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Intel N250 specifications and in-depth review

Intel N250

Manufacturer: Intel

The Intel N250 is a low-power laptop processor designed for energy-efficient mobile computing. With a 6W thermal design power, it targets compact and fanless form factors where heat management is a priority. The chip runs four cores at a base frequency of 1.3 GHz and can scale up to 3.8 GHz under turbo conditions, offering a reasonable range for everyday workloads within its power envelope.

Manufactured on a 10nm process, the N250 supports DDR5 memory at speeds up to 4800 MHz through a single memory channel, with a maximum capacity of 16GB. Its integrated GPU features 32 execution units clocked up to 1250 MHz and is compatible with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and OpenCL 3, supporting up to three displays simultaneously. The processor also includes a 6MB L3 cache, PCIe 3 support, and a set of instruction extensions including AVX2, AES, and FMA3. PassMark scores sit at 5056 overall and 1964 in the single-thread test.

Pros
  • Turbo clock speed reaches 3.8 GHz, allowing the processor to handle short bursts of more demanding tasks despite its low base frequency
  • Integrated graphics support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and OpenCL 3, covering a broad range of graphics and compute workloads
  • Can drive up to three displays simultaneously through the integrated GPU
  • DDR5 memory support at up to 4800 MHz brings modern memory technology to a low-power laptop platform
  • Includes hardware AES instruction support, enabling accelerated encryption operations
  • NX bit support adds a hardware-level layer of protection against certain code execution exploits
Cons
  • Single memory channel limits available memory bandwidth, which can bottleneck data-intensive tasks
  • Maximum memory capacity is capped at 16GB, leaving limited headroom for memory-heavy workloads
  • Does not support multithreading, so each core can only process one thread at a time
  • No ECC memory support, ruling out use in error-sensitive or reliability-critical environments
  • Unlocked multiplier is absent, so clock frequency cannot be manually adjusted beyond factory settings
  • Base clock speed of 1.3 GHz across four cores is modest, which may constrain sustained workload performance
Who is this for?

The Intel N250 is well-matched for users who need a compact, low-power laptop for everyday computing tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and light media consumption. Its 6W TDP makes it a natural fit for fanless or ultra-thin designs where thermal efficiency takes priority. The integrated GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and the ability to connect up to three displays also makes it a reasonable option for productivity setups requiring multi-monitor output at modest graphical demands. Users who value modern memory technology will also benefit from its DDR5 support, which brings current-generation memory capability to a power-efficient platform.

Who is this NOT for?

This processor is not well-suited for users who rely on heavily multithreaded workloads such as video rendering, large-scale compilation, or data processing, as it lacks multithreading support and is limited to four threads total. The single memory channel and 16GB memory ceiling also make it a poor fit for memory-bandwidth-intensive applications like large dataset analysis or professional content creation. Similarly, users seeking to run demanding games or GPU-accelerated software at meaningful performance levels will find the integrated graphics insufficient, given its limited execution unit count and shared memory architecture.

General info:

Type Laptop
Has integrated graphics ✓
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 6W
semiconductor size 10 nm
CPU temperature 105 °C
PCI Express (PCIe) version 3
Supports 64-bit ✓

The Intel N250 is a laptop processor built on a 10nm semiconductor process, keeping power consumption at a modest 6W TDP, which makes it well-suited for compact and energy-conscious mobile designs. It includes integrated graphics and fully supports 64-bit computing. The chip operates within a maximum temperature of 105°C and communicates with other components via PCIe version 3.

Performance:

CPU speed 4 x 1.3 GHz
CPU threads 4 threads
turbo clock speed 3.8GHz
Has an unlocked multiplier ✕
L3 cache 6 MB
L3 core 1.5 MB/core
Uses big.LITTLE technology ✕
clock multiplier 13

The Intel N250 features four cores running at a base speed of 1.3 GHz each, with four threads in total and a turbo clock speed reaching up to 3.8 GHz for handling short bursts of more demanding work. The chip carries a clock multiplier of 13 and does not have an unlocked multiplier, meaning frequency adjustments are fixed. Cache memory totals 6 MB of L3 cache, distributed at 1.5 MB per core, helping to reduce latency for frequently accessed data. The processor does not use big.LITTLE technology, so all cores share the same architecture.

Benchmarks:

PassMark result 5056
PassMark result (single) 1964

In PassMark testing, the Intel N250 achieves an overall score of 5056, reflecting its multi-core throughput across typical workloads. Its single-thread PassMark result of 1964 gives an indication of per-core performance, which is relevant for tasks that rely heavily on sequential processing rather than parallel execution.

Integrated graphics:

GPU turbo 1250 MHz
GPU execution units 32
DirectX version DirectX 12 Ultimate
supported displays 3
OpenGL version 4.6
OpenCL version 3

The Intel N250 includes integrated graphics with 32 execution units and a turbo clock of 1250 MHz. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, along with OpenGL 4.6 and OpenCL 3, covering a solid range of graphics and compute APIs. The GPU can drive up to three displays simultaneously, making it capable of handling multi-monitor setups within its low-power design.

Memory:

RAM speed (max) 4800 MHz
DDR memory version 5
memory channels 1
maximum memory amount 16GB
Supports ECC memory ✕

The Intel N250 supports DDR5 memory running at up to 4800 MHz, with a maximum capacity of 16GB. It operates through a single memory channel, which defines the available memory bandwidth for the system. ECC memory is not supported, placing this processor firmly in consumer rather than error-correcting workload territory.

Features:

instruction sets MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2
uses multithreading ✕
Has NX bit ✓

The Intel N250 comes with a range of instruction set extensions including MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, and SSE 4.2, enabling support for vectorized math, hardware-accelerated encryption, and various multimedia operations. The processor does not use multithreading, meaning each core handles one thread at a time. It does include the NX bit, a hardware-level security feature that helps prevent certain types of malicious code execution.

Final Verdict

The Intel N250 is a purposefully designed low-power laptop processor that delivers a coherent set of specifications for its intended role. Its 6W thermal design power combined with DDR5 memory support and DDR5 speeds up to 4800 MHz positions it as a capable option for energy-efficient mobile devices where modern memory technology and display flexibility matter more than raw throughput. While it is not built to handle multithreaded workloads, memory-intensive applications, or demanding graphics tasks, it handles its target use cases with a well-rounded feature set that includes DirectX 12 Ultimate support and multi-display output. For users seeking a processor for light, everyday laptop use within a thermally constrained form factor, the Intel N250 represents a focused and technically consistent choice.

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