0%

?

Cache & Architecture

10.0%

?

Memory & PCIe

7.0%

?

Power & Thermal

4.0%

?

Platform

1.0%

?

Integrated Graphics

3.6
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a technical score of 3.56 points, which is lower than that of 93.5% of products in this category.
User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the processor.

When it matters: When you want to know how a processor performs in real workloads and how reliable it is for gaming, productivity, and efficiency according to user feedback.

Score components:

70.0%

0.0

User reviews

30.0%

1.0

Popularity

?
Popularity
What it is: An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the processor.
When it matters: When you prefer to choose a processor reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
1.0
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a popularity of 1 points, which is higher than 0% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price

What it is: An indicator that combines the processor's overall rating with its cost.

When it matters: When you are looking for a processor with a good balance between performance, efficiency, and price.

Score components:

60.0%

3.6

Overall score

40.0%

8.9

Price

5.2
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a quality-to-price ratio of 5.2 points, which is lower than 93.9% of products in this category.
Brand name
What it is: The manufacturer or brand of the product.
When it matters: When you prefer a specific ecosystem, support network, or design philosophy.

Importance: MEDIUM

Intel
Processor type
What it is: The kind of system the processor is built for, such as desktop PCs, laptops, workstations, or servers.
When it matters: When you want a processor meant for the kind of machine you are actually building or buying, rather than a chip aimed at a different class of system.

Importance: HIGH

mobile
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 belongs to the mobile processor class, which is more advanced than that of 7.3% of processors and equal to that of 48.6% of processors.
CPU socket
What it is: The physical socket the processor fits into on the motherboard.
When it matters: When you need to make sure the CPU can actually be installed on a specific motherboard.

Importance: HIGH

FCBGA1090
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses the FCBGA1090 CPU socket, which is older than that of 96.5% of processors and equal to that of 0.9% of processors.
Chipset
What it is: The motherboard chipset families officially meant to work with the processor.
When it matters: When you are checking whether a CPU will work with the motherboard features and platform you plan to use.

Importance: HIGH

N/A
CPU architecture
What it is: The processor family or design generation behind the chip, such as Zen 4 or Raptor Lake.
When it matters: When you are comparing CPUs across generations and want a clearer sense of their design age, feature level, and expected performance class.

Importance: HIGH

x86-64
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses the x86-64 architecture, which is more advanced than that of 1.7% of processors and equal to that of 98.3% of processors.
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N. of physical cores
What it is: The number of physical CPU cores on the processor.
When it matters: When you run workloads that benefit from more real cores.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 8+

4
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has 4 CPU cores, which is fewer than 50.7% of processors and equal to 28.5% of processors.
CPU threads
What it is: The total number of processing threads the CPU can handle at once.
When it matters: When you run heavily threaded workloads or multitask a lot.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: 16+

4
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 offers 4 CPU threads, which is fewer than 67.3% of processors and equal to 26.6% of processors.
Threads per core
What it is: The number of threads each physical core can handle at once.
When it matters: When you want to understand how much thread-level parallelism each core can provide in multitasking or heavily threaded work.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: 2

1
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 offers 1 threads per core, which is fewer than 69.7% of processors and equal to 30.3% of processors.
CPU boost clock speed
What it is: The highest clock speed the processor can reach under boost conditions.
When it matters: When you care about peak speed in short bursts.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: >4.7 GHz

3.1 GHz
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 reaches a boost clock of 3.1 GHz which is lower than that of 91.6% of processors and equal to that of 1.3% of processors.
CPU base clock speed
What it is: The processor's normal all-core starting frequency before boost behavior raises clocks temporarily.
When it matters: When you care about steadier performance in longer workloads rather than short burst speed alone.

Importance: MEDIUM

4 x 1.1 GHz
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a base clock of 4x1.1 GHz which is equal to that of 100% of processors.
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Semiconductor size
What it is: The manufacturing process node used to produce the processor, usually expressed in nanometers.
When it matters: When efficiency, heat, and the relative modernity of the chip-making process matter to your comparison.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: <10 nm

14 nm
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses a 14 nm process node, which is older than that of 50.8% of processors and equal to that of 33.7% of processors.
Foundry
What it is: The semiconductor manufacturer that physically fabricates the processor chip.
When it matters: When process source, manufacturing generation, or foundry differences matter to your comparison more than day-to-day performance alone.

