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Intel Core 5 320

Name: Intel Core 5 320
Brand: Intel

Intel Core 5 320 Review: Wildcat Lake

The Core 5 320 sits at the very bottom of the Wildcat Lake lineup. Intel launched it in April 2026 for budget laptops and mini PCs, and it has already turned up in devices like the new $699 Dell XPS 13. There isn't much Core Ultra left here, but laptops built on this chip can be thin and quiet while still lasting a long time on battery.

Architecture

There are only six cores. Two are performance cores clocked at up to 4.6 GHz, and the remaining four are low-power efficiency cores (LP E-cores) running at up to 3.4 GHz. There is no Hyper-Threading, so the thread count is also six. That is an unusually modest setup for a chip with a 5 in its name. L3 cache comes to 6 MB.

The processor is built on the Intel 18A process. Base power is 15 W, and turbo power reaches 35 W. The biggest limit on performance is the single-channel memory controller. It supports LPDDR5X-7467 or DDR5-6400 with a maximum of 64 GB. Running on a single memory channel noticeably holds back multi-threaded work and hurts the integrated graphics even more.

The graphics use the Xe3 architecture with two Xe cores clocked at up to 2.5 GHz. DirectX 12 is supported, along with Quick Sync for hardware video encoding. Up to three displays can be connected at up to 4K and 60 Hz.

Intel's spec sheet lists no dedicated NPU, so AI workloads fall to the graphics, which deliver around 20 TOPS. That means these laptops will most likely miss out on Copilot+ PC status. There are only six PCIe 4.0 lanes, which is usually not enough for Thunderbolt. The XPS 13 with the Core 5 320, for example, only has 10 Gbps USB-C 3.2 ports, and Dell is promising Thunderbolt 4 only on Core Ultra versions.

CPU Performance

In single-threaded tasks the Core 5 320 is fast, which is a surprise for a budget chip. It scores 2,255 points in Geekbench 7 Single Core, while the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 scores 2,259, so there is practically no difference. In PassMark Single Core the Core 5 320 scores 4,043 points. That beats every mobile processor in the table below, and the Core Ultra 7 355 is ahead by only 73 points.

Multi-threaded results are much more modest. In Geekbench 7 Multi Core the processor scores 7,333 points, roughly matching the Ryzen 5 220 and Ryzen 7 7735U. In PassMark Multi Core the gap is more noticeable: 15,310 versus 20,000 to 21,000 for the same Ryzen chips. The AMD processors have 12 and 16 threads against Intel's six. The Snapdragon X Elite is almost twice as fast as the Core 5 320 in multi-threaded work.

Processor	Geekbench 7 Single	Geekbench 7 Multi	PassMark Single	PassMark Multi
Intel Core 5 320 (6 cores / 6 threads)	2,255	7,333	4,043	15,310
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 (12 / 12)	2,259	14,323	3,345	22,746
AMD Ryzen 5 220 (6 / 12)	1,904	7,467	3,916	20,679
AMD Ryzen 7 7735U (8 / 16)	1,552	7,279	3,282	21,372

That is enough performance for web browsing, office apps, video calls and 4K video playback. It falls short for video editing, building large projects or running a dozen heavy programs at once.

The Core 5 320 in Laptops

So far, full test results exist only for the 2026 Dell XPS 13. Dell caps the processor at 18 W under sustained load and 37 W for short bursts. Other manufacturers may tune it differently, and their results will vary. The table below uses Geekbench 6, so the numbers don't match the previous table.

Laptop	Processor	Geekbench 6 Single	Geekbench 6 Multi	Display	Price
Dell XPS 13 2026	Core 5 320	2,575	7,888	13.4", 2560×1600, 120 Hz, touch	from $699
Apple MacBook Neo	Apple A18 Pro	3,589	9,140	13", 2408×1506, 60 Hz	from $599
HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13	Ryzen AI 7 350	2,886	13,083	13.3", 1920×1200, 60 Hz	from $780

The Ryzen AI 7 350 is only slightly ahead of the Core 5 320 in single-threaded work, but it is 1.6 times faster in multi-threaded tasks. In Cinebench R23 the gap is even wider: 14,244 points versus 6,197. The MacBook Neo is $100 cheaper than the XPS 13 and faster in both modes. Dell has its own advantages: Windows and the display. The screen runs at 120 Hz, supports touch and covers almost all of the P3 color gamut. None of the other laptops in the table offers that.

Integrated Graphics

The graphics are weak. Two Xe3 cores paired with single-channel memory can't even match the Iris Xe 96 EU found in ultrabooks five years ago. Gaming is limited to older or very simple titles.

