Intel Core i3-1215U vs Intel Core i7-1250U Comparison

The Intel Core i7-1250U is the stronger processor of this pairing, and it is not particularly close: the recorded data shows 16 benchmark wins for the i7-1250U against 3 for the Intel Core i3-1215U, with an average benchmark score of 13351 versus 12604. Both chips belong to the same Alder Lake-U mobile family on the same 10 nm process, released on the same date, so the comparison is essentially a question of how much the i7's extra cores, higher boost clock, and larger L3 cache translate into real performance. The answer: substantially in sustained multi-core workloads, modestly in single-threaded ones, and with one curious exception in PassMark's single-thread result where the i3 comes out ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-1250U dominates every workload that scales with threads. With 10 cores and 12 threads against the i3's 6 cores and 8 threads, it takes the Cinebench R15 multi-core test by 75.3%, the R20 multi-core test by 42.8%, and Geekbench multi-core by 32.3%. Physics simulation shows the same pattern, with the i7 ahead by 51.1%. Any user running rendering, code compilation, video encoding, or simulation work will land squarely in the i7's territory.

Single-threaded performance is more nuanced. The i7 wins Cinebench R15 single-core by a commanding 140.4% and R23 single-core by 67.8%, plus Geekbench single-core by 11.9%. Yet the i3-1215U wins PassMark's single-thread test, 3218 to 2703, a 16% gap in its favor. This is the only meaningful chink in the i7's armor, and it suggests that in certain lightly threaded, bursty application profiles the i3 can hold or even exceed the i7's responsiveness. The i3 also wins PassMark's extended instructions test, 6868 to 6497, a 5.4% edge, indicating one niche SIMD workload where the smaller chip is not just competitive but ahead.

The i3's case therefore rests on two narrow wins: single-threaded PassMark performance and extended instruction throughput. Everything else in the database favors the i7.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall?

A: The Intel Core i7-1250U. It wins 16 of 19 recorded head-to-head benchmarks and posts a higher average benchmark score, 13351 versus 12604 for the Core i3-1215U.

Q: Does the i3-1215U win anything?

A: Yes, three tests. It wins PassMark single-thread with 3218 versus 2703, a 16% advantage, and it wins PassMark extended instructions with 6868 versus 6497, a 5.4% advantage. The third win is the duplicate PassMark singlethread entry, which records the same result.

Q: How close are the two in the database rankings?

A: Remarkably close in percentile terms. The i7-1250U sits at the 68th percentile versus all CPUs and the i3-1215U at the 67th, even though the i7 wins most individual tests. Average score and percentile weight many tests differently than raw multi-core throughput.

Q: Which chip compares to what rivals?

A: The i7-1250U's average score sits within about 1% of the Intel Core i7-7700K, Intel Core i5-9500, Intel Core 3 N355, and Intel Core i3-12100F. The i3-1215U is effectively tied with the Intel Atom x7809C, Intel Core i3-10105F, Intel Core i5-1230U, and AMD EPYC 9174F.

Q: Do they support the same memory?

A: Yes. Both support DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with no ECC support on either chip.

Q: Which has better integrated graphics?

A: The i7-1250U. Its Iris Xe 96EU graphics has more execution units than the i3's UHD Graphics 64EU, 96 versus 64.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Start with the biggest gaps. In Cinebench R15 single-core the i7-1250U scores 226 against the i3's 94, a 140.4% difference, the largest win in the entire dataset. The multi-core version of the same test is nearly as lopsided: 1172.94 versus 669, a 75.3% advantage for the i7. PassMark's find prime numbers test also swings heavily, 58 versus 32, an 81.3% i7 win.

Physics tells a similar story. The i7 records 881 against the i3's 583, a 51.1% gap. Cinebench R20 lands in the same range, with the i7 ahead by 42.8% in multi-core (3983 versus 2790) and 43% in single-core (562 versus 393).

The margins compress in the newer Cinebench runs. In R23 the i7 leads multi-core by just 6.4%, 7069 versus 6644, though single-core stays wide at 67.8%, 1574 versus 938. This pattern matters: the i3 holds up better in the modern multi-core rendering loop than in older tests, so its shortfall is workload-dependent rather than uniform.