Importance: MEDIUM

Intel 14 nm
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 is built on the Intel 14 nm foundry process, which is less advanced than that of 55.2% of processors and equal to that of 29.3% of processors.
L3 cache
What it is: The total amount of L3 cache available on the processor.
When it matters: When you want better performance in cache-sensitive workloads and games.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=16 MB

0 MB
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has an L3 cache of 0 MB which is smaller than that of 93.6% of processors and equal to that of 6.4% of processors.
L2 cache
What it is: The total amount of L2 cache available across the processor.
When it matters: When you want to compare CPU design efficiency and how much fast intermediate cache the cores have available.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=6 MB

4 MB
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has an L2 cache of 4 MB which is larger than that of 55.1% of processors and equal to that of 9.2% of processors.
L1 cache
What it is: The total amount of L1 cache built into the processor, which sits closest to the cores.
When it matters: When you are comparing low-level CPU design details rather than the broader performance picture buyers usually notice first.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=512 KB

224 KB
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has an L1 cache of 224 KB which is smaller than that of 78% of processors and equal to that of 1% of processors.
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DDR memory version
What it is: The RAM generation the processor is designed to support, such as DDR4 or DDR5.
When it matters: When you need the CPU to match the kind of memory platform you want to buy or reuse.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: DDR5

DDR4/LPDDR4
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports DDR DDR4/LPDDR4, which is newer than that of 60.5% of processors and equal to that of 2.6% of processors.
Maximum memory speed
What it is: The highest official memory speed supported by the processor.
When it matters: When you choose RAM and want to know the supported speed ceiling.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: >=4800 MHz

2,400 MHz
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports memory speeds up to 2400 MHz, which is lower than that of 63.2% of processors and equal to 12.4% of processors.
Max memory speed (JEDEC)
What it is: The highest official RAM speed the processor supports under standard JEDEC settings, before any memory overclocking profiles are applied.
When it matters: When officially supported stock RAM speed matters more than XMP, EXPO, or manual memory tuning.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=5600 MHz

2,400 MHz
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports JEDEC memory speeds up to 2400 MHz, which is lower than that of 74.1% of processors and equal to 1.8% of processors.
Max memory speed (XMP / EXPO)
What it is: The highest memory speed supported through XMP or EXPO profiles.
When it matters: When you want faster RAM through memory profiles.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=5200 MHz

N/A
Maximum memory capacity
What it is: The largest total amount of memory officially supported by the processor.
When it matters: When you plan a system with very large RAM capacity.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: >=128 GB

8 GB
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports up to 8 GB of memory, which is less than 98.2% of processors and equal to 1.7% of processors.
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Integrated graphics
What it is: Includes built-in graphics, so the system can output video without a separate graphics card.
When it matters: When you want the PC to work without a dedicated GPU, or you are building an office, media, compact, or troubleshooting-friendly system.

Importance: HIGH

yes
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 includes integrated graphics. 87.6% of processors include integrated graphics.
Integrated GPU model
What it is: The model name of the integrated graphics processor, if present.
When it matters: When you plan to use the CPU's built-in graphics.

Importance: MEDIUM

Intel UHD Graphics 605
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses the Intel UHD Graphics 605 integrated GPU, which is less advanced than that in 59.6% of processors and equal to that in 0.2% of processors.
Integrated GPU execution units
What it is: The number of execution units available in the integrated graphics part of the processor.
When it matters: When you plan to rely on built-in graphics and want a better sense of its light gaming, display, or media capability.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=24

18
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has 18 GPU execution units, which is fewer than 56.1% of processors and equal to 0.3% of processors.
Integrated GPU base frequency
What it is: The base operating frequency of the integrated GPU.
When it matters: When integrated graphics performance matters to you.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: >=350 MHz

200 MHz
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has an integrated GPU clock of 200 MHz which is lower than that of 96.4% of processors and equal to that of 3.3% of processors.
Integrated media encoders/decoders
What it is: The hardware media formats the processor can encode or decode directly.
When it matters: When you stream, edit video, or rely on hardware media acceleration.

Importance: LOW

?
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TDP (Thermal design power)
What it is: The rated thermal design power, which gives a general idea of cooling and power needs.
When it matters: When you choose a cooler or build in a tighter case.

Importance: HIGH

Good value: <30 W

6 W
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a TDP of 6 W which is lower than that of 96.9% of processors and equal to that of 1.7% of processors.
Base power (PL1)
What it is: The sustained power target used for longer CPU loads.
When it matters: When you choose cooling and power delivery for sustained workloads.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: <30 W

6 W
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a base power of 6 W which is lower than that of 96.8% of processors and equal to that of 1.7% of processors.
Boost power (PL2)
What it is: The short-term boost power limit the processor may draw under heavier turbo loads.
When it matters: When you size cooling and power delivery for peak turbo behavior.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: <50 W

10 W
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a boost power of 10 W which is lower than that of 95.7% of processors and equal to that of 0.8% of processors.
Tau (power duration limit)
What it is: The time limit the CPU can stay at higher boost power before dropping toward sustained power.
When it matters: When you want to understand turbo behavior under longer loads.

