Intel Core i3-14100F vs Intel Core i7-1355U Comparison

The Verdict

This is not a conventional matchup. The Intel Core i7-1355U is a 15 W mobile chip built for thin-and-light laptops, while the Intel Core i3-14100F is a 58 W desktop processor for socketed builds. The benchmark data shows the i3-14100F winning 12 of 17 head-to-head tests, but the i7-1355U takes 5 wins in areas that matter for specific workloads. If you are building a desktop, the i3-14100F is the clear choice — it dominates in sustained multi-core rendering and most compute tasks. If you are choosing a laptop CPU, the i7-1355U is the only viable option here, and its wins in encryption, integer math, and legacy single-core tests show it is not a pushover. The i7-1355U carries a launch MSRP of $469; the i3-14100F has a launch MSRP of $109.

The overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the i7-1355U sits at 18730 with a 73rd percentile rank, while the i3-14100F posts 18519 with a 72nd percentile. The i3-14100F's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13420H (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300GE (0.1% delta), while the i7-1355U sits within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-12400 and 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 7643. In other words, these two chips occupy the same performance tier in aggregate, but they achieve that tier through very different means. The desktop part uses raw clock speed and dedicated power delivery; the mobile part uses a 10-core hybrid layout to spread work across efficiency and performance cores.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture and use a 10 nm process node from Intel's own foundry. The core designs share identical cache geometry: each core gets 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. That is where the similarities end.

The i7-1355U is a Raptor Lake-U part with 10 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 1700 MHz, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, meaning it is soldered to the motherboard. Its PCIe support is Gen 4 with 8 lanes from the CPU. It includes integrated graphics in the form of Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units. The i7-1355U supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode but does not support ECC memory.

The i3-14100F is a Raptor Lake Refresh desktop part with 4 cores and 8 threads, a base clock of 3.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It uses the Intel Socket 1700 and has a die size of 163 mm². PCIe support jumps to Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. There is no integrated graphics — the "F" suffix means a discrete GPU is mandatory. It also supports DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, but unlike the mobile chip, it supports ECC memory. Both parts are locked (multiplier not unlocked) and remain in active production.

The core count difference is significant: the i7-1355U has 10 cores and 12 threads versus 4 cores and 8 threads on the i3-14100F. However, the i3-14100F runs much higher base clocks (3.50 GHz vs 1.70 GHz) and has a 58 W TDP versus 15 W. The mobile chip compensates for lower sustained clocks with more physical cores and a higher boost ceiling (5.00 GHz vs 4.70 GHz).

Where Each One Wins

The i7-1355U wins in five specific benchmark categories. Its biggest victory is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 255.5 versus 186 — a 37.4% advantage. That is a massive gap for a single-threaded test, suggesting the mobile chip's boost behavior is unusually strong in short bursts. It also wins in PassMark integer math (52002 vs 45357, +14.7%) and data encryption (9831 vs 8922, +10.2%). The random string sorting test is a near tie, with the i7-1355U ahead by just 0.2% (17631 vs 17596).

The i3-14100F wins everywhere else, and its victories are often lopsided. The most striking is Cinebench R23 multi-core: 13084 versus 8286, a 36.7% advantage. That is not a marginal difference — it is a full generational gap in sustained rendering performance. The i3-14100F also wins Cinebench R20 multi-core by 9.9% (5495 vs 4949) and single-core by 9.9% (775 vs 698). In PassMark extended instructions, it leads by 27.2% (11984 vs 8726). The physics test shows a 17.5% gap (1077 vs 888), and find prime numbers goes to the desktop part by 16.4% (61 vs 51). PassMark multithread favors the i3-14100F by 7.3% (15420 vs 14299), data compression by 11.6% (176106 vs 155727), and single-thread by 8.8% (3778 vs 3444). Floating point math is essentially a tie, with the i3-14100F ahead by just 1.1% (35370 vs 34965). The i3-14100F also holds a 1.2% edge in Cinebench R23 single-core (1847 vs 1825).

The pattern is clear: the i7-1355U wins short-burst, integer-heavy, and encryption workloads; the i3-14100F wins sustained multi-core rendering, extended instruction, and physics simulations.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-core rendering?

A: The i3-14100F is significantly faster. In Cinebench R23 multi-core it scores 13084 versus 8286 for the i7-1355U, a 36.7% advantage. The R20 multi-core test also goes to the i3-14100F by 9.9%.

