Intel Core i3-1115G4E vs Intel Core i7-4760HQ Comparison

# Intel Core i3-1115G4E vs Intel Core i7-4760HQ

This comparison pits a modern 2-core Tiger Lake mobile chip against a 4-core Haswell-era part from 2014, and the data tells a story of generational trade-offs. The Intel Core i7-4760HQ wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head set, yet the two processors land nearly identically in overall percentile rankings — 39th percentile for the i3-1115G4E versus 38th for the i7-4760HQ. That paradox, where an older chip dominates every tested workload yet sits at the same performance tier, is worth investigating.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-4760HQ is the outright winner in all six head-to-head benchmark tests, covering both Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in single-core and multi-core configurations. The deltas are consistent at roughly -16.1% for the i3-1115G4E in five of six tests, with the lone exception being Cinebench R15 single-core where the gap widens to -17.1%. There is no workload category in the provided data where the i3-1115G4E takes the lead.

However, the i3-1115G4E has advantages that do not show up in raw render scores. It is a 15W part versus the i7-4760HQ's 47W TDP, meaning the i3 fits into thinner, lighter chassis designs where power delivery and cooling are constrained. The i3 also supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory, while the older i7 is limited to DDR3. For workloads that are heavily memory-bandwidth sensitive, the i3's modern memory controller could offset some of its core-count deficit, though the benchmark data does not include such tests.

The i3-1115G4E is still in active production, whereas the i7-4760HQ is end-of-life. For system integrators looking at long-term availability and supply chain stability, the i3 is the only viable option between the two. The i7-4760HQ's wins are purely performance-based; the i3 wins on platform longevity and power envelope.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap spans nearly seven years of Intel design philosophy. The i7-4760HQ uses the Haswell architecture on a 22nm process node, packing 1,400 million transistors into a 264 mm² die. Its 4 cores and 8 threads run at a 2.10 GHz base clock with a 3.30 GHz boost. Cache layout is conventional for its era: 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with 6 MB shared L3.

The i3-1115G4E, by contrast, is built on Tiger Lake-U with a 10nm process, and it uses a much smaller 144 mm² die. Despite having only 2 cores and 4 threads, it boosts to 3.90 GHz from a 2.20 GHz base. Its cache hierarchy is more generous per core: 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core, with the same 6 MB shared L3. The larger L2 cache per core is a notable difference — roughly five times the per-core L2 capacity of the older chip.

Another key divergence is PCIe support. The i3-1115G4E offers PCIe Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-4760HQ uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes. That Gen 4 interface, even with fewer lanes, provides substantially higher per-lane bandwidth for NVMe storage or discrete GPUs that can take advantage of it. The i7-4760HQ also features a 25.6 GB/s memory bandwidth figure for its dual-channel DDR3, while the i3's memory bandwidth is not specified in the data.

Integrated graphics differ as well: the i3-1115G4E ships with UHD Graphics G4 48EU, while the i7-4760HQ includes Intel HD 5200 (Iris Pro class). The i7's graphics solution was notable for its embedded DRAM in the Crystalwell package, though benchmark scores for these iGPUs are not provided in the data. The transistor count difference — 1,400 million for the i7 versus null for the i3 — reflects the older chip's more complex die, which included that graphics memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-4760HQ's clean sweep is defined by consistent margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7 scores 539 against the i3's 452, a -16.1% delta. The single-core R15 result shows a slightly larger gap: 76 versus 63, a -17.1% delta. Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds — the i7 posts 2249 multi-core versus 1887, and 317 single-core versus 266, both at -16.1%. Cinebench R23 repeats the same -16.1% margin: 5355 multi-core versus 4493, and 756 single-core versus 634.

