That's $20 under our mention from three days ago, $100 off, and the lowest price we've seen. Buy Now at Dell Technologies
- 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1155G7 2.5GHz Quad-Core CPU
- 15.6" 1920x1080 (1080p) 120Hz display
- 16GB RAM; 512GB NVMe SSD
- Windows 11 Home
That's a $50 drop from two weeks ago and the best price we could find by $220. Buy Now at eBay
- Intel Core i5-1335U 10-core CPU
- 1920 x 1200 IPS display
- 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
- Model: HP-Elitebook-i5-16-512
You won't know exactly what you're getting, but the minimum specs will be at least an Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, 13.1" display, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. Most will receive at least one upgrade over these minimums, while all also feature 802.11ac WiFi, webcam, and Windows 10 Pro. A 90-day Woot warranty applies. Buy Now at Woot! An Amazon Company
That's at a $286 savings. Buy Now at eBay
- 12th Generation Intel Core Evo i5-1235U 3.3GHz Alder Lake 10-core CPU
- 15.6" 1920x1080 display
- 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Windows 11 Home
Apply coupon code "CLEAR10" to save. That's $43 off and the lowest price we could find. Buy Now at Dell Technologies
- 13th Generation Intel Core i5-1335U 3.4GHz Raptor Lake 10-core CPU
- 14" 1920x1080 (1080p) display
- 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD
- Windows 11 Pro
That's $30 under our mention from a month ago, $150 off list, and the lowest price we've seen. Buy Now at Sam's Club
- 12GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Model: 15-er1051cl
It's the best price we found by $150. Buy Now at Amazon
- 12th-generation Intel Core i5-12500H 2.8GHz / 1.8GHz 12-Core CPU
- 15.6" 1920x1080 (1080p) 144Hz display
- 16GB RAM & 512GB PCIe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 8GB GPU
- Windows 11 Home
- Model: FX507ZC-ES53
- UPC: 197105000469
Apply coupon code "SAVEBIGONLSERIES" to get this deal. That's a savings of $1,239 and the best price we could find. Buy Now at Lenovo
- 13th-Generation Intel Core i5-13500HX 2.5GHz Raptor Lake 14-core CPU
- 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD
- 14" 1920x1080 (1080p) IPS touch display
- Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
- Model: 21C1S0TY00
Apply coupon code "EXTRAFIVE" to get this deal. That's $87 under our October mention and the lowest price we could find. Buy Now at Lenovo
- 13th-Generation Intel Core i5-13500HX 2.5GHz Raptor Lake 14-core CPU
- 16" 2560x1600 165Hz touchscreen
- 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD
- Windows 11 Home
- Model: 82WK0005US
- ProcessorThe Intel Core i5-1135G7(up to 4.2GHz) brings the perfect combination of features to make you unstoppable. With MB of L3 cache, 4 cores and 8 threads are ready to handle all your work.
- DisplayWith the 15.6" FHD touchscreen, your entertainment just got pushed to the very edge. Get expansive, 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) resolution, vibrant images with awesome colors, and intuitively control your PC right from the screen.
- UpgradedUp to 36GB DDR4 RAM significantly increases performance, and up to 1TB SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
- GraphicsSmoothly stream content and play your favorite games with Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Impressive performance for creating, gaming, and entertainment. A new level of graphics performance and crisp, stunning visuals with the convenience of a thin and light laptop.
- Windows 11 Home in S ModeFrom a rejuvenated Start menu, to new ways to connect to your favorite people, news, games, and content, Windows 11 Home in S Mode is the place to think, express, and create in a natural way.
