Intel Core i5-1030NG7 vs Intel Core i7-3615QE Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-3615QE and Intel Core i5-1030NG7 are effectively performance twins in the Cinebench suite, with the i7-3615QE winning all six head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 0.0% to 0.7%. The data shows a near-deadlock: both chips post identical single-core scores in Cinebench R15 (67 each), and the largest gap anywhere is a 0.7% lead for the i7-3615QE in Cinebench R20 single-core. Given that the i5-1030NG7 is an end-of-life part from 2020 and the i7-3615QE dates to 2012, the choice hinges entirely on platform and power characteristics rather than raw compute. The i7-3615QE is the pick for anyone needing a 45 W part with a higher base clock (2.30 GHz vs 1100.00 MHz) and a larger die (160 mm² vs 123 mm²), while the i5-1030NG7 suits ultra-low-power (10 W) designs with its newer 10 nm process and Iris Plus (64EU) graphics. Neither chip holds a meaningful performance edge — benchmark results indicate the i7-3615QE is the winner by a hair, but the i5-1030NG7 delivers the same class of performance at a fraction of the power envelope.

Architecture Differences

The i7-3615QE is built on Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture, a 2012-era design with 1,400 million transistors packed into a 160 mm² die. The i5-1030NG7 uses the 10 nm Ice Lake-Y architecture, with a smaller 123 mm² die and no transistor count listed. The process node gap is substantial — 22 nm vs 10 nm — which explains the power disparity: the i7-3615QE has a 45 W TDP, while the i5-1030NG7 sips just 10 W. Cache layouts differ in L1 only: the i7-3615QE has 64 KB per core, while the i5-1030NG7 has 80 KB per core. Both share 256 KB L2 per core and 6 MB shared L3. The i5-1030NG7 adds DDR4 memory support and a memory bandwidth figure of 51.2 GB/s, plus PCIe Gen 3, none of which the i7-3615QE lists. Integrated graphics also diverge: the i7-3615QE carries Intel HD 4000, while the i5-1030NG7 has Iris Plus (64EU). Sockets differ as well — Intel BGA 1023 for the i7-3615QE versus Intel BGA 1044 for the i5-1030NG7. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite paints a picture of extraordinary parity. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3615QE scores 481 against 479 for the i5-1030NG7, a 0.4% edge. The single-core R15 result is a perfect tie at 67 apiece — zero delta. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-3615QE leads multi-core by 0.4% (2005 vs 1998) and single-core by 0.7% (283 vs 281), the largest margin in the entire comparison. In Cinebench R23, the i7-3615QE wins multi-core 4774 to 4759 (0.3%) and single-core 674 to 671 (0.4%). The i7-3615QE wins all six tests, but the average benchmark score tells the same story: 1381 for the i7-3615QE versus 1376 for the i5-1030NG7. Both chips sit at the 36th percentile of all CPUs, reinforcing that these are mid-pack performers. The nearest rivals for the i7-3615QE include the AMD Opteron 6238 (avg 1383, delta -0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U (avg 1379, delta 0.2%) — the i5-1030NG7 sits in the same cluster, with the Intel Core i5-4690 (avg 1375, delta 0.1%) and Intel Core i7-3740QM (avg 1378, delta -0.1%) as its closest neighbors. The i7-3615QE's average score of 1381 is just 0.4% above the i5-1030NG7's 1376, a margin that is statistically negligible.