These consistent deltas suggest the performance gap is structural rather than workload-specific. The i7-4760HQ has twice the cores and twice the threads, which explains the multi-core advantage. But the single-core wins are more revealing — the i3-1115G4E's higher boost clock (3.90 GHz versus 3.30 GHz) and newer architecture do not compensate for the older chip's per-core efficiency in these tests. The i7-4760HQ's single-core lead of roughly 16-17% implies that Haswell's core design, at lower clocks, still outperforms Tiger Lake's lower-power implementation in this specific comparison.

The i3-1115G4E does have Geekbench scores in its own data (2972 multi-core, 1702 single-core), but the i7-4760HQ has no corresponding Geekbench results, so a direct comparison in that suite is impossible. The average benchmark score for each CPU — 1559 for the i3 and 1549 for the i7 — places them within 10 points of each other, despite the i7 winning all Cinebench tests. This suggests that if Geekbench results existed for both, the i3 might close the gap or even overtake the i7 in that metric.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-4760HQ wins with a score of 5355, compared to the i3-1115G4E's 4493, a -16.1% delta for the i3.

Q: Is the i3-1115G4E more power-efficient?

A: Yes, the i3 has a 15W TDP while the i7-4760HQ is rated at 47W. The i3 achieves 84% of the i7's multi-core R23 score while using less than one-third of the power budget.

Q: Do the processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The i3-1115G4E supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X, while the i7-4760HQ is limited to DDR3. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The i7-4760HQ has 4 cores and 8 threads, double the i3-1115G4E's 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The i3-1115G4E is listed as Active, while the i7-4760HQ is marked End-of-life.

Q: What is the release date difference?

A: The i7-4760HQ was released in January 2014, while the i3-1115G4E came out in September 2020, a gap of roughly six and a half years.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-1115G4E | Intel Core i7-4760HQ |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 2.20 GHz | 2.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.90 GHz | 3.30 GHz |

| TDP | 15W | 47W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1449 | Intel BGA 1364 |

| Architecture | Tiger Lake | Haswell |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 22 nm |

| Die Size | 144 mm² | 264 mm² |

| Transistors | Not specified | 1,400 million |

| L1 Cache (per core) | 80 KB | 64 KB |

| L2 Cache (per core) | 1.25 MB | 256 KB |

| L3 Cache (shared) | 6 MB | 6 MB |

| Memory Support | DDR4, LPDDR4X | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 25.6 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 4 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics G4 48EU | Intel HD 5200 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2020-09-01 | 2014-01-31 |

| Launch MSRP | $285 | Not specified |

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-4760HQ outperforms the i3-1115G4E in every tested Cinebench workload, with consistent margins around 16-17%. For users who prioritize raw CPU rendering performance in a mobile chassis, the older i7 is the stronger choice despite its age. Its 4-core, 8-thread configuration gives it a structural advantage that the i3's newer architecture cannot overcome in these tests.

However, the i3-1115G4E is the only sensible option for new system designs. It is in active production, supports modern DDR4/LPDDR4X memory, offers PCIe Gen 4 connectivity, and operates at a 15W TDP that enables fanless or ultra-thin designs. The i7-4760HQ's 47W TDP and end-of-life status make it unsuitable for new builds, regardless of its benchmark wins.

The percentile rankings reinforce this split — the i3 sits at the 39th percentile and the i7 at the 38th, meaning they occupy nearly the same overall performance tier in the broader CPU landscape. The i7-4760HQ's benchmark dominance is real but narrow, confined to Cinebench render workloads. The i3-1115G4E's advantages in platform features and power efficiency are qualitative but significant for modern use cases.

For a buyer choosing between these two today, the decision hinges on context. If upgrading an existing Haswell-era laptop, the i7-4760HQ's superior Cinebench scores might justify keeping it alive. If sourcing a processor for a new mobile system, the i3-1115G4E is the only active part, and its benchmark deficit is the price paid for a 15W design with modern I/O. The data shows no scenario where the i3 wins a benchmark, but it also shows no scenario where the i7-4760HQ can be purchased new — that availability gap is the ultimate deciding factor.