Intel Core i3-1000NG4 vs Intel Core i3-5157U Comparison

The Intel Core i3-1000NG4 is the clear benchmark victor over the Intel Core i3-5157U, winning every single shared test by a margin of roughly 35-36%. Despite the i3-5157U’s much higher 2.50 GHz base clock and 28W TDP, the newer 10 nm Ice Lake chip’s architecture delivers decisively superior performance across all multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The data shows a complete sweep: 5 wins for the i3-1000NG4, 0 for the i3-5157U, with the average benchmark scores landing at 881 for the former and 877 for the latter.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the consistency of the performance gap. In every Cinebench test where both processors appear, the i3-1000NG4 beats the i3-5157U by a deltaPct between 35.6% and 36.2%. This is not a case of one architecture favoring a specific workload; the advantage is uniform across rendering, single-core tasks, and multi-core tasks.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i3-1000NG4 scores 2989 against the i3-5157U’s 2203, a 35.7% advantage. That translates to the newer chip completing the same render workload in roughly three-quarters of the time. The single-core R23 result tells a similar story: 422 versus 311, again a 35.7% delta. This single-core lead is particularly telling because it isolates the architectural improvements — the i3-5157U’s 2.50 GHz base clock is more than double the i3-1000NG4’s 1.10 GHz base, yet the Ice Lake part still wins by over a third.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. The multi-core score is 1255 for the i3-1000NG4 versus 925 for the i3-5157U (35.7% delta), and the single-core score is 177 versus 130 (36.2% delta). The R15 multi-core test shows the smallest absolute gap but still a decisive 35.6% delta: 301 versus 222.

The i3-5157U does have one benchmark category not shared with its rival: Geekbench. It scores 1568 multi-core and 778 single-core. However, these numbers cannot be compared directly to the i3-1000NG4 because the newer chip lacks Geekbench results in the data pack. The absence of this data means the only head-to-head comparisons available are the five Cinebench tests, and the i3-1000NG4 wins all of them. The i3-5157U’s percentile ranking of 23 versus the i3-1000NG4’s 23 further confirms that, on average, these two are in the same performance tier relative to all CPUs — but the delta between them is substantial.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i3-1000NG4 wins all three shared multi-core tests. It scores 2989 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 2203 for the i3-5157U, a 35.7% lead. In R20 multi-core, the scores are 1255 versus 925 (35.7% delta), and in R15 multi-core, 301 versus 222 (35.6% delta).

Q: Is the single-core performance gap as large as the multi-core gap?

A: Yes, it is nearly identical. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i3-1000NG4 scores 422 versus 311 for the i3-5157U, a 35.7% delta. In R20 single-core, the lead is 36.2% (177 versus 130). This indicates the architectural advantage of Ice Lake applies equally to lightly-threaded tasks.

Q: Does the i3-5157U’s higher base clock help it in any benchmark?

A: No. The i3-5157U has a 2.50 GHz base clock compared to the i3-1000NG4’s 1.10 GHz, but it loses every shared benchmark by over 35%. The i3-1000NG4’s 3.20 GHz boost clock and superior IPC from the 10 nm Ice Lake architecture outweigh the base clock deficit.

Q: How do these two compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i3-1000NG4 has an average benchmark score of 881, tied with the AMD Phenom II X6 1035T and AMD Athlon Silver 7120U (both at 881), and 0.1% ahead of the AMD PRO A12-8870E (880). The i3-5157U averages 877, sitting 0.3-0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 2300U, AMD PRO A12-8870E, and the i3-1000NG4 itself.

Q: Which chip has better integrated graphics?

A: The i3-1000NG4 features Iris Plus graphics with 48 execution units, while the i3-5157U features Intel Iris 6100. The newer chip’s integrated GPU architecture and higher EU count suggest better iGPU capability, though no synthetic graphics benchmarks are provided in the data.

Q: What is the production status of these chips?