Q: Does the i7-1355U have any single-core advantage?

A: Yes, but only in legacy tests. The i7-1355U wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 37.4% (255.5 vs 186). However, in newer tests the i3-14100F leads: Cinebench R20 single-core by 9.9% (775 vs 698), R23 single-core by 1.2% (1847 vs 1825), and PassMark single-thread by 8.8% (3778 vs 3444).

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The i7-1355U has 10 cores and 12 threads. The i3-14100F has 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite this, the i3-14100F wins most multi-threaded benchmarks due to higher sustained clocks and a 58 W TDP versus 15 W.

Q: Can the i3-14100F run without a dedicated graphics card?

A: No. The "F" designation means there is no integrated graphics. The i7-1355U includes Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units, so it can output video without a discrete GPU.

Q: Do these CPUs support the same memory types?

A: Both support DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode. The i3-14100F also supports ECC memory, while the i7-1355U does not.

Q: Which CPU is better for encryption workloads?

A: The i7-1355U wins PassMark data encryption by 10.2% (9831 vs 8922). It also wins integer math by 14.7% (52002 vs 45357), making it the better choice for those specific compute tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest single victory belongs to the i3-14100F in Cinebench R23 multi-core. Scoring 13084 against the i7-1355U's 8286, the desktop chip is 36.7% ahead. This is the clearest signal in the entire dataset: if your workload involves sustained multi-core rendering, the i3-14100F is in a different class. The R20 multi-core result corroborates this, with the i3-14100F winning 5495 to 4949 (a 9.9% gap). Even in R15 multi-core, where the i7-1355U actually wins, the margin is just 5.7% (1393 vs 1318) — the mobile chip's only multi-core victory in the Cinebench suite.

The i7-1355U's counterattack comes in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it posts 255.5 versus 186 for a 37.4% lead. This is the largest delta in either direction across all 17 tests. That result is anomalous when compared to newer single-core tests: the i3-14100F leads R20 single-core by 9.9% (775 vs 698) and R23 single-core by 1.2% (1847 vs 1825). The R15 test may favor the mobile chip's boost behavior, but the trend across newer benchmarks favors the desktop part.

In PassMark tests, the i3-14100F wins 9 of 12 categories. The extended instructions test shows a 27.2% gap (11984 vs 8726), physics goes to the desktop chip by 17.5% (1077 vs 888), and find prime numbers favors it by 16.4% (61 vs 51). Data compression is 11.6% better on the i3-14100F (176106 vs 155727), and multithread is 7.3% better (15420 vs 14299). The i7-1355U fights back in integer math with a 14.7% win (52002 vs 45357) and data encryption with a 10.2% win (9831 vs 8922). Floating point math is nearly identical — the i3-14100F leads by just 1.1% (35370 vs 34965) — and random string sorting is a tie at 0.2% in favor of the i7-1355U.

The overall win count is 12 for the i3-14100F and 5 for the i7-1355U. However, the aggregate average benchmark scores tell a different story: the i7-1355U's average of 18730 is actually 1.1% higher than the i3-14100F's 18519. That is because the i7-1355U's wins in integer math and encryption are worth more in the overall average than the i3-14100F's wins in physics and extended instructions. The percentile ranks confirm this: both sit within one point of each other (73rd vs 72nd).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every physical and electrical specification. Core count: 10 on the i7-1355U versus 4 on the i3-14100F. Threads: 12 versus 8. Base clock: 1700 MHz versus 3500 MHz. Boost clock: 5.00 GHz versus 4.70 GHz. TDP: 15 W versus 58 W. Socket: Intel BGA 1744 versus Intel Socket 1700. Market segment: Mobile versus Desktop. Process node is identical at 10 nm, as is the foundry (Intel).

Cache is the same per-core geometry: 80 KB L1, 1.25 MB L2, 12 MB shared L3. Die size is only listed for the i3-14100F at 163 mm². Memory support matches (DDR4, DDR5, dual-channel), but ECC support is exclusive to the i3-14100F. PCIe differs significantly: the i7-1355U offers Gen 4 with 8 lanes, while the i3-14100F offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics are present on the i7-1355U (Iris Xe 96EU) and absent on the i3-14100F. Launch MSRP: $469 for the i7-1355U, $109 for the i3-14100F. Release dates are roughly a year apart: January 2023 for the mobile part, January 2024 for the desktop part. Both are active production parts with locked multipliers.