Intel Core i5-1135G7 vs Intel Core i3-1125G4

Intel Core i5-1135G7

The Intel Core i5-1135G7 is a quad-core SoC designed for leaner laptops. The Tiger Lake-UP3 processor was introduced in September 2020. It features four Willow Cove processor cores running at 2.4 GHz (base clock speed @ 28 W TDP) Boosting up to 4.2 GHz (1-core Boost). The all-core Boost frequency is 3.8 GHz. The CPU supports thread-doubling Hyper-Threading tech, allowing for up to 8 concurrent processing threads.

Architecture

A sizeable performance-per-MHz boost is one of the multiple improvements of Tiger Lake compared to the older Ice Lake and Comet Lake product families. Core i5-1135G7 is compatible with dual-channel DDR4-3200 or quad-channel LPDDR4x-4267 RAM, supports PCI-Express 4.0 (4 lanes) and is capable of HW-accelerating AI workloads. Thunderbolt 4, USB 4 and Wi-Fi 6 support is partially baked into the chip. The i5 CPU is manufactured on the second-gen 10 nm Intel SuperFin process that is supposedly comparable to the 7 nm TSMC process that Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors are manufactured on. Both the CPU cores and the iGPU have access to 8 MB of L3 cache. Faster Core i7-11x5 parts are notable for their larger Level 3 cache size (12 MB versus 8 MB) and higher clock speeds. The i5 gets soldered straight to the motherboard (BGA1449 socket) and is not user-replaceable.

Performance

Long-term Boost sustainability of a mobile CPU tends to depend heavily on cooling system performance as well as TDP settings of a laptop. That said, the average Core i5-1135G7 from our database is just as fast as the Core i5-10400H, Core i5-8300H, and Ryzen 7 3700U in multi-core benchmarks. The single-core performance is a lot better though, reaching similar heights as the Ryzen 7 5600X and Core i7-8700K. The performance may not be ground-breaking, but it’s still on the nicer side. The CPU will have no difficulty coping with some light gaming and video editing on the go, and simple tasks such as web browsing and spreadsheet editing will pose no problem for it, either.

Graphics

The 80 EU Iris Xe Graphics G7 is based on Intel's Gen 12 architecture. The iGPU is somewhat faster than the older Iris Plus G7 (Ice Lake) and much faster than the UHD 620 (Comet Lake). In this Core i5, the Xe uses 80 of the 96 EUs clocked at 400 MHz to 1,300 MHz. The graphics adapter can drive up to 4 monitors in resolutions up to SUHD [email protected], and the built-in video decoder can handle AVC, HEVC, VP9 and last but not the least AV1-encoded videos. In terms of gaming performance, the iGPU trails behind the GeForce MX250 just a little bit for decent casual gaming experience. As the iGPU has no VRAM of its own, it is paramount that fast system RAM is used.

Power Consumption

The Core i5's 10 nm manufacturing process and low core count render it relatively energy-efficient. Just like all other Tiger Lake-UP3 processors, Core i5-1135G7 has a default TDP of 12 W to 28 W (OEMs get to set the value according to their needs). This makes the i5 a good fit for thinner, lighter laptops as well as an occasional Windows tablet. Long-term performance sustainability is likely to be an issue in passively-cooled setups.

Intel Core i3-1125G4

The Intel Core i3-1125G4 is a 28 W quad-core SoC for laptops and Ultrabooks based on the Tiger Lake-U generation (UP3) that was introduced in September 2020. It integrates four Willow Cove processor cores (8 threads thanks to HyperThreading). Each core can clock from 2 GHz (guaranteed base speed @ 28 W) to 3.7 GHz (single-core boost). All cores at once can clock at up to 3.3 GHz. The faster Core i7 models offer more Level 3 cache (12 versus 8 MB in the i5) and higher clocked cores.

Another novelty is the integrated Xe GPU based on the completely new Gen 12 architecture. In the i3-1125G4 Intel names the GPU UHD Graphics and offers only 48 of the 96 EUs clocked at 400 - 1250 MHz. The GPU and CPU can together use the 8 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 Wi-Fi 6 in the chip.

The chip is produced on the improved 10nm+ process (called SuperFin) at Intel that should be comparable to the 7nm process at TSMC (e.g. Ryzen 4000 series).

The operating range of the UP3 series is specified at 12 to 28 Watt. Therefore, the processor is also suited for thin and light laptops.