Intel Core i5-1250P vs Intel Core i7-7820X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i5-1250P sweeps every head-to-head benchmark in the database. Across the entire Cinebench suite, the mobile Alder Lake part beats the older desktop Skylake-X chip in every single test, with a remarkably consistent margin. The i5-1250P wins six out of six recorded comparisons, while the i7-7820X records zero wins.

The multicore results tell a clear story. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-1250P scores 1573 against 1469 for the i7-7820X, a 7.1% advantage. That margin holds almost exactly in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the i5-1250P scores 6556 against 6121, again a 7.1% lead. The pattern continues in Cinebench R23 multicore, with the i5-1250P posting 15610 versus 14576, another 7.1% gap. The consistency of this delta across three generations of the Cinebench workload suggests a stable performance advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

Single-core results show an even slightly larger edge for the i5-1250P. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i5-1250P scores 222 against 207, a 7.2% lead. Cinebench R20 single-core shows the same 7.2% delta, with 925 versus 863. Cinebench R23 single-core gives the i5-1250P a 2203 score against 2057, a 7.1% margin. Across all six benchmarks, the i5-1250P maintains a lead between 7.1% and 7.2%, an unusually tight band that points to a fundamental architectural efficiency advantage.

The i7-7820X does have one additional benchmark in the database not shared by the i5-1250P: Geekbench. The i7-7820X records 7855 in Geekbench multicore and 1422 in Geekbench single-core, but without a comparable i5-1250P result, these numbers cannot be used for a direct comparison. The available head-to-head data is exclusively Cinebench, and it is uniformly in favor of the i5-1250P.

Average benchmark scores place the two processors close together in the broader database. The i5-1250P carries an average benchmark score of 4515, while the i7-7820X sits at 4321. Both processors land at the 58th percentile among all CPUs tracked, meaning they occupy the same overall performance tier despite the i5-1250P's consistent head-to-head wins. The i5-1250P's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12700TE at 4513 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 at 4532 (-0.4%), the Intel Core i5-1340P at 4545 (-0.7%), and the Intel Core i7-10700KF at 4547 (-0.7%). The i7-7820X's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G at 4296 (0.6% delta), the AMD EPYC 7232P at 4354 (-0.8%), the Intel Xeon E5-4669 v3 at 4285 (0.8%), and the Intel Xeon W-2140B at 4272 (1.1%). The i5-1250P sits slightly above its rival cluster in average score, while the i7-7820X sits slightly below its own cluster's top entries.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-1250P wins in every measured workload category. For multithreaded rendering tasks, the Cinebench R20 and R23 multicore results show the i5-1250P delivering 7.1% higher throughput than the i7-7820X, which means faster completion times for CPU-bound rendering, video encoding, and simulation workloads. The i5-1250P's 15610 Cinebench R23 multicore score is particularly notable, as that workload scales well with both core count and IPC, and the i5-1250P manages to outperform an eight-core desktop part with a higher base clock.

The i5-1250P also wins in single-threaded performance, where the 7.2% lead in Cinebench R15 and R20 single-core tests indicates better responsiveness for lightly threaded applications, everyday desktop use, and legacy software that cannot leverage many cores. The i5-1250P's 2203 Cinebench R23 single-core score represents the strongest single-thread result in this comparison.

The i7-7820X has no benchmark wins in the head-to-head data. However, its unique characteristics still matter for specific use cases. The i7-7820X supports quad-channel memory and is recorded with 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, a figure the i5-1250P does not match in the database. For workloads that are heavily memory-bandwidth bound, the i7-7820X's platform may offer advantages that the Cinebench suite does not capture. The i7-7820X also has an unlocked multiplier, allowing manual overclocking, which could narrow or reverse the performance gap in the hands of an enthusiast willing to push the silicon beyond stock settings. The i7-7820X is listed as end-of-life, so it is a legacy platform option, while the i5-1250P remains active.

The integrated graphics situation also splits the two. The i5-1250P includes Iris Xe 80EU graphics, making it self-sufficient for display output and basic GPU-accelerated tasks without a discrete card. The i7-7820X has no integrated graphics, so it requires a dedicated GPU for any display output. This is not a performance benchmark, but it is a functional difference that determines system requirements.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-1250P is the faster processor in every benchmark the two share. A 7.1% to 7.2% lead across all six Cinebench tests, both single-core and multicore, gives the i5-1250P a decisive overall performance win. The i5-1250P also carries a much lower 28W TDP compared to the i7-7820X's 140W, meaning it achieves this performance advantage while consuming a fraction of the power budget. The i5-1250P is the correct choice for anyone prioritizing raw benchmark performance, power efficiency, and a modern active platform.

