Intel Core i5-3570 vs Intel Core i7-3615QM Comparison

The Intel Core i7-3615QM and the Intel Core i5-3570 are both 2012-era Ivy Bridge parts, but they target entirely different platforms: one is a mobile processor, the other a desktop chip. The benchmark data reveals a fascinating split, where the mobile i7 dominates in Cinebench workloads while the desktop i5 takes a commanding lead in Geekbench tests. This isn't a simple case of one chip being universally faster; it's a story of how threading, clock speeds, and platform-specific optimizations shape real-world performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the complete divergence between the Cinebench and Geekbench suites. Across all four Cinebench tests, the Intel Core i7-3615QM emerges victorious, but the margins are consistently narrow. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 442 against the i5's 421, a 5% lead. The single-core R15 test sees a similar 5.1% advantage (62 vs 59). This trend continues through Cinebench R20 and R23, where the multicore deltas sit at 4.9% (1845 vs 1758 and 4393 vs 4187 respectively) and single-core deltas at 4.8% (260 vs 248) and 4.9% (620 vs 591). The consistency of these ~5% margins is noteworthy – the i7-3615QM is clearly tuned to extract a small but reliable edge in rendering workloads.

Then we hit Geekbench, and the story flips dramatically. The Intel Core i5-3570 wins multicore with a score of 2251 against 1907, a 15.3% advantage. The single-core gap is even more pronounced: 770 vs 554, giving the i5 a 28.1% lead. This is not a small difference; it's a massive swing that suggests the i5's higher base and boost clocks (3.40 GHz and 3.80 GHz) provide a substantial advantage in latency-sensitive, lightly-threaded tasks. The i7-3615QM's lower clocks (2.30 GHz base, 3.30 GHz boost) appear to hurt it severely in this benchmark, despite its 8 threads versus the i5's 4.

The win tally is lopsided at 6 wins for the i7-3615QM and 2 for the i5-3570, but that count is misleading. The Geekbench losses are far larger in percentage terms than the Cinebench wins. The i7's largest victory is 5.1%, while the i5's largest is 28.1%. This asymmetry means the average benchmark score actually favors the i5-3570 at 1286, compared to the i7-3615QM's 1260. The i5 also holds a slightly higher percentile ranking (35th vs 34th), placing it just ahead of the i7 in the overall CPU hierarchy. Looking at the nearest rivals, the i7-3615QM sits alongside the AMD Athlon 200GE (1261) and Intel Core i3-7100T (1258), while the i5-3570 is comparable to the Intel Core i5-4670R (1286) and AMD Opteron 6272 (1288). The data suggests that while the i7 wins more tests, the i5 wins the ones that matter more for overall average performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570 has a higher average benchmark score of 1286, compared to 1260 for the Intel Core i7-3615QM. This gives the i5 a 35th percentile ranking versus the i7's 34th.

Q: How much faster is the i7-3615QM in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The i7-3615QM scores 4393 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 4.9% higher than the i5-3570's score of 4187.

Q: By what margin does the i5-3570 win in Geekbench single-core?

A: The i5-3570 scores 770 in Geekbench single-core, which is 28.1% higher than the i7-3615QM's score of 554. This is the largest performance gap between the two processors in any test.

Q: What is the socket difference between the two CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-3615QM uses the Intel BGA 1224 socket, which is designed for mobile platforms. The Intel Core i5-3570 uses the Intel Socket 1155, which is a desktop socket.

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

A: Yes, both have 4 cores. However, the i7-3615QM has 8 threads due to Hyper-Threading, while the i5-3570 has only 4 threads.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570 has a higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz, compared to 3.30 GHz for the Intel Core i7-3615QM. The i5 also has a higher base clock at 3.40 GHz versus 2.30 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-3615QM is the clear winner for multithreaded rendering workloads. Its 6 Cinebench victories, all hovering around the 5% mark, indicate a consistent edge in applications that can leverage its 8 threads. This makes it the better choice for tasks like 3D rendering, video encoding, and other content creation workflows that are heavily parallelized. The i7's performance in Cinebench R15 multicore (442 vs 421), R20 multicore (1845 vs 1758), and R23 multicore (4393 vs 4187) all point to a processor that handles sustained multi-core loads slightly better than its desktop counterpart.

