Intel Core i5-1135G7 vs Intel Core i7-8650U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1135G7 and Intel Core i7-8650U are both 15-watt mobile processors with 4 cores and 8 threads, but the benchmark data shows a decisive generational shift. While the i7-8650U carries the higher Core i7 branding and a higher base clock of 1900.00 MHz, the newer i5-1135G7 wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the data set, 17 wins to 0. This comparison is not a close contest; it is a demonstration of how much architectural efficiency has improved between the Kaby Lake-R and Tiger Lake-U platforms.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head results is the consistency of the i5-1135G7's advantage. In Cinebench tests, the gap is remarkably uniform. The i5-1135G7 scores 797 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, a 50.7% delta over the i7-8650U's 529. The single-core result is similar, with the i5 at 112 versus 74, a 51.4% delta. This pattern holds across newer Cinebench versions: R20 multi-core shows 3321 vs 2206 (50.5% delta), R23 multi-core shows 7909 vs 5253 (50.6% delta), and R23 single-core shows 1116 vs 741 (50.6% delta). The data indicates that the i5-1135G7 is not just faster in one specific workload but delivers a uniformly higher level of performance across every rendering and CPU-encoding benchmark tested.

The largest single win for the i5-1135G7 comes in PassMark data encryption. The i5 scores 5465 against the i7-8650U's 2067, a massive 164.4% delta. This suggests the i5's newer architecture includes significantly more efficient cryptographic instruction handling. Other PassMark workloads show large but less dramatic differences. Integer math sees the i5 at 31814 vs 22007 (44.6% delta), and floating-point math shows 19221 vs 13299 (44.5% delta). Extended instructions also favor the i5, with a score of 7406 against 5042, a 46.9% delta.

Even in workloads where the i7-8650U might have been expected to compete, the i5-1135G7 maintains a clear lead. PassMark multi-thread performance has the i5 at 9512 versus 6193, a 53.6% delta. Data compression shows 103380 vs 78936, a 31% delta. The smallest wins are in PassMark physics, where the i5 leads 577 to 472 (22.2% delta), and random string sorting, where the i5 scores 12625 vs 10485 (20.4% delta). These smaller deltas still represent a meaningful advantage, but they are the closest margins in the entire dataset. The single-thread PassMark score also favors the i5, 2640 vs 2103, a 25.5% delta, confirming that the i5's advantage is not limited to multi-core scaling.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-1135G7 wins in every category that was tested. There is no benchmark in the head-to-head set where the i7-8650U produces a higher score. The i5-1135G7 dominates in all Cinebench versions, covering both single-core and multi-core rendering workloads. It also wins in every PassMark category, including data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating-point math, integer math, multi-thread performance, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread tests.

The i7-8650U has no winning use case in this data. Its only potential advantage lies in its higher base clock of 1900.00 MHz, but this does not translate into any benchmark victory. In fact, the i5-1135G7's lower base clock of 1500.00 MHz is paired with the same 4.20 GHz boost clock, and the benchmark results show that the newer architecture is able to extract more performance per clock cycle. For users, this means that any workload that relies on CPU performance—from rendering to encryption to general computation—will be better served by the i5-1135G7. The i7-8650U's value in this comparison is primarily as a reference point for how much slower an older generation can be, even when it is a higher-tier product.

The percentile rankings confirm this. Both processors sit at the 65th percentile of all CPUs, but the average benchmark score differs: the i5-1135G7 has an average score of 9053, while the i7-8650U averages 8932. The nearest rival data shows the i5-1135G7 is 1.4% ahead of the i7-8650U in average score. For the i7-8650U, the same comparison shows it is 1.3% behind the i5-1135G7. While these aggregate scores are close, the individual benchmark deltas are far larger, indicating that the i5's advantage is concentrated in specific high-throughput tasks.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-1135G7 should be the pick for any user who prioritizes raw CPU performance in the tested workloads. It wins 17 out of 17 benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 20.4% to 164.4%. The i7-8650U offers no performance advantage in any measured category. The i5-1135G7 is the better choice for rendering (Cinebench R15, R20, R23), data compression, encryption, math-intensive tasks, and general multi-threaded work.