- Model: Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Laptop
- UPC: 196800400567
It's $516 under list price. Buy Now at Amazon
- Microsoft Surface Book 3 Features Quad Core 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1065G7 Processor, Vibrant PixelSense Display with a 13.5" touchscreen (3240 x 2160)
- 256GB of storage SSD, 8GB RAM
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics, Up to 17 hours of video playback
- Detachable Design, USB Type-C | USB 3.0 Type-A, 802.11ac Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 4.1 LE
- SDXC Media Card Slot, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition
- Model: SKR-00001
- UPC: 889842597530
It's $487 under list price. Buy Now at Amazon
- [ Latest And Greatest ] Released in 2022 The XPS 9315 Detachable 2-in-1 is Dell's latest release in the 13" XPS family. It includes a 2 year warranty with on-site Service and comes with all the latest technology including DDR4 Memory clocked at a whopping 3200MHz anda 12th generation Intel 10-core Processor. The Ten cores on the Core i7-1250U processor allows for exceptional multitasking. To save power and prolong battery life the processor will run @ 3.5Ghz under low use but will boost to 4.7
- [ Display & Graphics ] This XPS 9315 Detachable 2-in-1 comes with a 13" Touch Screen with (2880x1920) resolution for stunningly clear visuals and a an integrated graphics card built into the Intel Core i7-1250U processor which will use the computer's 16GB of RAM for the graphics memory.
- [ High Speed RAM And Enormous Space ] The 16GB DDR4 RAM Running @ 3200MHz will let you smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once and a 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive will provide fast startup, data transfers, and large file storage!
- [ Operating System ] Windows 11 is Microsoft's latest Operating System released in 2022 and if you want to downgrade to the older windows 10, you can downgrade with an easy download from Microsoft's website.The Home Edition will come with everything you need but you can also upgrade to windows pro from the windows store for $100.
- [ Extra Details ] A Wecbam comes integrated. Wifi and Bluetooth come integrated.
- Model: XPS 9315 2-in-1
- UPC: 196105887834
- 15.6" Full HD display " The 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. IPS technology for wide viewing angles. Energy-efficient LED backlight.
- 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ mobile processor: Smart quad-core processing performance. Intel Turbo Boost Technology delivers dynamic extra power when you need it, while increasing energy efficiency when you don't.
- 8GB system memory for advanced multitasking, 256GB solid state drive (SSD), NO cd/dvd drive.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics: Backed by 4GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory for a fast, advanced GPU to fuel your games.
- Windows Mixed Reality Ultra Ready, Windows 10 operating system, Bluetooth 4.2, 3 USB 3.0
- Model: T8TJG
- UPC: 884116984474
- [ Intel Core i7 Processor ] Released in 2021 The Latitude 7320 Detachable 2-in-1 is Dell's latest release in the 13" Latitude 7000 family. It includes a 2 year warranty with on-site Next Business Day Service and comes with all the latest technology including DDR4 Memory clocked at a whopping 3200MHz anda 11th generation Intel 4-core Processor. The Quad cores on the Core i7-1180G7 processor allows for exceptional multitasking. To save power and prolong battery life the processor will run @ 2.2G
- [ Display & Graphics ] This Latitude 7320 Detachable 2-in-1 comes with a 13" Touch Screen with FHD+ (1920x1280) resolution for stunningly clear visuals and a an integrated graphics card built into the Intel Core i7-1180G7 processor which will use the computer's 16GB of RAM for the graphics memory.
- [ High Speed RAM And Enormous Space ] The 16GB DDR4 RAM Running @ 3200MHz will let you smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once and a 1TB (1000GB) PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive will provide fast startup, data transfers, and large file storage!
- [ Operating System ] Windows 10 is Microsoft's most battle tested Operating System and if you want to upgrade to the latest windows 11, windows 11 is a simple free upgarade through windows update. Windows Pro comes with everything that Windows Home comes with, plus extra features your organization might require like active directory and bitlocker device encryption (normally an $100 upgrade if purchased seperately).