Importance: MEDIUM

Good value: <=28 s

28 seconds
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a turbo duration of 28 seconds which is longer than that of 3.8% of processors and equal to that of 85% of processors.
Configurable TDP
What it is: Allows the processor to run in alternate power modes instead of being fixed to one default TDP target.
When it matters: When you want more control over heat, noise, and power draw in compact systems, quieter builds, or thermally limited machines.

Importance: LOW

yes
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports configurable TDP. 52.9% of processors support configurable TDP.
cTDP: 4.8 W
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Intel Pentium Silver N5030 vs the average processor

  • 86.7% lower base power
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower base power draw than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a base power draw of 45 W.
    What it is: The sustained power target used for longer CPU loads.
    When it matters: When you choose cooling and power delivery for sustained workloads.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Good value: <30 W

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower base power draw than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a base power draw of 45 W.6 W vs 45 W
  • 84.4% lower boost power
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost power draw than the average processor (10 W vs 64 W). The average processor has a boost power draw of 64 W.
    What it is: The short-term boost power limit the processor may draw under heavier turbo loads.
    When it matters: When you size cooling and power delivery for peak turbo behavior.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Good value: <50 W

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost power draw than the average processor (10 W vs 64 W). The average processor has a boost power draw of 64 W.10 W vs 64 W
  • 5 °C higher TJ Max
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher TJ Max than the average processor (105 °C vs 100 °C). The average processor has a TJ Max of 100 °C.
    What it is: The highest safe operating junction temperature before the CPU starts throttling or protecting itself.
    When it matters: When you tune cooling or monitor thermals under load.

    Importance: LOW

    Good value: >=100 °C

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher TJ Max than the average processor (105 °C vs 100 °C). The average processor has a TJ Max of 100 °C.105 °C vs 100 °C
  • 86.7% lower TDP
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower TDP than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a TDP of 45 W.
    What it is: The rated thermal design power, which gives a general idea of cooling and power needs.
    When it matters: When you choose a cooler or build in a tighter case.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: <30 W

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower TDP than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a TDP of 45 W.6 W vs 45 W
  • Newer DDR support
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports a newer DDR generation than the average processor (DDR4/LPDDR4 vs DDR4).
    What it is: The RAM generation the processor is designed to support, such as DDR4 or DDR5.
    When it matters: When you need the CPU to match the kind of memory platform you want to buy or reuse.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Good value: DDR5

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports a newer DDR generation than the average processor (DDR4/LPDDR4 vs DDR4).DDR4/LPDDR4 vs DDR4
  • 60% larger L2 cache
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher L2 cache than the average processor (4 MB vs 2.5 MB). The average processor has L2 cache of 2.5 MB.
    What it is: The total amount of L2 cache available across the processor.
    When it matters: When you want to compare CPU design efficiency and how much fast intermediate cache the cores have available.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    Good value: >=6 MB

