Quad-Core Tiger Lake-U 10nm CPU Outperforms The Core i5-9300H

The latest discovery from hardware leaker @TUM_APISAK shows an unidentified Tiger Lake-U (TGL-U) processor with some decent specifications.

The Tiger Lake-U chip seemingly comes with four cores and eight threads. The processor should be packing Intel's upcoming Willow Cove architecture and leveraging the chipmaker's new 10nm process node. This particular model seems to sport a 2.7 GHz base clock and 4.3 GHz boost clock. 

In addition to the standard core configuration, the Tiger Lake-U processor arrives with 12MB of L3 cache. The number falls in line with our expectations that Tiger Lake would have 50% more L3 cache, equaling to 3MB of L3 per each core. On the graphics side, Tiger Lake should have access to Intel Gen12 (Generation 12) Xe graphics.

The unknown Tiger Lake-U processor puts up a score of 401.96 Mpix/s. For comparison, a Core i5-9400H (codename Coffee Lake-H) scores 352.13 Mpix/s, which means that the Tiger Lake-U is up to 14.2% faster.

The Core i5-9400H has the same four-core, eight-thread configuration as the Tiger Lake-U processor. However, the quad-core Coffee Lake chip does have lower clock speeds and less L3 cache than the Tiger Lake-U chip. Furthermore, the Core i5-9400H  is still on the Coffee Lake microarchitecture, which is a derivate of Skylake, and the 14nm process node.

The most fascinating part is that a U-series processor is able to outperform an H-series part. Tiger Lake stands as testimony of the powerful and efficient combination of Intel's Willow Cove architecture and and 10nm manufacturing process. The Core i5-9400H has a 45W TDP (thermal design power). Historically, Intel's U-series parts adhere to the 15W rating. Assuming that Intel keeps with tradition, the Tiger Lake-U chip should be fixed at 15W as well. 

Intel announced its Tiger Lake processors in May of last year, but the chipmaker never committed to a concrete launch date. An alleged Intel roadmap puts Tiger Lake in the second quarter of this year. That's all we have to go on for now.