- [ Extra Details ] A Wecbam comes integrated. Wifi and Bluetooth come integrated. [ PORTS & SLOTS ] Wedge-shaped Lock Slot | Thunderbolt 4 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort (USB Type-C) | Speaker | Volume control | Universal Audio jack | Rear camera | Micro SIM Card Slot (optional) |
- Model: Latitude 7320 Detachable 2-in-1
- UPC: 196105025328
It's $700 under list price. Buy Now at Amazon
- Intel Core i7-8565U Quad-core 1.80GHz (Up to 4.60GHz) Processor
- 16GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM (8GB soldered + 8GB DIMM), 1TB PCIe-NVMe SSD (1,800 MB/s Read / 1,800 MB/s Write)
- 15.6" FHD (1920x1080, 250 nits) IPS anti-glare Display
- Intel UHD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, 3 Year Lenovo Warranty
- *RAM & Hard Drive Upgrades | View Product Description for complete details and specifications
- Model: T590
- UPC: 192940391550
- 15.6" Full HD display " The 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. IPS technology for wide viewing angles. Energy-efficient LED backlight.
- 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ mobile processor: Smart quad-core processing performance. Intel Turbo Boost Technology delivers dynamic extra power when you need it, while increasing energy efficiency when you don't.
- 8GB system memory for advanced multitasking, 256GB solid state drive (SSD), NO cd/dvd drive.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics: Backed by 4GB GDDR5 dedicated video memory for a fast, advanced GPU to fuel your games.
- Windows Mixed Reality Ultra Ready, Windows 10 operating system, Bluetooth 4.2, 3 USB 3.0
- Model: T8TJG
- UPC: 884116984474
- Powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H 8-Core (4 Performance Cores + 4 Efficient Cores, up to 4.40 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB Smart cache, 12 threads)
- CustomizationUpgraded to 16GB DDR4 SDRAM, 512GB PCI-E NVMe Solid State Drive. Windows 10 Home
- 15.6" diagonal Thin Bezel LCD, FHD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels), IPS-Level 144Hz, 45% NTSC, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 with 4GB GDDR6, 720p HD camera with integrated digital microphone
- Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11AX (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.1 Combo; RTL8111HS-CG 10/100/1000Mbps LAN; 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1, 1 x USB 2.0; 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C; 1 x HDMI (supports 4K @ 30Hz); 1/1 APDIF Headset AMP + Gold Flash jacks
- Single Blue Backlit fullsize keyboard with NumPad and Anti-Ghost key; Nahimic 3 / Hi-Res Audio; Speakers 2W*2; 53Whr 3-cell lithium-ion battery (up to 6 hours non-gaming battery life), 180W AC adapter; 14.13"x10.20"x0.98"; 4.96lbs; Aluminum Black; free RATZK 32GB USB Drive.
- Model: Sword1512295
- UPC: 785379693519
- ProcessorThe Intel Core i5-1135G7(up to 4.2GHz) brings the perfect combination of features to make you unstoppable. With MB of L3 cache, 4 cores and 8 threads are ready to handle all your work.
- DisplayWith the 15.6" FHD touchscreen, your entertainment just got pushed to the very edge. Get expansive, 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) resolution, vibrant images with awesome colors, and intuitively control your PC right from the screen.
- UpgradedUp to 36GB DDR4 RAM significantly increases performance, and up to 1TB SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
- GraphicsSmoothly stream content and play your favorite games with Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Impressive performance for creating, gaming, and entertainment. A new level of graphics performance and crisp, stunning visuals with the convenience of a thin and light laptop.
- Windows 11 Home in S ModeFrom a rejuvenated Start menu, to new ways to connect to your favorite people, news, games, and content, Windows 11 Home in S Mode is the place to think, express, and create in a natural way.
- Model: Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Laptop
- UPC: 196800400567
Use coupon code "WOW5410DELL" to take an extra 50% off these refurb Dell Latitude 5410 i5- and i7-equipped laptops, with prices ranging from $399 to $469 before the discount, or $200 to $235 after. Shop Now at Dell Refurbished Store
It's $200 under list price. Buy Now at Amazon
- 14" THIN BEZEL Full HD IPS-Level 60Hz 72% NTSC
- Intel Iris Xe
- 8GB (8GB*1) DDR4 3200MHz
- 512GB NVMe SSD
- Intel 9560 Jefferson Peak (2x2 802.11 ac)
- Model: Modern14B1024
- UPC: 824142278758
Core i5 Laptops: The Basics
When researching a laptop to buy, one of the main factors to consider is the processor. The processor handles the workload of the computer, so its performance and speed can have a large impact on the overall value of your system.
