Intel Core i5-11600T vs Intel Core i5-1245U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1245U and Intel Core i5-11600T are close competitors in the database’s aggregate scoring, with the mobile Alder Lake part edging out the desktop Rocket Lake chip by a slim 0.9% margin in average benchmark score (3775 vs. 3742). Both processors land in the 56th percentile of all CPUs tracked, placing them in the same performance tier despite their very different designs. The head-to-head benchmark data, however, tells a consistent story: the i5-1245U wins every single test in the comparison, though the margins are uniformly modest.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-1245U’s sweep of all six Cinebench comparisons is decisive in outcome but narrow in scale. In the multi-core tests, the margin is a steady 5.4% across all three generations of the Cinebench suite. The R15 multi-core result sees the i5-1245U score 1315 against the i5-11600T’s 1248, while R20 multi-core shows 5482 versus 5201. The R23 multi-core test, which is the most demanding of the group, puts the i5-1245U at 13053 and the i5-11600T at 12385 — again a 5.4% gap.

Single-core performance follows the same pattern with nearly identical deltas. The i5-1245U leads by 5.1% in R15 single-core (185 vs. 176) and by 5.3% in R20 single-core (773 vs. 734). The R23 single-core result rounds out the sweep with a 5.4% advantage (1842 vs. 1748). Notably, the i5-11600T does not appear in the head-to-head Geekbench data, despite having Geekbench scores listed in its own benchmark set (6653 multi-core, 1791 single-core); those results are not part of the direct comparison.

The consistency of the 5% margins across every test suggests a fundamental per-clock or per-core efficiency advantage for the i5-1245U rather than any workload-specific strength. The i5-1245U’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz is higher than the i5-11600T’s 4.10 GHz, which partially explains the single-core wins. For multi-core, the i5-1245U’s 10 cores and 12 threads outnumber the i5-11600T’s 6 cores and 12 threads — the same thread count but with four additional physical cores on the Alder Lake side.

The aggregate average scores tell a similar story from a different angle. The i5-1245U’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700KF at 3787 (-0.3% delta) and the Intel Core i7-8086K at 3800 (-0.6% delta), while the i5-11600T sits at 3742, a 0.9% delta relative to the i5-1245U. The i5-11600T’s own nearest-rival list includes the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650GE at 3732 (0.3% delta) and the Intel Core i5-11260H at 3721 (0.6% delta). Both chips are clustered within roughly 1% of several comparable parts, indicating that neither has a meaningful aggregate performance edge over its immediate competition.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-1245U wins every benchmark in the direct comparison, so the use-case split is clear: it is the better performer across all tested workloads. The multi-core wins are particularly relevant for threaded productivity tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling, and code compilation, where the extra four physical cores (10 vs. 6) provide a structural advantage. The single-core wins matter for lightly threaded applications such as legacy software, spreadsheet work, and general desktop responsiveness.

The i5-11600T’s case rests on non-performance factors. It is a desktop part with a 35W TDP, which is higher than the i5-1245U’s 15W TDP but still power-limited for a desktop chip. It uses the Intel Socket 1200 platform, which is a standard desktop socket, whereas the i5-1245U uses Intel BGA 1744, a soldered mobile socket. The i5-11600T also has a larger die size at 276 mm² compared to the i5-1245U’s unspecified die area, and it carries a launch MSRP of $213 — a figure that is not available for the i5-1245U. For users building or upgrading a desktop system with an existing LGA 1200 motherboard, the i5-11600T may be the practical choice despite its performance deficit.

The i5-1245U, being a mobile part, wins in scenarios where power efficiency and compact form factors matter. Its 15W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops, and its integrated Iris Xe 80EU graphics are more capable on paper than the i5-11600T’s UHD Graphics 750, though no graphics benchmarks are included in the data. The i5-1245U also supports DDR5 memory in addition to DDR4, while the i5-11600T is limited to DDR4.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel architectures and manufacturing nodes. The i5-1245U is built on Alder Lake, specifically the Alder Lake-U mobile variant, using a 10 nm process node. The i5-11600T is a Rocket Lake desktop part built on a 14 nm node. This process difference is significant: the 10 nm node allows for smaller transistors and better power efficiency, which helps explain how the i5-1245U achieves higher performance at a 15W TDP versus the i5-11600T’s 35W TDP.