Laptop	Integrated Graphics	3DMark Time Spy Graphics	3DMark Fire Strike Graphics	Price
Dell XPS 13 2026	Graphics 2 Xe3 (Core 5 320)	1,343	3,485	from $699
HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13	Radeon 860M	2,271	6,462	from $780

For comparison, the Iris Xe 96 EU in the Core i7-1185G7 scores 1,666 points in Time Spy Graphics, and the Arc 140V in the Core Ultra 7 256V scores 4,115.

Battery Life

Wildcat Lake uses power sparingly at idle and under light loads. The XPS 13 with the Core 5 320 lasted more than 18 hours in the battery test and drew less than 2 W on the desktop. Under load the picture changes. The Core Ultra X7 358H uses 1.5 to 2.5 times more power but delivers three times the multi-threaded performance and five times the graphics performance. In performance per watt, it comes out ahead.

Where You'll Find It

The best-known device with the Core 5 320 is the 2026 Dell XPS 13. It is unusually affordable for the XPS line: $699 for the 8 GB version, or $599 with a student discount. Stepping up to 16 GB costs another $200. Memory in every version is single-channel and soldered to the board. All configurations share the same display: IPS, 2560×1600, 120 Hz.

Other budget laptops and mini PCs are also coming out on Wildcat Lake. Check the exact processor model before you buy. The same series can ship with either the Core 5 320 or the faster Core 7 350.

Is It Worth Buying?

The Core 5 320 suits students, people who work with documents, spend much of their time in a browser and take video calls. Strong single-threaded performance keeps the system responsive, and the battery lasts a long time.

For video editing, gaming and programming, look at laptops with the Core Ultra 5 325, Core Ultra 7 355 or Ryzen AI 7 350 instead. If you do settle on the Core 5 320, get the 16 GB version. The memory is soldered, so you can't upgrade it later, and 8 GB of single-channel memory is already tight today.

A laptop with this processor makes sense if it costs less than Core Ultra and Ryzen alternatives or beats them on display, build or battery life. If prices are similar, it is smarter to pay extra for a more powerful chip.

New this year

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Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 2026

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

320

Code Name

Products formerly Wildcat Lake

CPU Specifications

Low Power Efficient-core Base Frequency

1.4 GHz

Low Power Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency

3.4 GHz

Low Power Efficient-cores

Performance-cores

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.6 GHz

Performance-core Base Frequency

1.5 GHz

Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency

Maximum P-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.

4.6 GHz

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.6 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

6 MB Intel® Smart Cache

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1516

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

Intel 18A

Processor Base Power

The time-averaged power dissipation that the processor is validated to not exceed during manufacturing while executing an Intel-specified high complexity workload at Base Frequency and at the junction temperature as specified in the Datasheet for the SKU segment and configuration.

15 W

Maximum Turbo Power

The maximum sustained (>1s) power dissipation of the processor as limited by current and/or temperature controls. Instantaneous power may exceed Maximum Turbo Power for short durations (<=10ms). Note: Maximum Turbo Power is configurable by system vendor and can be system specific.

35 W

Minimum Assured Power

10 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100 °C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

4.0

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

x6 PCIe4(1x4,3x2,6x1)

Max Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

Up to LPDDR5X 7467 MT/s
Up to DDR5 6400 MT/s

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

64 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® Graphics

Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores (Wildcat Lake)

GPU TOPS

GPU Max Dynamic Frequency

2.5 GHz

Xe-cores

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

DirectX 12

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP1.5, DP 2.1 HBR3, HDMI 2.0b (TMDS only)

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.6

OpenCL Support

OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.

3.0

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel Quick Sync Video is a hardware video acceleration technology built into Intel GPUs from Sandy Bridge processors onwards. It allows you to quickly and efficiently perform video-related tasks such as encoding, decoding and converting.

Yes

AI Specifications

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) on CPU

A new set of embedded processor technologies designed to accelerate AI deep learning use cases. It extends Intel AVX-512 with a new Vector Neural Network Instruction (VNNI) that significantly increases deep learning inference performance over previous generations.

Yes

Interfaces and Ports

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.

Yes

Miscellaneous

Official Website

Intel Core 5 320

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Intel Active Management Technology (AMT)

Intel High Definition Audio

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Intel OS Guard is a security technology designed to protect operating systems from threats. It is a hardware feature built into Intel processors that helps prevent malicious code from executing in privileged modes of the operating system.

Yes