Intel Core i5-1230U vs Intel Core i7-10750H Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-10750H and Intel Core i5-1230U serve fundamentally different mobile workloads, and the benchmark data makes the separation clear. The i7-10750H wins 11 of 19 head-to-head tests, while the i5-1230U wins 8. The average benchmark score favors the i7-10750H at 13024 versus 12559 for the i5-1230U, a gap that places them at the 68th and 67th percentiles of all CPUs respectively. That near-identical percentile ranking masks very different character profiles.

The i7-10750H is the clear choice for sustained multi-threaded workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 9718 more than doubles the i5-1230U's 4402, a 120.8% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 leads by 90.5%, scoring 979 against 514. For content creation, compilation, or any task that scales across cores, the i7-10750H is the decisive winner.

The i5-1230U is the pick for single-thread responsiveness and power-sensitive environments. It wins single-core tests in Geekbench (1699 vs 1417, a 16.6% margin) and Cinebench R15 (186.8 vs 138, a 26.1% margin). Its 9 W TDP against the i7's 45 W TDP indicates it belongs in fanless or ultra-thin designs where thermal headroom is minimal. The i5-1230U also wins in PassMark data encryption (7176 vs 3930, a 45.2% edge) and physics (828 vs 700, a 15.5% edge), suggesting better efficiency in certain specialized workloads.

The i7-10750H targets performance laptops where sustained CPU throughput matters. The i5-1230U targets ultra-portables where battery life and low heat dominate. Neither processor is a universal recommendation. The data says: choose the i7-10750H for heavy multi-core tasks, choose the i5-1230U for lightweight single-threaded use with minimal power draw.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different Intel generations and use fundamentally different designs. The i7-10750H is built on Comet Lake-H, a 14 nm process from Intel, while the i5-1230U uses Alder Lake-U on a 10 nm node. The process shrink gives the i5-1230U a transistor density advantage, though the i7-10750H compensates with higher boost clocks.

Core counts differ significantly. The i7-10750H has 6 physical cores and 12 threads. The i5-1230U has 10 physical cores but also 12 threads, indicating a hybrid architecture with efficiency cores that do not add to the thread count. This explains why the i5-1230U can win some single-threaded tests despite lower boost clocks.

Clock speeds tell part of the story. The i7-10750H has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The i5-1230U has a base clock of 1000.00 MHz (1.00 GHz) and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The i7's 5.00 GHz boost is the highest raw frequency in this comparison, but the i5's architecture allows it to win some single-thread tests anyway.

Cache layouts differ. The i7-10750H provides 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The i5-1230U provides 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The i5's larger per-core L2 cache (1.25 MB vs 256 KB) helps its efficiency cores handle frequent data access.

Memory support diverges. The i7-10750H supports DDR4 only with dual-channel memory and a measured bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. The i5-1230U supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, though its memory bandwidth is not recorded in the database. The i5-1230U also uses PCIe Gen 4, while the i7-10750H uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

Integrated graphics differ. The i7-10750H uses UHD Graphics, while the i5-1230U uses Iris Xe 80EU. The Iris Xe branding indicates a more capable GPU, consistent with the i5's newer architecture. Both use different sockets: the i7-10750H fits Intel BGA 1440, the i5-1230U fits Intel BGA 1781.

The i7-10750H launched in April 2020, the i5-1230U in February 2022. Both remain in active production. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i7-10750H wins decisively. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 9718 beats the i5-1230U's 4402 by 120.8%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 979 versus 514, a 90.5% lead. Geekbench multicore also favors the i7 at 5574 against 4875, a 14.3% margin.