Core counts and cache hierarchies differ substantially. The i5-1245U has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the i5-11600T has 6 cores and 12 threads. Both have the same L1 cache at 80 KB per core, but L2 cache differs: the i5-1245U has 1.25 MB per core, while the i5-11600T has 512 KB per core. L3 cache is identical at 12 MB shared. The i5-1245U’s larger L2 cache per core likely contributes to its per-thread efficiency.

The i5-11600T has a larger die size at 276 mm², but the i5-1245U’s die size is not listed in the data. Both use the same PCIe configuration (Gen 4, 20 lanes CPU-only) and lack ECC memory support. The i5-1245U’s integrated graphics are Iris Xe 80EU, while the i5-11600T uses UHD Graphics 750. The i5-1245U is part of the Alder Lake-U generation, while the i5-11600T belongs to the Rocket Lake generation (Core 11th Gen, Rocket Lake-S).

A key architectural difference is memory support. The i5-1245U supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i5-11600T only supports DDR4. The i5-11600T has a listed memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, but no such figure is provided for the i5-1245U. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Specification Differences

The two chips differ in several specification fields. The i5-1245U has 10 cores and 12 threads, versus the i5-11600T’s 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are close: 1600 MHz for the i5-1245U and 1700 MHz for the i5-11600T, but the boost clock favors the i5-1245U at 4.40 GHz compared to 4.10 GHz. TDP is a major differentiator: 15W for the i5-1245U versus 35W for the i5-11600T.

Sockets are incompatible: the i5-1245U uses Intel BGA 1744 (mobile), while the i5-11600T uses Intel Socket 1200 (desktop). The process node differs (10 nm vs. 14 nm), and the die size is only listed for the i5-11600T at 276 mm². L2 cache differs (1.25 MB per core vs. 512 KB per core), while L1 and L3 caches are the same. Memory support differs (DDR4/DDR5 vs. DDR4 only), and the i5-11600T has a listed memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s that the i5-1245U lacks.

Integrated graphics differ: Iris Xe 80EU on the i5-1245U versus UHD Graphics 750 on the i5-11600T. Market segments are mobile versus desktop, and production status is Active for the i5-1245U versus End-of-life for the i5-11600T. Release dates differ by roughly 11 months: the i5-1245U launched on 2022-02-22, while the i5-11600T launched on 2021-03-15. The i5-11600T has a launch MSRP of $213; the i5-1245U has no MSRP listed. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier. Part numbers are SRLFSSRLWY for the i5-1245U and SRKNX for the i5-11600T.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i5-1245U wins every multi-core test by 5.4%, scoring 1315 in R15, 5482 in R20, and 13053 in R23, versus the i5-11600T’s 1248, 5201, and 12385 respectively.

Q: How do single-core scores compare?

A: The i5-1245U leads by 5.1% in R15 (185 vs. 176), 5.3% in R20 (773 vs. 734), and 5.4% in R23 (1842 vs. 1748), showing a consistent edge across all tested Cinebench versions.

Q: Do the processors have the same thread count?

A: Yes, both have 12 threads. However, the i5-1245U has 10 cores, while the i5-11600T has 6 cores.

Q: What are the TDP differences?

A: The i5-1245U has a 15W TDP, while the i5-11600T has a 35W TDP. The i5-1245U is a mobile part, and the i5-11600T is a desktop part.

Q: Which memory types does each support?

A: The i5-1245U supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i5-11600T supports DDR4 only. The i5-11600T has a listed memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is listed for the i5-1245U.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The i5-1245U has an average benchmark score of 3775, which is 0.9% higher than the i5-11600T’s 3742. Both sit in the 56th percentile of all CPUs.