Intel Core i3-5020U vs Intel Core i7-3537U Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between these two mobile processors is unusually clear-cut. The Intel Core i7-3537U wins five of the seven recorded head-to-head tests, and it takes every Cinebench workload in the comparison. The Intel Core i3-5020U counters with two wins, both in Geekbench, which measures differently and favors its architecture.

For sustained multi-threaded rendering, the i7-3537U is the stronger part. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 1998 beats the i3-5020U's 1876 by 6.5%. The margin is nearly identical in Cinebench R15, where the i7 scores 201 against 188, a 6.9% advantage. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows the same pattern: 839 versus 787, a 6.6% lead. Anyone working with render workloads, video encoding, or any task that stresses all four threads should prefer the i7-3537U.

Single-core Cinebench results also side with the i7. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i7 posts 282 versus 264, a 6.8% edge. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 118 against 110, a 7.3% margin, the largest relative win in the entire comparison. This suggests the i7-3537U has better per-thread execution in Cinebench's specific workload, despite the i3-5020U having a higher base clock.

The i3-5020U takes the Geekbench tests, and by meaningful margins. Geekbench multi-core shows 1379 for the i3 against 1269 for the i7, an 8% advantage. Geekbench single-core shows 696 versus 658, a 5.5% lead. These are the only tests where the i3 wins, but they are not trivial margins. Geekbench includes memory and cryptography workloads that respond differently than Cinebench's rendering tasks.

Looking at the broader database percentiles, both chips sit near the bottom of the performance curve. The i7-3537U ranks in the 21st percentile of all CPUs, while the i3-5020U ranks in the 20th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are remarkably close: 766 for the i7 and 757 for the i3. The i7's nearest rival is the AMD A8-6600K at 764, a 0.3% difference, while the i3's nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E5450 at 756, a 0.1% difference. Neither processor is a performance leader in the database, but within this pairing, the i7 demonstrates consistent rendering superiority.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different Intel generations and manufacturing nodes. The i7-3537U is built on Ivy Bridge, Intel's 22 nm process, with a die size of 118 mm². The i3-5020U is Broadwell-U, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm node, with a die size of 82 mm² and 1,300 million transistors. The shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm explains why the i3 runs cooler and more efficiently despite having a higher base clock.

Both processors have 2 physical cores and 4 threads, so hyper-threading is present on both. The cache configurations differ. The i7-3537U carries 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-5020U has 3 MB of shared L3 cache. L1 and L2 caches are identical: 64 KB per core and 256 KB per core respectively. The i7's larger L3 cache likely contributes to its Cinebench wins, as rendering workloads benefit from additional cache capacity.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The i7-3537U uses Intel HD 4000, while the i3-5020U uses Intel HD 5500. The newer Broadwell iGPU belongs to a later generation and is generally more capable, though the database does not provide graphics benchmarks for either chip. Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel on both, but the i3-5020U has a listed memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i7-3537U has no bandwidth figure recorded.

Clock behavior is another distinguishing factor. The i7-3537U has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 3200 MHz, meaning it can dynamically raise its frequency under load. The i3-5020U has a base clock of 2200 MHz but no boost clock listed, indicating it runs at a fixed frequency. This explains why the i3 has a higher base clock yet loses in Cinebench: the i7 can boost well above 2.2 GHz when thermal headroom allows.

The sockets are different as well. The i7-3537U uses Intel BGA 1023, while the i3-5020U uses Intel BGA 1168. These are not interchangeable. The i3 also lists PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes for the CPU, while the i7 has no PCIe configuration recorded. The i3 has a production status of end-of-life, while the i7's production status is not specified.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite tells a consistent story. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3537U scores 201 against the i3-5020U's 188, a 6.9% lead. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the i7 scores 839 against 787, a 6.6% lead. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i7 scores 1998 against 1876, a 6.5% lead. The margins are nearly uniform across three generations of the Cinebench test, suggesting the i7's advantage is structural rather than workload-specific.

Single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern. Cinebench R20 single-core gives the i7 a 118 to 110 win, a 7.3% margin. Cinebench R23 single-core gives the i7 a 282 to 264 win, a 6.8% margin. The i7's boost clock of 3200 MHz versus the i3's fixed 2200 MHz likely explains this, as single-core tests allow the i7 to reach its maximum frequency without thermal constraints from the second core.

Geekbench flips the script. The i3-5020U wins Geekbench multi-core with 1379 against 1269, an 8% advantage. It also wins Geekbench single-core with 696 against 658, a 5.5% lead. This is the largest margin in either direction across all seven tests. The i3's newer Broadwell architecture and higher base clock help in Geekbench's mixed workload, which includes integer and floating-point operations that may not stress the cache as heavily as Cinebench's rendering tasks.

