Intel Core i5-1145G7E vs Intel Core i7-5950HQ Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1145G7E and Intel Core i7-5950HQ are both mobile processors with 4 cores and 8 threads, but they represent very different eras of Intel design. The i5-1145G7E is a Tiger Lake-U part from 2020, built on a 10 nm process, while the i7-5950HQ is a Broadwell-H chip from 2015 on 14 nm. Benchmark data shows a clear and consistent performance hierarchy between the two, with the newer i5 winning every single head-to-head test by a margin of roughly 15%. This is not a close contest; the data indicates a generational leap in IPC and efficiency that the older i7 cannot overcome despite its higher base clock and larger TDP envelope.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-1145G7E wins all six recorded comparisons. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5 scores 757 against the i7's 656, a 15.4% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar story, with 106 points for the i5 versus 92 for the i7, a 15.2% lead. This pattern holds across every Cinebench version. In R20 multicore, the i5 posts 3156 versus 2736, a 15.4% gap, while single-core shows 445 against 386, a 15.3% difference. The R23 results mirror these figures: 7516 vs 6516 in multicore (15.3%) and 1061 vs 920 in single-core (15.3%).

What makes these numbers striking is the consistency of the delta. Every test, regardless of workload type or Cinebench version, lands within a narrow band of 15.2% to 15.4%. This is not a case where one chip excels in a specific test; the i5-1145G7E is uniformly faster across the board. The average benchmark score reinforces this, with the i5 at 2174 and the i7 at 2158, showing the i5 holds a 0.8% edge in the aggregate database metric. Notably, the i7-5950HQ's nearestRivals list includes the i5-1145G7E with a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the i5 is slightly ahead on average, while the i5's list shows the i7 at a +0.8 deltaPct, confirming the same relationship from the opposite direction.

The single-core results are particularly telling for architectural efficiency. The i5-1145G7E has a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz, while the i7-5950HQ has a higher base of 2.90 GHz and a lower boost of 3.80 GHz. Despite the i7's higher base frequency, the i5 still wins single-core R23 by 141 points (1061 vs 920). This indicates that the i5's Willow Cove cores deliver substantially more instructions per clock than the i7's Broadwell cores. The i5 also achieves this with a 28 W TDP versus the i7's 47 W TDP, making its performance advantage even more notable from a power efficiency standpoint.

Where Each One Wins

The data suggests that the Intel Core i5-1145G7E wins in every measured scenario. There is no benchmark in the FACT PACK where the i7-5950HQ takes the lead. The i5 dominates both multicore and single-core workloads in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. For users running CPU-intensive tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling, or software compilation, the i5 offers a consistent 15% performance uplift over the i7 in all Cinebench tests.

The i7-5950HQ does have a few advantages that are not reflected in the Cinebench scores. It supports 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the i5 only provides 4 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. This could matter for systems with discrete GPUs or multiple NVMe drives, as the i7 provides more direct CPU-attached I/O bandwidth for expansion. The i7 also has a higher memory bandwidth specification at 29.9 GB/s, though it is limited to DDR3 memory, whereas the i5 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X. However, these are platform-level capabilities, not CPU benchmark wins, and they do not translate into any performance advantage in the tested workloads.

For the i5-1145G7E, its wins are comprehensive. It is the newer architecture, produced on a smaller 10 nm node versus the i7's 14 nm, and it has a larger L3 cache at 8 MB shared versus the i7's 6 MB shared. The i5 also features Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU, a modern integrated GPU, compared to the i7's older Iris Pro Graphics 6200. While the FACT PACK does not include iGPU benchmark scores, the architectural generation difference suggests the i5's graphics solution is more capable for media encoding and light gaming. The i5 remains in active production, while the i7 is marked as end-of-life, meaning the i5 is the only one of the two with ongoing availability and support.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are separated by five years of Intel design evolution. The i5-1145G7E uses the Tiger Lake architecture, with a codename of Tiger Lake-U and a generation label of Core i5 (Willow Cove-U). It is built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 144 mm². The i7-5950HQ uses the Broadwell architecture, codename Broadwell-H, on a 14 nm process with a larger die size of 182 mm². The smaller die on the newer process is a clear sign of improved transistor density and power efficiency.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The i5 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, while the i7 has 64 KB of L1 per core and only 256 KB of L2 per core. The i5's L3 cache is 8 MB shared, compared to the i7's 6 MB shared. Larger L2 and L3 caches on the i5 likely contribute to its superior single-core performance, as more data can be stored closer to the execution units. The i5 also supports faster memory types (DDR4, LPDDR4X) versus the i7's DDR3 only, and while the FACT PACK does not list the i5's memory bandwidth, its memory controller is designed for newer, higher-bandwidth standards.