Geekbench splits the difference. Multi-core goes to the i7 by 32.3% (5777 versus 4365), while single-core goes to the i7 by a slimmer 11.9% (1661 versus 1485). PassMark integer math favors the i7 by 13.5%, encryption by 8.5%, and multithread by 8.2%. Compression, floating point math, and string sorting are near-standings, with i7 leads of 2.2%, 4.9%, and 4.2% respectively.

Then comes the reversal. PassMark single-thread gives the i3-1215U a 16% win at 3218 versus 2703. Combined with its extended instructions win of 5.4%, this shows the i3 is not simply a slower i7: in some single-threaded metrics it measures faster. Notably, this contradicts Geekbench single-core, where the i7 leads by 11.9%, so the single-thread picture depends heavily on the test suite in question.

Specification Differences

The two chips differ in nearly every performance-relevant specification while sharing platform basics. Core counts diverge sharply: 10 cores and 12 threads for the i7-1250U versus 6 cores and 8 threads for the i3-1215U. The i3 actually has the higher base clock at 1200 MHz versus the i7's 1100 MHz, but the i7 boosts considerably higher, reaching 4.70 GHz against the i3's 4.40 GHz.

TDP inverts expectations: the i7-1250U is rated at 9 watts while the i3-1215U carries a 15 watt rating. The lower-power chip is the faster one in this pairing.

Cache differs only at L3, where the i7 gets 12 MB shared against the i3's 10 MB. L1 and L2 are identical at 80 KB and 1.25 MB per core respectively on both. Integrated graphics differ, with Iris Xe 96EU on the i7 against UHD Graphics 64EU on the i3. The sockets are distinct, Intel BGA 1781 for the i7 and Intel BGA 1744 for the i3, both soldered mobile packages. PCIe is listed as Gen 4 on the i7, while the i3 records Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. The i3 also carries the part number SRLFU; no part number is recorded for the i7.

Everything else matches: same manufacturer, same Alder Lake architecture, same Alder Lake-U codename, same 10 nm Intel process, same DDR4 and DDR5 memory support over dual-channel, no ECC, no unlocked multiplier on either, both active mobile parts released on 2022-02-22.

Architecture Differences

There are few architecture differences because these are siblings. Both use Intel's Alder Lake hybrid design under the Alder Lake-U mobile codename, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process. The generational label differs only in tier: Core i7 versus Core i3 within the same Alder Lake-U family.

The architectural divergence is one of configuration rather than design. The i7-1250U's 10 cores and 12 threads imply more performance and efficiency cores in the hybrid arrangement than the i3-1215U's 6 cores and 8 threads, and its 4.70 GHz boost ceiling against the i3's 4.40 GHz gives its best cores more headroom. The larger 12 MB shared L3 versus 10 MB also favors the i7 in cache-sensitive workloads. Per-core cache is identical, so the difference is purely in aggregate capacity.

The graphics blocks are cut from the same design philosophy but at different sizes, 96 execution units on the i7's Iris Xe against 64 on the i3's UHD Graphics, which should show up in GPU-bound tasks even though no graphics benchmarks are recorded in this dataset.

The Verdict

The data makes the call straightforward. For any sustained, multi-threaded workload, rendering, physics, integer math, or general productivity that can use more than a few threads, the Core i7-1250U is the clear pick: 16 of 19 benchmark wins, leads ranging from 6.4% to 140.4%, and a higher average score of 13351. It also does this at a lower 9 watt rating than the i3's 15 watts, an unusual inversion that strengthens its case in thermally constrained mobile designs.

The Core i3-1215U earns its place only in specific scenarios. Its 16% win in PassMark single-thread and 5.4% win in extended instructions show it can outperform the i7 in certain lightly threaded or SIMD-leaning profiles, and its percentile placement, 67 versus 68, keeps it within a single point of the i7 in overall database standing. Against its own rivals it sits dead even with the Atom x7809C, Core i3-10105F, Core i5-1230U, and EPYC 9174F, while the i7 trades blows with desktop-class parts like the Core i7-7700K.

In short: choose the i7-1250U unless the recorded single-thread PassMark profile matches the target workload exactly. The i3's two genuine wins are real but narrow, and the i7's dominance everywhere else is broad and large.