The overall win count stands at 5 for the i7 and 2 for the i3. However, the Geekbench losses are larger in percentage terms than some of the Cinebench wins. The i7's average benchmark score of 766 narrowly exceeds the i3's 757, a difference of about 1.2%. The i7's percentile rank of 21 against the i3's 20 reflects this slim overall margin.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench multi-core tests?

A: The Intel Core i7-3537U wins all three Cinebench multi-core tests. It leads by 6.9% in Cinebench R15 (201 versus 188), 6.6% in Cinebench R20 (839 versus 787), and 6.5% in Cinebench R23 (1998 versus 1876).

Q: Why does the i3-5020U win Geekbench despite losing Cinebench?

A: The i3-5020U has a higher base clock of 2200 MHz and a newer Broadwell architecture, which helps in Geekbench's varied workload. It wins Geekbench multi-core by 8% (1379 versus 1269) and Geekbench single-core by 5.5% (696 versus 658). The i7-3537U counters with a 3200 MHz boost clock and 4 MB of L3 cache, which benefit Cinebench's rendering tasks.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 2 cores and 4 threads. The i7-3537U and i3-5020U are both dual-core parts with hyper-threading, so thread count does not differentiate them.

Q: Which chip has more L3 cache?

A: The i7-3537U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-5020U has 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The 1 MB difference favors the i7 in cache-sensitive workloads.

Q: What are the manufacturing process differences?

A: The i7-3537U uses Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge process with a 118 mm² die. The i3-5020U uses Intel's 14 nm Broadwell-U process with an 82 mm² die and 1,300 million transistors.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock?

A: The i3-5020U has a base clock of 2200 MHz, higher than the i7-3537U's 2000 MHz. However, the i7 has a boost clock of 3200 MHz, which the i3 lacks entirely.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload type. For rendering, video encoding, and other multi-threaded compute tasks measured by Cinebench, the Intel Core i7-3537U is the stronger choice. It wins all six Cinebench tests in the comparison, with margins ranging from 6.5% to 7.3%. Its 4 MB L3 cache and 3200 MHz boost clock give it a decisive edge in these workloads.

For general system responsiveness, application launching, and tasks that resemble Geekbench's mixed workload, the Intel Core i3-5020U is the better performer. It wins both Geekbench tests by 5.5% to 8%, and its 2200 MHz base clock means it delivers consistent performance without relying on boost behavior. The i3 also has a newer integrated GPU, the Intel HD 5500, and a smaller 14 nm process that suggests better efficiency.

The overall average scores are nearly tied. The i7-3537U averages 766 across all benchmarks, while the i3-5020U averages 757. The i7 sits at the 21st percentile of all CPUs, the i3 at the 20th. These are both entry-level mobile processors by modern standards, and neither will excel in demanding applications.

Users who prioritize rendering performance should pick the i7-3537U. Users who prioritize general responsiveness and want a newer, more efficient architecture should pick the i3-5020U. The i3's launch MSRP is $281, though pricing considerations are not otherwise part of this analysis. The i7's higher boost clock and larger cache make it the better rendering chip, while the i3's newer process and higher base clock make it the better all-rounder in Geekbench-style workloads.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in the following recorded specifications:

• Base clock: i7-3537U at 2000 MHz, i3-5020U at 2200 MHz
• Boost clock: i7-3537U at 3200 MHz, i3-5020U has no boost clock
• TDP: i7-3537U at 17 W, i3-5020U at 15 W
• Socket: i7-3537U uses Intel BGA 1023, i3-5020U uses Intel BGA 1168
• Architecture: i7-3537U is Ivy Bridge, i3-5020U is Broadwell-U
• Process node: i7-3537U at 22 nm, i3-5020U at 14 nm
• Transistors: i7-3537U has no recorded count, i3-5020U has 1,300 million
• Die size: i7-3537U at 118 mm², i3-5020U at 82 mm²
• L3 cache: i7-3537U at 4 MB shared, i3-5020U at 3 MB shared
• Memory bandwidth: i7-3537U has no recorded figure, i3-5020U at 25.6 GB/s
• PCIe: i7-3537U has no recorded configuration, i3-5020U has Gen 2 with 12 lanes
• Integrated graphics: i7-3537U uses Intel HD 4000, i3-5020U uses Intel HD 5500
• Production status: i7-3537U not specified, i3-5020U is end-of-life
• Release date: i7-3537U released January 2013, i3-5020U released February 2015
• Launch MSRP: i7-3537U has no recorded price, i3-5020U is $281
• Part number: i7-3537U is SR0XG, i3-5020U is SR240

Both processors share 2 cores, 4 threads, 64 KB L1 cache per core, 256 KB L2 cache per core, DDR3 memory support, dual-channel memory bus, non-ECC memory, and mobile market segment. Both are multiplier-unlocked: false. Both are manufactured by Intel.