Specification Differences

• Base clock: 2.30 GHz (i7-3615QE) vs 1100.00 MHz (i5-1030NG7)
• Boost clock: 3.30 GHz (i7-3615QE) vs 3.50 GHz (i5-1030NG7)
• TDP: 45 W (i7-3615QE) vs 10 W (i5-1030NG7)
• Socket: Intel BGA 1023 (i7-3615QE) vs Intel BGA 1044 (i5-1030NG7)
• Architecture: Ivy Bridge (i7-3615QE) vs Ice Lake (i5-1030NG7)
• Codename: Ivy Bridge (i7-3615QE) vs Ice Lake-Y (i5-1030NG7)
• Generation: Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) (i7-3615QE) vs Core i5 (Sunny Cove-Y) (i5-1030NG7)
• Process node: 22 nm (i7-3615QE) vs 10 nm (i5-1030NG7)
• Transistors: 1,400 million (i7-3615QE) vs null (i5-1030NG7)
• Die size: 160 mm² (i7-3615QE) vs 123 mm² (i5-1030NG7)
• L1 cache: 64 KB per core (i7-3615QE) vs 80 KB per core (i5-1030NG7)
• Memory support: null (i7-3615QE) vs DDR4 (i5-1030NG7)
• Memory bandwidth: null (i7-3615QE) vs 51.2 GB/s (i5-1030NG7)
• PCIe: null (i7-3615QE) vs Gen 3 (i5-1030NG7)
• Integrated graphics: Intel HD 4000 (i7-3615QE) vs Iris Plus (64EU) (i5-1030NG7)
• Production status: null (i7-3615QE) vs End-of-life (i5-1030NG7)
• Release date: 2012-04-28 (i7-3615QE) vs 2020-03-17 (i5-1030NG7)
• Part number: SR0NC (i7-3615QE) vs SRGM7 (i5-1030NG7)

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QE wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests, but by razor-thin margins: 0.4% in R15 (481 vs 479), 0.4% in R20 (2005 vs 1998), and 0.3% in R23 (4774 vs 4759). The performance difference is effectively negligible.

Q: Is the i5-1030NG7 more power-efficient?

A: Yes, overwhelmingly so. The i5-1030NG7 has a 10 W TDP versus 45 W for the i7-3615QE, a 4.5x difference. This is despite the i5-1030NG7 having a higher boost clock (3.50 GHz vs 3.30 GHz) and a newer 10 nm process node.

Q: Do the two CPUs have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes. Both have 4 cores and 8 threads. They also share identical L2 cache (256 KB per core) and L3 cache (6 MB shared), though the i5-1030NG7 has a larger L1 cache (80 KB per core vs 64 KB per core).

Q: Which CPU has better integrated graphics?

A: The i5-1030NG7 features Iris Plus (64EU), while the i7-3615QE has Intel HD 4000. The i5-1030NG7's graphics solution is the more modern and capable option based on the product names alone.

Q: Are these CPUs comparable in overall benchmark standing?

A: Yes. Both sit at the 36th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-3615QE has an average benchmark score of 1381, and the i5-1030NG7 scores 1376 — a 0.4% gap that places them in the same performance tier.

Q: Which CPU is newer and what does that mean for availability?

A: The i5-1030NG7 was released on 2020-03-17, while the i7-3615QE came out on 2012-04-28. The i5-1030NG7 is marked as end-of-life, meaning it is no longer in production. The i7-3615QE has no production status listed.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-3615QE wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, but the margins are so small they barely register in real-world use. Its largest victory is 0.7% in Cinebench R20 single-core (283 vs 281), and its smallest is a 0.0% tie in Cinebench R15 single-core (67 vs 67). The i7-3615QE's advantage likely stems from its much higher base clock (2.30 GHz vs 1100.00 MHz), which matters in sustained workloads even though the i5-1030NG7 has a higher boost clock (3.50 GHz vs 3.30 GHz). For users prioritizing raw compute in any form — multi-threaded rendering or single-threaded tasks — the data says the i7-3615QE is the winner, albeit by a hair. Its 45 W TDP suggests it is designed for larger, performance-oriented mobile platforms where power draw is less constrained.

The i5-1030NG7 wins in every category that does not involve benchmark scores. Its 10 W TDP makes it the obvious choice for fanless or ultra-thin designs, and its 10 nm process node (versus 22 nm) delivers the same class of performance at a fraction of the power. The i5-1030NG7 also brings DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, PCIe Gen 3, and Iris Plus (64EU) graphics — all features absent from the i7-3615QE's specification sheet. Its larger L1 cache (80 KB per core vs 64 KB per core) and higher boost clock (3.50 GHz vs 3.30 GHz) indicate architectural refinement, even if the benchmark results do not reflect it. The i5-1030NG7 is the pick for modern, power-sipping laptops where battery life and thermals matter more than a 0.4% Cinebench score. The i7-3615QE, despite its age, remains the choice for systems that can tolerate 45 W of heat and need the slightly higher sustained performance. In practical terms, however, the benchmark data shows these two chips are interchangeable — the i7-3615QE's 6-0 win column is statistically meaningless when the largest delta is under 1%.