Intel Core i3-1115G4 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2

Intel Core i3-1115G4

The Intel Core i3-1115G4 is a dual-core SoC for laptops and Ultrabooks based on the Tiger Lake-U generation (UP3) that was launched in September 2020. It integrates two Willow Cove processor cores (4 threads thanks to HyperThreading). Each core can clock from 3 GHz (base speed) to 4.1 GHz (single- and dual-core boost). The faster Core i5 and i7 models offer more cores and are therefore significantly faster.

Another novelty is the integrated Xe graphics card based on the completely new Gen 12 architecture. In the i3-1115G4 Intel is naming the GPU UHD Graphics and offers only 48 of the 96 EUs clocked at 400 - 1250 MHz. GPU and CPU can together use the 6 MB of L3 cache.

Furthermore, Tiger Lake SoCs add PCIe 4 support (four lanes), AI hardware acceleration, and the partial integration of Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 and WiFi 6 in the chip.

The chip is produced on the second-gen 10 nm Intel SuperFin process that should be comparable to the 7 nm TSMC process (e.g. Ryzen 4000 series).

Performance

Multi-thread peformance is most comparable to what the Intel Core i5-8250U and the AMD Ryzen 5 3450U deliver. This makes the i3 a more than decent option for day-to-day tasks; that said, any workload of the more taxing kind (such as exporting a high-bitrate, hour long UHD video) will be enough to bring the i3 to its knees.

Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term CPU power limit of 25 W, the ThinkPad L15 G2-20X4S0KU00 is one of the fastest laptops powered by the 1115G4 we know of. It can be more than 20% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

Power consumption

This Core i3 series chip has a default TDP of 12 W to 28 W, the expectation being that laptop makers will go for a higher value in exchange for higher performance. Either way, that's a tad too high to allow for passively cooled laptops, tablets, mini-PCs.

The Core i3-1115G4 is built with Intel's third-gen 10 nm process marketed as SuperFin for decent, as of mid 2022, energy efficiency.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform (or SD7c Gen 1) is a ARM based SoC for Windows laptops. It integrates two fast Kryo 495 Gold cores (based on the ARM Cortex-A76 architecture) at up to 2.4 GHz and six small Kryo 495 Silver cores (ARM Cortex-A55) for power efficiency. 

The successor is the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 which offers slightly higher clock speeds.

The integrated X15 LTE modem supports Cat.12 download (600 MBit/s) and Cat.13 upload speeds (150 MBit/s). Furthermore, Wifi-5 and Bluetooth 5.0 are integrated in the SoC. In addition to the Adreno 618 graphic card, the SoC also integrates a Hexagon 692 NPU.

The chip is produced in 8nm (compared to the more modern 7LPP process of the 8cx) and intended for the use in thin and light laptops without a fan.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform (or SD7c Gen2) is a ARM based SoC for Windows laptops. It integrates two fast Kryo 495 Gold cores (based on the ARM Cortex-A76 architecture) at up to 2.55 GHz and six small Kryo 495 Silver cores (ARM Cortex-A55) for power efficiency. Compared to the previous generation, the clock speeds were slightly increased.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 can offer up to 60% better productivity performance per watt in Windows 10 compared to Gemini Lake Refresh chips such as the Intel Celeron N4020 and, to a good extent, the Pentium Silver N5030.

The integrated X15 LTE modem supports Cat.12 download (600 MBit/s) and Cat.13 upload speeds (150 MBit/s). Furthermore, Wifi-5 and Bluetooth 5.0 are integrated in the SoC. In addition to the Adreno 618 graphic card, the SoC also integrates a Hexagon 692 NPU.

The chip is produced in 8nm (compared to the more modern 7LPP process of the 8cx) and intended for the use in thin and light laptops without a fan.