The i7-7820X is not without its niche. Its quad-channel memory support with 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth is a genuine platform advantage for memory-intensive workloads, and the unlocked multiplier appeals to overclockers. Its desktop Socket 2066 platform and 28 PCIe Gen 3 lanes provide expansion options that differ from the i5-1250P's mobile BGA 1744 socket and 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. The i7-7820X also carries a launch MSRP of $599, though pricing comparisons are outside the scope of this analysis.

For most users, the i5-1250P is the better buy. It wins every measured benchmark, generates far less heat, includes integrated graphics, and remains an active product. The i7-7820X only makes sense for a builder who specifically needs quad-channel memory bandwidth or wants an unlocked desktop part on the older Skylake-X platform and is willing to accept lower benchmark scores and higher power draw.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multicore workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-1250P wins all three multicore Cinebench tests, leading by 7.1% in R15 (1573 vs 1469), R20 (6556 vs 6121), and R23 (15610 vs 14576).

Q: How big is the single-core performance gap?

A: The i5-1250P leads by 7.2% in Cinebench R15 single-core (222 vs 207) and R20 single-core (925 vs 863), and by 7.1% in R23 single-core (2203 vs 2057).

Q: Does the i7-7820X have any benchmark where it wins?

A: No. In the six head-to-head benchmarks recorded, the i7-7820X wins zero. The i5-1250P wins all six.

Q: Do the two processors support the same memory configurations?

A: No. The i5-1250P supports DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel memory bus. The i7-7820X supports only DDR4 but uses a quad-channel memory bus with 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The i5-1250P includes Iris Xe 80EU integrated graphics. The i7-7820X has none, so it requires a discrete GPU for display output.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-1250P has an average benchmark score of 4515, while the i7-7820X has 4321. Both sit at the 58th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design eras. The i5-1250P uses the Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process node, built by Intel and featuring a 217 mm² die size. The i7-7820X uses the older Skylake architecture on a 14 nm process node. This process generation gap is a major factor behind the i5-1250P's superior performance and dramatically lower power consumption.

Core configurations differ substantially. The i5-1250P packs 12 cores and 16 threads, while the i7-7820X has 8 cores and 16 threads. The i5-1250P therefore delivers the same thread count with 50% more physical cores, which helps explain its multicore advantage despite the i7-7820X's higher clock speeds. The i5-1250P bases at 1700 MHz and boosts to 4.40 GHz, while the i7-7820X bases at 3.60 GHz and boosts to 4.50 GHz. The i7-7820X has the higher clocks, but the i5-1250P's architectural and core-count advantages overcome that deficit.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The i5-1250P has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-7820X has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 11 MB of shared L3. The i5-1250P holds the advantage at every cache level, which contributes to its single-core performance lead despite lower clock speeds.

Platform features diverge sharply. The i5-1250P uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, a mobile platform, and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus. The i7-7820X uses Intel Socket 2066, a desktop high-end platform, and supports only DDR4 but over a quad-channel bus with 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth. The i5-1250P provides 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, while the i7-7820X provides 28 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The i5-1250P includes Iris Xe 80EU integrated graphics; the i7-7820X has no integrated graphics. The i7-7820X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, while the i5-1250P is locked. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The i5-1250P is an active mobile product released in 2022, while the i7-7820X is an end-of-life desktop product from 2017. The release gap of roughly five years explains much of the architectural gulf between them.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ: the i5-1250P has 12 cores and 16 threads, the i7-7820X has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Clock speeds differ. The i5-1250P has a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The i7-7820X has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz.

TDP differs significantly. The i5-1250P is rated at 28W, while the i7-7820X is rated at 140W.

Sockets differ. The i5-1250P uses Intel BGA 1744, the i7-7820X uses Intel Socket 2066.

Architecture and process node differ. The i5-1250P uses Alder Lake on 10 nm, the i7-7820X uses Skylake on 14 nm. The i5-1250P has a die size of 217 mm²; the i7-7820X has no recorded die size.

Cache capacities differ at every level. The i5-1250P has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The i7-7820X has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 11 MB shared L3.

Memory support differs. The i5-1250P supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus. The i7-7820X supports DDR4 only over a quad-channel bus. The i7-7820X is recorded with 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth; the i5-1250P has no recorded memory bandwidth figure.

PCIe capabilities differ. The i5-1250P has 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, the i7-7820X has 28 PCIe Gen 3 lanes.

Integrated graphics differ. The i5-1250P includes Iris Xe 80EU; the i7-7820X has none.

Production status and release dates differ. The i5-1250P is active and was released in 2022. The i7-7820X is end-of-life and was released in 2017.

The i7-7820X has an unlocked multiplier; the i5-1250P does not. The i7-7820X carries a launch MSRP of $599; the i5-1250P has no recorded launch MSRP. Part numbers also differ: the i5-1250P is SRLD8, the i7-7820X is SR3L5.