Conversely, the Intel Core i5-3570 dominates in Geekbench, which is more representative of everyday application performance, web browsing, and office productivity. The 28.1% single-core lead and 15.3% multicore lead are substantial, suggesting that the i5's higher clock speeds translate to snappier response times in software that doesn't scale perfectly with thread count. For users who prioritize fast, responsive single-threaded performance over raw multi-core throughput, the i5-3570 is the superior option. Its position in the 35th percentile, just above the i7's 34th, reinforces this as the more balanced performer for general use.

The i7-3615QM's wins are narrow but numerous, while the i5-3570's wins are broad but few. This suggests that for highly threaded workloads, the i7 offers a slight but consistent advantage. For everything else, the i5 is significantly faster. The choice between them hinges entirely on whether the user's primary applications are rendering-focused or general-purpose.

Specification Differences

The most fundamental difference is market segment: the i7-3615QM is a mobile processor, while the i5-3570 is a desktop part. This is reflected in their sockets – Intel BGA 1224 for the i7 versus Intel Socket 1155 for the i5. The power envelope differs as well, with the i7-3615QM rated at 45W TDP compared to the i5-3570's 77W TDP. The i5 draws more power, but it also has higher clocks: 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost versus the i7's 2.30 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost.

Thread count is another key differentiator. Both have 4 cores, but the i7-3615QM supports 8 threads, while the i5-3570 is limited to 4. This explains the i7's advantage in Cinebench multicore tests. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i7 has Intel HD 4000, while the i5 has the less capable Intel HD 2500. The i5-3570 also supports DDR3 memory and has a specified memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while the i7-3615QM's memory support is not listed in the data. The i5 includes PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), a feature absent from the i7's specifications.

The production status also differs. The i5-3570 is marked as end-of-life, while the i7-3615QM has no production status listed. The i5-3570 has a launch MSRP of $194. The release dates are close, with the i7 launching on 2012-04-28 and the i5 on 2012-05-31. Both are part of the Ivy Bridge architecture and use the same 22 nm process node, with identical transistor counts (1,400 million) and die sizes (160 mm²).

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on the Ivy Bridge architecture and share the same 22 nm process node from Intel. They have identical transistor counts of 1,400 million and die sizes of 160 mm². The cache hierarchy is also the same: 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. This means the fundamental silicon design is the same; the differences lie in how the chips are configured and packaged.

The key architectural divergence is in thread support. The i7-3615QM enables Hyper-Threading, allowing 8 threads from 4 cores, while the i5-3570 does not, limiting it to 4 threads. This is a classic segmentation between Core i7 and Core i5 lines. The i7's lower clock speeds are a trade-off for its mobile form factor and lower 45W TDP. The i5-3570, running at higher clocks with a 77W TDP, is designed for desktop systems with better cooling. The integrated graphics also differ, with the i7 featuring Intel HD 4000 and the i5 featuring Intel HD 2500, indicating a more capable GPU in the mobile part. The i5-3570's PCIe Gen 3 support with 16 lanes is another architectural feature not present in the i7's specifications.

The memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s is listed only for the i5-3570, suggesting it may have a more robust memory controller for desktop use. Both support dual-channel memory and do not support ECC. The i7-3615QM's part number is SR0MP, while the i5-3570's is SR0T7. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The i5-3570's end-of-life production status suggests it has been discontinued, while the i7-3615QM's status is unlisted.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture of two processors designed for different purposes. The Intel Core i7-3615QM is for users who prioritize multi-threaded rendering performance in a mobile form factor. Its 6 Cinebench wins, all around 5%, show a consistent edge in threaded workloads. It is the right choice for laptop users who need to run Cinebench-style rendering tasks and value the extra threads over raw clock speed.

The Intel Core i5-3570 is the better choice for desktop users who want faster single-threaded performance and don't need Hyper-Threading. Its 28.1% Geekbench single-core lead and 15.3% multicore lead are decisive. It also has a higher average benchmark score (1286 vs 1260) and a higher percentile ranking (35th vs 34th), making it the more balanced performer overall. The i5 is the superior chip for general desktop use, everyday applications, and any workload where higher clock speeds matter more than thread count.

For rendering-specific workloads, the i7-3615QM wins, but barely. For everything else, the i5-3570 wins by a wide margin. If the user's primary application is Cinebench, the i7 is the pick. If the user needs a versatile desktop processor, the i5-3570's higher average score and massive Geekbench advantage make it the clear winner from a pure performance standpoint. The i5-3570's end-of-life status and launch MSRP of $194 are worth noting, but the benchmark data alone suggests it is the more capable processor for most tasks.