The i5 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, slightly higher than the i7's 3.80 GHz, but its base clock is much lower at 1500 MHz versus 2900 MHz. This reflects a different power management philosophy: the i5 is designed to burst to high frequencies when needed and idle aggressively, while the i7 maintains a higher minimum frequency at the cost of a 47 W TDP. The i5's 28 W TDP allows it to be used in thinner, lighter notebooks, while the i7's higher TDP suggests it was intended for larger, performance-oriented laptops or mobile workstations. The i5 uses socket Intel BGA 1449, while the i7 uses the older Intel BGA 1364, meaning they are not interchangeable in any system.

Both processors have integrated graphics, but the i5's Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU is a much newer design than the i7's Iris Pro Graphics 6200. The i5's part number is SRK0Z, while the i7's is SR2BJ. The i5's launch MSRP is $312, and the i7's launch MSRP is $623, though the i7 is now end-of-life and the i5 remains active. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not supported on either platform. The i5's PCIe support is Gen 4 with 4 lanes from the CPU, while the i7 offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes, a tradeoff between bandwidth per lane and total lane count.

The Verdict

Strictly from the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-1145G7E is the clear choice for CPU performance. It wins every Cinebench test by approximately 15%, across both single-core and multicore workloads. This makes it the better option for tasks like rendering, encoding, and general productivity where CPU speed is the bottleneck. The i5 also offers a lower TDP (28 W vs 47 W), a smaller process node (10 nm vs 14 nm), and a larger L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB), all of which point to a more modern, efficient design. For anyone building or buying a system today, the i5's active production status makes it the only sensible pick between the two.

The i7-5950HQ does have a niche where it could be preferable, but that niche is not defined by CPU benchmarks. Its 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes provide more room for expansion cards, discrete GPUs, or high-speed storage than the i5's 4 Gen 4 lanes. Its support for DDR3 memory and a higher memory bandwidth specification of 29.9 GB/s could be relevant in legacy systems where DDR3 is already available. However, these are platform-level features that do not appear in the Cinebench scores. In terms of raw processing power, the i5-1145G7E is unequivocally superior.

The average benchmark score metric puts the i5 at 2174 versus the i7's 2158, a slim 0.8% difference in the aggregate database. This is because the database includes other benchmarks beyond Cinebench, and the i7 has additional Geekbench scores (4601 multicore, 1353 singlecore) that are not available for the i5. However, the head-to-head Cinebench results are the most direct comparison available, and they show a decisive win for the i5. The percentileVsAllCpus field is identical for both at 47, meaning they sit in the same percentile among all tested CPUs, but the i5 achieves that with a lower TDP and a smaller die. The verdict is straightforward: choose the i5 for performance and efficiency; choose the i7 only if you need its PCIe lane count or are constrained to a DDR3 platform.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-1145G7E scores 1061 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Intel Core i7-5950HQ scores 920. The i5 leads by 15.3%.

Q: How large is the multicore performance gap in Cinebench R20?

A: The i5-1145G7E scores 3156 in R20 multicore, versus the i7-5950HQ's 2736. This is a 15.4% advantage for the i5.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these two chips?

A: The i5-1145G7E has a TDP of 28 W, while the i7-5950HQ has a TDP of 47 W.

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

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

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The i5-1145G7E has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-5950HQ has 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Is the i7-5950HQ still in production?

A: No, the i7-5950HQ is marked as end-of-life, while the i5-1145G7E is listed as active production.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-1145G7E | Intel Core i7-5950HQ |

|---|---|---|

| Base Clock | 1500 MHz | 2900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.10 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 47 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1449 | Intel BGA 1364 |

| Architecture | Tiger Lake | Broadwell |

| Codename | Tiger Lake-U | Broadwell-H |

| Generation | Core i5 (Willow Cove-U) | Core i7 (Broadwell-H) |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| Die Size | 144 mm² | 182 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, LPDDR4X | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 29.9 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 4 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU | Iris Pro Graphics 6200 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2020-09-01 | 2015-06-01 |

| Launch MSRP | $312 | $623 |

| Part Number | SRK0Z | SR2BJ |