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher L2 cache than the average processor (4 MB vs 2.5 MB). The average processor has L2 cache of 2.5 MB.4 MB vs 2.5 MB
  • 60% larger L2 cache
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher L2 cache than the average processor (4 MB vs 2.5 MB). The average processor has L2 cache of 2.5 MB.
  • Newer DDR support
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports a newer DDR generation than the average processor (DDR4/LPDDR4 vs DDR4).
  • 86.7% lower base power
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower base power draw than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a base power draw of 45 W.
  • 84.4% lower boost power
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost power draw than the average processor (10 W vs 64 W). The average processor has a boost power draw of 64 W.
  • 5 °C higher TJ Max
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher TJ Max than the average processor (105 °C vs 100 °C). The average processor has a TJ Max of 100 °C.
  • 86.7% lower TDP
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower TDP than the average processor (6 W vs 45 W). The average processor has a TDP of 45 W.
  • Narrower instruction support
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports a narrower instruction set than the average processor (MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AES vs MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4A, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, F16C, FMA3, AES, SHA).
  • Older CPU socket
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses an older CPU socket than the average processor (FCBGA1,090 vs FP2).
  • 76.1% lower single-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 single-core score than the average processor (352 vs 1,471). The average processor scores 1,471 in Geekbench 6 single-core.
  • 51.5% weaker single-core performance
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark single-core score than the average processor (1,205 vs 2,483). The average processor scores 2,483 in PassMark single-core.
  • 27.9% lower boost clock
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost clock speed than the average processor (3.1 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The average processor reaches boost clock speed of 4.3 GHz.
  • 52.9% lower Cinebench R20 single-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Cinebench R20 single-core score than the average processor (228 vs 484). The average processor scores 484 in Cinebench R20 single-core.
  • 83.8% lower multi-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 multi-core score than the average processor (778 vs 4,793). The average processor scores 4,793 in Geekbench 6 multi-core.
  • 75.9% lower PassMark score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark benchmark score than the average processor (2,534 vs 10,532.5). The average processor scores 10,532.5 in PassMark benchmark.
  • 2 fewer CPU cores
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer CPU cores than the average processor (4 vs 6). The average processor has 6 CPU cores.
  • No multithreading support
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 does not support multithreading, the average processor does.
  • 4 fewer CPU threads
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer CPU threads than the average processor (4 vs 8). The average processor has 8 CPU threads.
  • 1 fewer threads per core
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer threads per core than the average processor (1 vs 2). The average processor offers 2 threads per core.
  • 17 lower clock multiplier
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower clock multiplier than the average processor (11 vs 28). The average processor has a clock multiplier of 28.
  • Less advanced microarchitecture
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses a less advanced microarchitecture than the average processor (Gemini Lake Refresh vs Kaby Lake).
  • 16.7% larger process node
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher process node than the average processor (14 nm vs 12 nm). The average processor uses a process node of 12 nm.
  • 41.7% smaller L1 cache
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower L1 cache than the average processor (224 KB vs 384 KB). The average processor has L1 cache of 384 KB.
  • 10 fewer PCIe lanes
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer PCIe lanes than the average processor (6 vs 16). The average processor offers 16 PCIe lanes.
  • Older PCIe version
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports an older PCIe version than the average processor (2 vs 3.0).
  • 87.5% less memory capacity
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer maximum memory capacity than the average processor (8 GB vs 64 GB). The average processor supports 64 GB of memory.
  • 18.2% lower memory speed
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower maximum memory speed than the average processor (2,400 MHz vs 2,933 MHz). The average processor supports memory speed of 2,933 MHz.
  • 16.2% lower memory bandwidth
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower memory bandwidth than the average processor (38.4 GB/s vs 45.8 GB/s). The average processor offers memory bandwidth of 45.8 GB/s.
  • Limited PCIe bifurcation
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 supports less flexible PCIe bifurcation than the average processor (x1/x1/x1/x1 vs x16, x8/x8).
  • 42.9% lower GPU clock speed
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower integrated GPU frequency than the average processor (200 MHz vs 350 MHz). The average processor has integrated GPU frequency of 350 MHz.
  • 5 °C higher CPU temperature
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a higher CPU temperature than the average processor (105 °C vs 100 °C). The average processor runs at a CPU temperature of 100 °C.
  • 76.1% lower single-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 single-core score than the average processor (352 vs 1,471). The average processor scores 1,471 in Geekbench 6 single-core.
    What it is: A Geekbench 6 score that reflects single-core CPU performance in mixed modern workloads.
    When it matters: When you care about snappy everyday performance in lighter apps, browsing, office work, or tasks that do not scale well across many cores.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >2000

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 single-core score than the average processor (352 vs 1,471). The average processor scores 1,471 in Geekbench 6 single-core.352 vs 1,471
  • 51.5% weaker single-core performance
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark single-core score than the average processor (1,205 vs 2,483). The average processor scores 2,483 in PassMark single-core.
    What it is: A benchmark score that reflects single-core CPU performance.
    When it matters: When you care about responsiveness in lighter or older software.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >3200

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark single-core score than the average processor (1,205 vs 2,483). The average processor scores 2,483 in PassMark single-core.1,205 vs 2,483
  • 27.9% lower boost clock
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost clock speed than the average processor (3.1 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The average processor reaches boost clock speed of 4.3 GHz.
    What it is: The highest clock speed the processor can reach under boost conditions.
    When it matters: When you care about peak speed in short bursts.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >4.7 GHz

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower boost clock speed than the average processor (3.1 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The average processor reaches boost clock speed of 4.3 GHz.3.1 GHz vs 4.3 GHz
  • 52.9% lower Cinebench R20 single-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Cinebench R20 single-core score than the average processor (228 vs 484). The average processor scores 484 in Cinebench R20 single-core.
    What it is: A Cinebench R20 benchmark score that reflects single-core CPU performance.
    When it matters: When you care about lighter workloads, interface responsiveness, or software that still depends heavily on one fast core.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >600

