Intel Core i5-1135G7 vs Intel Core i7-3770 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-3770 and the Intel Core i5-1135G7 represent two very different eras of Intel design. The i7-3770 is a desktop part from the Ivy Bridge generation, while the i5-1135G7 is a mobile chip from Tiger Lake. Despite the older i7 carrying a higher-tier name, the benchmark data tells a clear story of generational progression, with the newer mobile chip winning 17 of the 19 recorded head-to-head comparisons.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the data is the consistency of the i5-1135G7’s victory in CPU compute workloads. In Cinebench R23, the i5-1135G7 scores 7909 in multi-core and 1116 in single-core, compared to the i7-3770’s 5450 and 769. That is a 31.1% advantage in multi-core and a 31.1% lead in single-core. The margin is nearly identical across all three Cinebench versions, with R15 multi-core at 797 versus 549 (31.1% gap) and R20 multi-core at 3321 versus 2289 (also 31.1%). The consistency of this delta across different rendering loads suggests a fundamental architectural advantage in the newer chip, not a workload-specific quirk.

Geekbench results show an even larger single-core gap. The i5-1135G7 records 1417 in single-core, which is 42.4% ahead of the i7-3770’s 816. Multi-core Geekbench shows the i5 at 3944 versus 2705, a 31.4% lead. The single-core disparity being larger than the multi-core disparity is notable, since both chips have 4 cores and 8 threads. The newer Tiger Lake core simply extracts far more instructions per clock.

PassMark workloads reinforce the trend. The i5-1135G7 wins integer math with 31814 versus 22945 (27.9% ahead), floating point math with 19221 versus 11628 (39.5% ahead), and extended instructions with 7406 versus 4476 (39.6% ahead). Data encryption is the biggest single win for the i5: 5465 versus 1866, a 65.9% advantage. This suggests the newer chip has hardware acceleration or significantly improved cryptographic instructions. The i5 also wins the PassMark multi-thread test with 9512 versus 6414 (32.6% ahead) and the physics test with 577 versus 458 (20.6% ahead).

The i7-3770 does have two wins, and they are worth examining. In data compression, the i7 scores 105424 versus the i5’s 103380, a modest 2% edge. More impressively, in random string sorting, the i7 scores 14060 versus 12625, an 11.4% advantage. These are memory-latency or cache-behavior sensitive workloads where the older desktop chip’s platform apparently holds an advantage. The i7 also wins the find prime numbers test? No, the data shows the i5 wins that one 34 to 29 (14.7% ahead). The i7’s wins are limited to those two specific memory-related tasks.

Looking at overall standing, the i7-3770 has an average benchmark score of 9706 and sits at the 66th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-1035G1, which scores 9684 (0.2% delta), meaning the i7 is essentially tied with that chip. The i5-1135G7 has an average score of 9053 and sits at the 65th percentile, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i5-8350U at 8998 (0.6% delta). Interestingly, the i7-3770 actually has a slightly higher average benchmark score than the i5-1135G7, despite losing almost every head-to-head test. This is because the average benchmark score aggregates a broader set of tests, and the i7’s strong showing in data compression and random string sorting partially offsets its losses elsewhere.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for most workloads: the Intel Core i5-1135G7 is the faster processor. It wins every rendering test, every single-threaded test, and the majority of PassMark compute tests, often by 30% to 40%. The 65.9% lead in data encryption is particularly decisive. Anyone running Cinebench, Geekbench, or general integer and floating point workloads should expect the i5-1135G7 to deliver significantly better performance.

The Intel Core i7-3770 retains a narrow edge in data compression (2%) and a more substantial edge in random string sorting (11.4%). For workloads that are heavily dependent on those specific operations, the older desktop chip is still competitive. However, these are two isolated wins out of 19 tests.

The i5-1135G7 is the pick for general productivity, content creation, and compute-heavy tasks. The i7-3770 only makes sense if the specific workload matches its two winning categories. The i7 does have a higher average benchmark score (9706 versus 9053) and a slightly higher percentile ranking (66th versus 65th), but that average includes tests beyond the head-to-head comparison. Within the measured shared benchmarks, the i5 wins 17 of 19.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-1135G7 is faster in every recorded single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 1116 versus 769 (31.1% ahead). In Geekbench single-core, it scores 1417 versus 816 (42.4% ahead). In PassMark single-thread, it scores 2640 versus 2073 (21.5% ahead).