A: Both are end-of-life products. The i3-1000NG4 was released on 2020-03-17, while the i3-5157U was released on 2015-02-28. The i3-5157U carries a launch MSRP of $315; the i3-1000NG4 has no listed launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different architectural generations, and the data shows this matters far more than raw clock speed. The i3-1000NG4 is built on Ice Lake with the Sunny Cove-Y microarchitecture, fabricated on Intel’s 10 nm process. The i3-5157U is a Broadwell part using the Broadwell-U architecture on the 14 nm node. This process shrink from 14 nm to 10 nm is a primary driver of the performance-per-watt advantage seen in the benchmark results.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The i3-1000NG4 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The i3-5157U has less L1 at 64 KB per core, the same 256 KB L2 per core, but only 3 MB of shared L3. The extra 1 MB of L3 and larger L1 cache on the Ice Lake part likely contributes to its consistent 35%+ lead across all tests.

The memory interface also reflects the generational divide. The i3-1000NG4 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, while the i3-5157U supports DDR3 with a dual-channel bus and a specified bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. PCIe support differs as well: the newer chip runs PCIe Gen 3, while the older one is limited to Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The i3-5157U’s transistor count is listed at 1,900 million on a 133 mm² die, while the i3-1000NG4’s die is slightly smaller at 123 mm² with no transistor count provided.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is TDP: the i3-1000NG4 is rated at just 9W, versus 28W for the i3-5157U. This is a threefold power consumption difference in favor of the newer chip, yet the i3-1000NG4 still wins every benchmark. The base clocks are starkly different — 1.10 GHz for the i3-1000NG4 versus 2.50 GHz for the i3-5157U — but the i3-1000NG4 has a 3.20 GHz boost clock while the i3-5157U has no boost clock listed.

Sockets differ: the i3-1000NG4 uses Intel BGA 1044, while the i3-5157U uses Intel BGA 1168. They are not socket-compatible. The process nodes are 10 nm versus 14 nm, respectively. Memory support is DDR4 versus DDR3, and PCIe is Gen 3 versus Gen 2. L3 cache is 4 MB versus 3 MB, and L1 cache per core is 80 KB versus 64 KB. The integrated graphics differ: Iris Plus (48EU) versus Intel Iris 6100. The i3-5157U has a listed launch MSRP of $315; the i3-1000NG4 does not have one. Both have 2 cores, 4 threads, no ECC memory support, and are not multiplier-unlocked.

The Verdict

The verdict is straightforward: the Intel Core i3-1000NG4 is the superior processor by every measurable benchmark in the data pack. It wins 5 out of 5 shared tests, with deltas ranging from 35.6% to 36.2%. It does so while consuming only 9W compared to the i3-5157U’s 28W, a massive efficiency advantage. The newer 10 nm process, larger caches, and DDR4 support give it a decisive edge in both single-core and multi-core performance.

The i3-5157U’s only consolation is its higher base clock and lower release date, but the data shows that raw base clock is irrelevant here. The i3-5157U’s average benchmark score of 877 puts it in the same percentile as the i3-1000NG4 (both at 23rd percentile), but that is an aggregate artifact; in direct comparison, the older chip is consistently left behind by more than a third. For any workload represented by Cinebench, the i3-1000NG4 is the unequivocal choice.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-1000NG4 wins every single category of comparison available in the data. It wins multi-core rendering, as shown by Cinebench R15 (301 vs 222), R20 (1255 vs 925), and R23 (2989 vs 2203). It wins single-core performance, as shown by Cinebench R20 (177 vs 130) and R23 (422 vs 311). It also wins on efficiency, with a 9W TDP versus 28W, meaning it delivers its performance at roughly one-third the power budget.

There is no benchmark category where the i3-5157U comes out ahead. The only area where it has any data advantage is the Geekbench scores, which exist solely for the i3-5157U (1568 multi-core, 778 single-core) and have no comparable i3-1000NG4 results in the pack — but this is an absence of data, not a win. The i3-5157U also has a higher base clock (2.50 GHz vs 1.10 GHz) and a listed launch MSRP of $315, but these specifications do not translate into any benchmark victory. For users choosing between these two for a mobile system, the i3-1000NG4 is the only rational pick based on the evidence.