A user should choose the i7-8650U only under specific conditions that are not reflected in benchmark scores. The data shows it has a higher base clock (1900.00 MHz vs 1500.00 MHz), which can matter for sustained operation at low load, but this does not result in any benchmark win. The i7-8650U also uses an older Intel BGA 1356 socket, while the i5-1135G7 uses Intel BGA 1449, so platform compatibility could be a deciding factor for a system planner. However, from a pure performance standpoint, the i5-1135G7 is the clear winner. Its 50.5% to 51.4% advantage across all Cinebench tests, combined with a 164.4% lead in encryption, makes it the superior processor for almost any mobile computing task.

The i5-1135G7 also benefits from a 10 nm process node versus the i7-8650U's 14 nm node, which explains part of the efficiency gain. The i5's Tiger Lake architecture is a significant step forward from the older Kaby Lake design. The i5 has a larger die size of 144 mm² compared to 123 mm² for the i7, and its cache layout is different, with 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core versus 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core for the i7. Both have 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5 also supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory, while the i7 only supports DDR4, which can affect memory bandwidth in certain applications.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-1135G7 scores 7909, which is 50.6% higher than the Intel Core i7-8650U's 5253.

Q: What is the largest performance delta between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark data encryption, where the i5-1135G7 scores 5465 versus 2067 for the i7-8650U, a 164.4% difference.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads, and both have a 15 W TDP.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each?

A: The i5-1135G7 has an average benchmark score of 9053, and the i7-8650U has an average score of 8932.

Q: Is the i7-8650U faster in any single-threaded test?

A: No, the i5-1135G7 wins all single-thread tests, including Cinebench R23 single-core (1116 vs 741) and PassMark single-thread (2640 vs 2103).

Q: Which CPU has a higher base clock?

A: The i7-8650U has a higher base clock of 1900.00 MHz, while the i5-1135G7 has a base clock of 1500.00 MHz. Both have the same boost clock of 4.20 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core i5-1135G7 is based on the Tiger Lake architecture, with a codename of Tiger Lake-U and a process node of 10 nm. The Intel Core i7-8650U is based on the Kaby Lake architecture, with a codename of Kaby Lake-R and a process node of 14 nm. This process shrink is a key factor in the i5's performance advantage, as it allows for more transistors in a similar power envelope.

The cache hierarchies differ significantly. The i5-1135G7 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, while the i7-8650U has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core. Both share 8 MB of L3 cache. The i5's larger L2 cache is likely a major contributor to its superior performance in integer and floating-point math tests.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i5-1135G7 features Iris Xe Graphics G7 with 80 execution units, while the i7-8650U has UHD 620. The i5-1135G7 supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory, whereas the i7-8650U only supports DDR4. The i5-1135G7 also has PCIe Gen 4 with 4 CPU-only lanes, while the i7-8650U has no listed PCIe support. The i5's die size is larger at 144 mm² versus 123 mm², reflecting its more complex architecture.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in several key specifications. The i5-1135G7 has a base clock of 1500.00 MHz, while the i7-8650U has a base clock of 1900.00 MHz. Both have the same boost clock of 4.20 GHz and a TDP of 15 W. The sockets are different: the i5-1135G7 uses Intel BGA 1449, and the i7-8650U uses Intel BGA 1356. The release dates differ, with the i5-1135G7 released on 2020-09-01 and the i7-8650U on 2017-08-20. The i5-1135G7 has a launch MSRP of $309, while the i7-8650U has no listed launch MSRP. The production status also differs: the i5-1135G7 is end-of-life, while the i7-8650U is active. The part numbers are SRK05 for the i5 and SR3L8 for the i7. Both are locked (multiplier unlocked is false) and do not support ECC memory. The i5-1135G7 is a 10 nm part, while the i7-8650U is a 14 nm part.