Q: Are there any workloads where the i7-3770 wins?

A: Yes, two. The i7-3770 wins PassMark data compression with 105424 versus 103380 (2% ahead) and PassMark random string sorting with 14060 versus 12625 (11.4% ahead).

Q: How do the two CPUs compare in multi-core rendering?

A: The i5-1135G7 is consistently about 31% faster. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 7909 versus 5450. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, it scores 3321 versus 2289. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 797 versus 549.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark data encryption, where the i5-1135G7 scores 5465 versus the i7-3770’s 1866, a 65.9% advantage.

Q: Do both CPUs have the same core and thread count?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The i7-3770 has a higher average benchmark score of 9706, compared to the i5-1135G7’s 9053. The i7 also sits at the 66th percentile versus the i5’s 65th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ substantially in platform and power characteristics. The i7-3770 is a desktop chip with a 77 W TDP, while the i5-1135G7 is a mobile chip with a 15 W TDP. The i7 uses Intel Socket 1155, while the i5 uses Intel BGA 1449. The i7’s base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost of 3.90 GHz. The i5’s base clock is listed as 1500.00 MHz (which is 1.50 GHz) with a boost of 4.20 GHz.

The i7-3770 supports DDR3 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The i5-1135G7 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory with dual-channel configuration, but no memory bandwidth figure is recorded. The i7 has PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5 has PCIe Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The i7’s integrated graphics is Intel HD 4000, while the i5 features Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU. Both chips have locked multipliers. The i7 was released on 2012-04-28 with a launch MSRP of $278. The i5 was released on 2020-09-01 with a launch MSRP of $309. Both are end-of-life products.

Architecture Differences

The i7-3770 is built on Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture using a 22 nm process node, with a die size of 160 mm² and 1,400 million transistors. The i5-1135G7 uses Tiger Lake architecture (codename Tiger Lake-U) on a 10 nm process node, with a smaller die size of 144 mm² and no transistor count recorded. Both are manufactured by Intel.

Cache configurations differ meaningfully. The i7-3770 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The i5-1135G7 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, a substantial increase in L2 capacity. Both share 8 MB of L3 cache across all cores.

The generation labels reflect the architectural gap. The i7 is listed as Core i7 (Ivy Bridge), while the i5 is listed as Core i5 (Willow Cove-U), indicating the newer Willow Cove core microarchitecture inside Tiger Lake. The i7’s part number is SR0PK, while the i5’s is SRK05. Neither chip supports ECC memory.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-1135G7 dominates the compute landscape. It wins every rendering workload, including all three Cinebench generations, by roughly 31%. It wins all single-threaded tests, with the Geekbench single-core gap reaching 42.4%. It wins integer math, floating point math, extended instructions, data encryption, prime number finding, physics, and the PassMark multi-thread test. For content creation, software compilation, scientific computing, or anything that stresses the CPU cores, the i5-1135G7 is the clear choice.

The Intel Core i7-3770 wins exactly two categories: data compression (105424 versus 103380) and random string sorting (14060 versus 12625). These are memory and cache sensitive workloads where the older desktop platform’s characteristics still matter. If the primary use case involves sorting large datasets or specific compression algorithms, the i7-3770 is not obsolete. It also carries a slightly higher average benchmark score (9706 versus 9053) and a 66th percentile standing versus the i5’s 65th, meaning that in a broader database context, the two are very closely matched overall.

For a system builder choosing between these two, the decision hinges on workload. The i5-1135G7 delivers modern performance across nearly every metric, and it does so at a 15 W TDP versus the i7’s 77 W, making it dramatically more efficient. The i7-3770’s only advantages are narrow and workload-specific. The recorded data shows a 17 to 2 win count in favor of the i5-1135G7, and that ratio is the most reliable summary of their relative performance.