That awkward moment when a Core i5-1135G7 can outperform the more expensive Core i7-1165G7

Just because a processor is more expensive and with higher digits doesn't mean it will run faster than a cheaper version. As we've proven many times before, Core i5 laptops can sometimes run better than Core i7 laptops even within the same generation.

Our latest example involves Intel's newest 11th gen Tiger Lake Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 CPUs. Though the latter is advertised to be faster and more expensive than the former, we've come across at least one Core i5-1135G7 laptop that can consistently outperform its pricier Core i7-1165G7 configuration. Our Dell Inspiron 7506 2-in-1 Silver Edition outscores the Dell Inspiron 7506 2-in-1 Black Edition by a small yet consistent margin in almost all multi-threaded benchmarks.

When looking at each Dell system in more detail, the Core i5 Inspiron is able to maintain slightly faster clock rates at around 3 GHz compared to ~2.8 GHz on the Core i7 Inspiron. It's worth noting that the latter includes a much faster discrete GPU, but that's not an excuse for having an under-performing CPU.

Does this mean users should always go with the cheaper Core i5-1135G7 whenever possible? Not necessarily. The biggest difference between the Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 lies in graphics performance and not raw CPU performance. The Core i5 integrates an Iris Xe GPU with 80 EUs (Execution Units) compared to 96 EUs on the Core i7. 3DMark benchmarks show the Core i5 Iris Xe performing about 10 to 15 percent slower than the Core i7 Iris Xe and this deficit can drop to as much as 30 to 40 percent if the Core i5 system is on single-channel memory.

If you're a casual gamer or graphics editor, then the Core i7-1165G7 option may be worth the investment for its faster integrated graphics. Otherwise, users can just go with cheaper Core i5-1135G7 SKUs without sacrificing all that much CPU horsepower, if any.