Core i5 is a line of processors made by Intel that are intended for the mainstream user. Within the Core i5 family, there are several generations and models of products. The most recent Intel Core generations are listed below, along with their code name (Intel’s naming scheme for the platforms they develop):
- 10th Generation : Comet Lake, Ice Lake, or Amber Lake Y
- 9th Generation : Coffee Lake
- 8th Generation : Coffee Lake, Whiskey Lake, Kaby Lake R or G, or Amber Lake Y
- 7th Generation: Kaby Lake
Deciphering the Processor Name
When reviewing the specifications for a laptop at a certain retailer, you may not see the generation listed in the processor name. However, you can determine this by the first number listed in the name of the processor after “i5”. For instance, “Intel Core i5-1035G1” has a 10 after i5, which indicates it is 10th gen. Along the same lines, “Intel Core i5-9300H” is 9th gen.
The last letter or number/letter combination in this string also has meaning , and represents certain features. As examples, an “H” on the end means high performance graphics, while a “U” means ultra-low power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which i5 Processor Generation Should I Choose?
Most of the Core i5 laptop deals listed on DealNews are at least 8th gen; the majority are 10th gen. Generally speaking, the latest generation of a processor represents advances in technology compared to previous generations.
That said, according to Intel , “A higher number within a processor class or family generally indicates more features, but it may be more of one and less of another.” So it’s worth checking into the specifics once you’ve narrowed down your choices. A slightly older processor at a great deal may be perfectly sufficient compared to spending more for the very latest development.
How Many Cores Are in an i5 Laptop?
Core i5 processors for laptops can go up to six cores, but more typically have two or four cores. The majority of i5 laptop deals on DealNews are for quad-core systems. Having multiple cores basically means your processor can multitask, doing up to six things at once (or more with hyper-threading ).
Quad-core is commonly recommended for average users that aren’t using specialized software that’s designed to take advantage of additional cores. Dual-core may also suffice, particularly if cost is the main driver of the purchase.
Should I Buy a Core i5 or Consider i3, i7, or i9?
When considering a Core i5 laptop deal, you may be wondering if you should upgrade to i7 or i9 — or save money by opting for i3. Like the processor generations mentioned above, the higher numbers generally mean higher performance. Core i5 would be a step above i3, i7 a step above i5, and so on.
That said, there can be a lot of variance within these lines, and several factors besides the number of cores will affect performance, including:
- Clock Speed : Measures how fast the processor is, with higher numbers meaning higher speeds (higher speeds also use more power and generate more heat)
- Turbo Boost : Speeds up processor performance during peak loads
- Hyper-Threading : Allows multiple threads to run on each core (doing more simultaneously without slowing down)
Intel highlights some of the key features in the Intel Core processor family and provides detailed comparison charts for the following mobile processors:
This chart is not available for Core i9 , but Intel also offers a handy tool for comparing processors using their Product Specifications Page (ARK). If you are considering a couple of specific models and want to view the processor specifications side-by-side with differences highlighted, you can follow the instructions for using the search with the option to compare.
When making a choice between the i5 and other CPUs, it will likely come down to how much you can afford. All other things being equal or at least comparable, you’ll want to get the latest and greatest processor possible for the money you plan to spend. That said, shelling out for a processor with way more power than you need isn’t necessary. That extra power will only benefit those that run high-end games and complex software.
How Can I Get a Discount On an i5 Laptop?
You can browse the i5 laptop deals here at DealNews to find several options for getting a discount. Many of the i5 deals we find come from these stores:
If you don’t see a deal, you can search the model number for the system you are interested in to check prices. To potentially get even more savings, you can search DealNews for coupons for the stores that sell it. Once you’ve determined the prices and whether coupons are available, you can compare to find out which store has the lowest price.
Sarah Jones is the resident coupon expert at DealNews and oversees a team that covers deals, coupons, and Black Friday content. Her articles or quotes have been featured on sites such as Christian Science Monitor, Oprah.com, Fox Business, Kiplinger, and Lifehacker.