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Cinebench R20 single-core score than the average processor (228 vs 484). The average processor scores 484 in Cinebench R20 single-core.228 vs 484
  • 83.8% lower multi-core score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 multi-core score than the average processor (778 vs 4,793). The average processor scores 4,793 in Geekbench 6 multi-core.
    What it is: A Geekbench 6 score that reflects multi-core CPU performance in mixed modern workloads.
    When it matters: When you want a quick picture of multi-core speed in everyday mixed workloads, multitasking, and broadly optimized software.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >8500

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower Geekbench 6 multi-core score than the average processor (778 vs 4,793). The average processor scores 4,793 in Geekbench 6 multi-core.778 vs 4,793
  • 75.9% lower PassMark score
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark benchmark score than the average processor (2,534 vs 10,532.5). The average processor scores 10,532.5 in PassMark benchmark.
    What it is: A benchmark score that gives a broad idea of overall processor performance.
    When it matters: When you want a quick overall performance comparison.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: >19000

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has a lower PassMark benchmark score than the average processor (2,534 vs 10,532.5). The average processor scores 10,532.5 in PassMark benchmark.2,534 vs 10,532.5
  • Less advanced microarchitecture
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses a less advanced microarchitecture than the average processor (Gemini Lake Refresh vs Kaby Lake).
    What it is: The internal core-design codename used for this processor generation.
    When it matters: When you are comparing CPUs at a deeper design level and want to identify the exact architecture behind marketing names.

    Importance: LOW

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 uses a less advanced microarchitecture than the average processor (Gemini Lake Refresh vs Kaby Lake).Gemini Lake Refresh vs Kaby Lake
  • 2 fewer CPU cores
    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer CPU cores than the average processor (4 vs 6). The average processor has 6 CPU cores.
    What it is: The number of physical CPU cores on the processor.
    When it matters: When you run workloads that benefit from more real cores.

    Importance: HIGH

    Good value: 8+

    Intel Pentium Silver N5030 has fewer CPU cores than the average processor (4 vs 6). The average processor has 6 CPU cores.4 vs 6

Graphic comparison of Intel Pentium Silver N5030 and other processors

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Third-party reviews

What customers like about Intel Pentium Silver N5030?

  • Efficient for basic day-to-day activities like web browsing, Microsoft Office, and Zoom meetings
  • Low power consumption (6W TDP) allows for quiet, fanless, and thin laptop designs
  • Highly affordable, offering good value for students or those on a strict budget
  • Capably handles 4K video playback and multimedia streaming
  • Supports up to three displays and modern video decoding (H.265/HEVC and VP9)

What customers dislike about Intel Pentium Silver N5030?

  • Poor performance for gaming; struggles with modern titles and even some low-end games
  • Weak multi-core performance compared to entry-level competitors like the AMD 3020e or Core i3
  • Frequent freezing and slow response times when multitasking or using heavy applications
  • Lack of support for AVX hardware instructions, which are required for many modern apps and games
  • Outdated 14nm architecture leads to lower energy efficiency than more modern budget chips

Expert reviews

C
cpubenchmark.net
01/03/2026

The Intel Pentium Silver N5030 is a 2020 quad-core, 1.1 GHz (3.1 GHz boost) processor designed for fanless, budget-friendly laptops, offering an average PassMark score of approximately 2,534. Its primary strengths include an incredibly low 6W TDP for long battery life and four physical cores providing superior multi-tasking over dual-core alternatives. However, its limited raw...Read more

B
browser.geekbench.com
01/03/2026

The Intel Pentium Silver N5030 is an entry-level, 14nm mobile processor designed for low-power devices, featuring four cores and a 1.10 GHz base frequency that boosts up to 3.10 GHz. While it is highly efficient with a 6W TDP suitable for fanless laptops and offers adequate performance for basic tasks like web browsing, it suffers from a weak architecture and lacks AVX support. The...Read more

C
cpubenchmark.net
Fecha no disponible

The PassMark comparison of the Intel Pentium Silver N5030 and Pentium 6405U highlights two distinct entry-level processors: the N5030 (4-core/4-thread, 1.1–3.1 GHz) excels in multi-threaded tasks, while the 6405U (2-core/4-thread, 2.4 GHz) offers higher single-threaded performance without turbo boost. Key pros for the 6405U include superior single-core responsiveness and better...Read more

Video reviews

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