Intel Core i5-1035G1 vs Intel Core i3-1005G1

Intel Core i5-1035G1

The Intel Core i5-1035G1 is a quad-core SoC of the Ice Lake product family. It was announced in May 2019 and it features Hyper-Threading-enabled Sunny Cove CPU cores running at 1 GHz to 3.6 GHz. The highest Boost clock speed achievable when under all-core load is 3.2 GHz.

This Core i5 is designed for use in ultra-light laptops and Windows tablets. Unlike the costlier Core i5-1035G4, this i5 has the 32 EU UHD Graphics G1 iGPU, not the 48 EU Iris Plus G4; 1035G1's CPU cores run at a slightly lower clock rate, too.

Architecture

Ice Lake processors bring a significant, double-digit per-MHz performance boost over their immediate predecessors, much like Intel promised. What Intel was less keen on highlighting was the significant dip in clock speeds; Core i5-1035G1, Core i7-1065G7 and other Ice Lake CPUs run at lower clock speeds than similarly-specced Comet Lake or Whiskey Lake processors do when under the same load conditions.

Core i5-1035G1 is capable of HW-accelerating certain AI workloads. Thunderbolt and Wi-Fi 6 support is partially baked in the chip. The integrated RAM controller is compatible with up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 or LPDDR4-3733 memory.

The i5 has several PCI-Express 3.0 lanes for connecting discrete graphics cards, SSDs and other devices. Four PCI-Express 3.0 lanes allow for read/write rates of up to 3.9 GB/s provided a suitably fast NVMe SSD is used.

Please note this is not a user-replaceable CPU. It is supposed to get soldered permanently on to the motherboard (BGA1526 socket interface).

Performance

In the grand scheme of things, Core i5-1035G1 is a lower mid-range CPU. It is good for more than just the basic tasks while being no match for true high-performers such as the mighty Core i7-10850H.

The i5's multi-core performance puts it in the same league as Ryzen 5 2500U, Core i5-8259U, Core i5-10210U. Your mileage may vary depending on how competent the cooling solution of a system is and how high the Power Limits are.

Graphics

UHD Graphics G1 is based on Intel's 11th gen architecture. The UHD Graphics runs at 300 MHz to 1,050 MHz and has 32 EUs; Iris Plus G4 has 48 EUs while Iris Plus G7 has 64 EUs, for reference. This iGPU will let you use up to 3 monitors simultaneously in resolutions up to 5120 by 3200.

UHD Graphics G1 is significantly faster than the UHD Graphics 620, yet it's still not as good as a proper discrete graphics card. It will let you play a moderately long list of games, F1 2020 included, provided you are OK with 720p resolution and Lowest quality preset.

Power Consumption

The Core i5 is manufactured on Intel's first-gen 10 nm process for moderately good energy efficiency.

Core i5-1035G1 has a default TDP (also known as the long-term Power Limit) of 15 W that can be set to as high as 25 W by an OEM if required. The CPU is designed for use in ultra-portable laptops, Windows tablets and mini-PCs. Long-term performance sustainability will be rather poor in passively cooled setups.

Intel Core i3-1005G1

The Intel Core i3-1005G1 is a power efficient dual-core SoC for laptops and Ultrabooks based on the Ice Lake-U generation that was announced in Mai 2019 (Computex). It integrates two Sunnycove processor cores (4 threads thanks to HyperThreading) clocked at 1.2 (base) - 3.4 GHz (single and dual core Turbo). According to Intel the Sunnycove cores achieve 18% more IPCs (Instructions per Clock) and therefore the CPU performance should be similar to the higher clocked Whiskey-Lake predecessors (e.g. Core i3-8145U with 2.3 - 3.9 GHz) or an older Core i7-7660U (2.5 - 4 GHz Dual Core).

The biggest improvement for Ice-Lake is the integrated Gen 11 graphics processor called UHD Graphics G1. The Core i3-1005G1 integrates the smallest GPU, the UHD Graphics with 32 of the 64 EUs clocked at 300 - 900 MHz. The higher-end Iris Plus G4 and G7 offer higher clock speeds (up to 1100 MHz) and up to 64 EUs.

Other improvements for Ice Lake are the AI hardware acceleration and the partial integration of Thunderbolt and Wifi 6 in the chip. The integrated DDR4 memory controller supports modules with up to 3200 MHz (and LPDDDR4 3733).

The Core i3-1005G1 is produced on the first-gen 10 nm Intel process that should offer a comparable performance to the 7 nm TSMC process. The TDP is specified at 15 Watts and therefore the CPU can be used in thin and light laptops (but usually with a fan). Intel offers a configurable TDP of 13 - 25 Watts for the partners resulting in some serious performance differences. The CPU will run at just 900 MHz if limited to 13 Watts.