Q: Which CPU has better single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-1230U leads in most single-thread tests. Geekbench single-core shows 1699 for the i5 versus 1417 for the i7, a 16.6% advantage. Cinebench R15 single-core gives the i5 a 26.1% edge (186.8 vs 138). PassMark single-thread also favors the i5 at 2712 versus 2625, a 3.2% margin. The i7 does win Cinebench R20 and R23 single-core by 4.7% each.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The i5-1230U has a TDP of 9 W, while the i7-10750H has a TDP of 45 W. This fivefold difference in thermal design power indicates the i5-1230U is suited for fanless designs and extreme portability, while the i7-10750H requires active cooling and a larger thermal solution.

Q: Do both CPUs support the same memory types?

A: No. The i7-10750H supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel memory and 46.9 GB/s bandwidth. The i5-1230U supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel. This means the i5-1230U can take advantage of newer DDR5 memory modules where available, while the i7-10750H is limited to DDR4.

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The i5-1230U has 10 physical cores versus 6 for the i7-10750H. However, both present 12 threads to the operating system. The i5's additional cores are likely efficiency cores in its hybrid Alder Lake design, which explains why raw core count does not translate into multi-core performance dominance.

Q: How do these CPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i7-10750H's average score of 13024 sits within 0.9% of the Intel Core i5-8500 (13142) and 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-9400F (13041). The i5-1230U's average of 12559 is 0.2% above the AMD EPYC 9174F (12536) and 0.4% below the Intel Core i3-1215U (12604). Both CPUs are statistically clustered with their peers.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-10750H | Intel Core i5-1230U |

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

| Cores | 6 | 10 |

| Threads | 12 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 2.60 GHz | 1000.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 4.40 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 9 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1440 | Intel BGA 1781 |

| Architecture | Comet Lake | Alder Lake |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 10 nm |

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

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

| L3 Cache | 12 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 46.9 GB/s | Not recorded |

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

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics | Iris Xe 80EU |

| Release Date | April 2020 | February 2022 |

| Part Number | SRH8Q | Not recorded |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory belongs to the i7-10750H in Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 9718 against the i5-1230U's 4402. That 120.8% delta is the biggest gap in the entire head-to-head set. The i7 also dominates Cinebench R15 multicore with 979 versus 514, a 90.5% margin. These results confirm the i7's sustained multi-core advantage comes from its higher power envelope and 5.00 GHz boost capability.

The i7-10750H wins PassMark random string sorting by 67.8% (21416 vs 12760) and PassMark extended instructions by 66.7% (10470 vs 6282). Data compression also favors the i7 at 167213 versus 114042, a 46.6% edge. Geekbench multicore gives the i7 a 14.3% win (5574 vs 4875). PassMark multithread shows the i7 ahead by 6.8% (11616 vs 10881).

Smaller multi-core wins for the i7 appear in Cinebench R20 multicore (4081 vs 3903, a 4.6% margin) and PassMark integer math (39730 vs 38401, a 3.5% margin). Cinebench R20 single-core and R23 single-core both favor the i7 by 4.7%, with scores of 576 vs 550 and 1372 vs 1310 respectively.

The i5-1230U counters with strong single-thread and encryption wins. PassMark data encryption shows the i5 ahead by 45.2% (7176 vs 3930). Cinebench R15 single-core gives the i5 a 26.1% win (186.8 vs 138). Geekbench single-core favors the i5 by 16.6% (1699 vs 1417). PassMark physics shows the i5 ahead by 15.5% (828 vs 700).

The i5-1230U also wins PassMark find prime numbers by 29.1% (55 vs 39) and PassMark floating point math by 1.1% (25340 vs 25070). PassMark single-thread and singlethread tests both show the i5 at 2712 versus 2625 for the i7, a 3.2% margin.

The mixed results indicate the i5-1230U's newer Alder Lake architecture gives it efficiency advantages in specific workloads like encryption and prime number generation. The i7-10750H's higher TDP and clock speeds produce overwhelming wins in sustained multi-core tasks. The 11-8 win count for the i7 understates the magnitude of its multi-core victories, while the i5's single-thread wins are generally smaller but more consistent across different test suites.