Intel Core i5-8500T vs Intel Core i7-1160G7 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-1160G7 and Intel Core i5-8500T are both end-of-life processors, but they represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The i7-1160G7 is a low-power mobile part built on Intel's 10 nm Tiger Lake node, while the i5-8500T is a 35 W desktop chip based on the older 14 nm Coffee Lake architecture. Despite the i5-8500T having two more physical cores, the benchmark data consistently favors the newer i7-1160G7 across every single test recorded in this database. The average benchmark score for the i7-1160G7 is 2124, slightly ahead of the i5-8500T's 2110, placing both in the 46th percentile of all CPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking outcome is the complete sweep: the Intel Core i7-1160G7 wins all six head-to-head comparisons, with no wins for the Intel Core i5-8500T. The margin is remarkably consistent across all tests, hovering around 11.8%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-1160G7 scores 740 against the i5-8500T's 662, a delta of 11.8%. The single-core R15 result shows the same pattern: 104 for the i7-1160G7 versus 93 for the i5-8500T, again an 11.8% advantage.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-1160G7 posts 3084 in multicore, while the i5-8500T manages 2759. That 11.8% gap persists in single-core R20 as well, with scores of 435 and 389 respectively. The largest absolute difference appears in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the i7-1160G7 reaches 7343, beating the i5-8500T's 6571 by 11.7%. Single-core R23 follows the established trend: 1036 versus 927, an 11.8% lead for the i7-1160G7.

What makes this interesting is the core count disparity. The i5-8500T has six cores and six threads, while the i7-1160G7 has four cores and eight threads. Even with a 50% core advantage, the older desktop chip cannot overcome the IPC and clock-speed advantages of the newer mobile design. The i7-1160G7 boosts to 4.40 GHz, substantially higher than the i5-8500T's 3.50 GHz boost, and its Willow Cove cores deliver more instructions per clock than Coffee Lake. The i5-8500T does have a higher base clock (2.10 GHz versus 1.20 GHz), but that only helps in sustained all-core loads at low frequency, which the benchmarks show is not enough.

The i7-1160G7 also holds an edge in memory bandwidth efficiency. Although the i5-8500T supports DDR4 with a higher theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s versus the i7-1160G7's LPDDR4X at 34.1 GB/s, the newer platform's architecture extracts more useful performance from each byte. The i7-1160G7 also features PCIe Gen 4 (4 lanes) compared to the i5-8500T's PCIe Gen 3 (16 lanes), though this does not directly impact CPU compute benchmarks. The consistent 11.8% delta across every test suggests a fundamental architectural superiority rather than a workload-specific quirk.

Where Each One Wins

Looking strictly at the benchmark data, the Intel Core i7-1160G7 wins every application test. There is no scenario in the recorded benchmarks where the i5-8500T comes out ahead. In single-threaded workloads, the i7-1160G7's advantage is clear: its 4.40 GHz boost clock and newer core design deliver 11.8% higher scores in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 single-core tests. This makes the i7-1160G7 the better choice for lightly threaded tasks like everyday desktop responsiveness, web browsing, and office productivity, where single-core performance dominates.

In multi-threaded workloads, the i7-1160G7 again wins, despite having fewer physical cores. The 8 threads of the i7-1160G7 (via Hyper-Threading) versus the 6 threads of the i5-8500T (no Hyper-Threading) partially compensate for the core deficit. More importantly, the per-core performance advantage compounds in multi-core tests. The i7-1160G7's 7343 in Cinebench R23 multicore versus the i5-8500T's 6571 shows that even heavily parallel workloads favor the newer design. The i5-8500T's higher base clock of 2.10 GHz helps it in sustained all-core loads, but the i7-1160G7's boost behavior and IPC gains overwhelm this.

The i5-8500T does have one structural advantage: its socket. The Intel Socket 1151 platform is a desktop standard with more upgrade options and typically better cooling solutions. The i7-1160G7 uses Intel BGA 1598, which is soldered and not upgradeable. However, this does not translate into benchmark wins. For anyone building a new system today, the data points squarely at the i7-1160G7 for compute performance. The i5-8500T's only potential edge would be in a system where the 35 W TDP is acceptable and a desktop socket is required, but the raw scores do not favor it.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-1160G7 outperforms the Intel Core i5-8500T in every benchmark recorded. With six wins out of six head-to-head comparisons, the i7-1160G7 is the superior processor for both single-core and multi-core workloads. The i5-8500T's two extra cores do not help it close the gap. The i7-1160G7's 11.8% lead in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests is consistent and substantial. For users who prioritize raw computational performance, the i7-1160G7 is the clear choice.

That said, the i5-8500T is not without merit. Its 35 W TDP is higher than the i7-1160G7's 15 W, which means it can sustain higher base clocks (2.10 GHz versus 1.20 GHz) under load without thermal throttling in a desktop chassis. The i5-8500T also supports standard DDR4 memory with higher bandwidth (42.7 GB/s versus 34.1 GB/s), which could benefit memory-sensitive workloads not captured in these Cinebench tests. However, the provided data shows no benchmark where the i5-8500T wins.

The i7-1160G7's 12 MB shared L3 cache versus the i5-8500T's 9 MB shared L3 cache gives it a caching advantage. Its L1 cache is also larger per core (80 KB versus 64 KB), and its L2 cache is significantly larger (1.25 MB per core versus 256 KB per core). These cache differences likely explain part of the performance gap. The i7-1160G7's integrated Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units is also far more capable than the i5-8500T's UHD 630, though neither is a gaming powerhouse. For anyone choosing between these two based on this data, the i7-1160G7 is the winner in every measurable way.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-1160G7 wins all three single-core Cinebench tests. It scores 104 in R15, 435 in R20, and 1036 in R23, each 11.8% higher than the i5-8500T's 93, 389, and 927 respectively.

Q: Does the i5-8500T's extra cores give it a multi-core advantage?

A: No. Despite having 6 cores versus the i7-1160G7's 4 cores, the i5-8500T loses all multi-core tests. The i7-1160G7 scores 740 in R15 multicore versus 662, 3084 versus 2759 in R20, and 7343 versus 6571 in R23.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two CPUs?

A: The i7-1160G7 has a TDP of 15 W, while the i5-8500T has a TDP of 35 W. The i7-1160G7 delivers higher performance with less than half the power budget.

Q: Which CPU supports faster PCIe?

A: The i7-1160G7 supports PCIe Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-8500T supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The i7-1160G7 has the newer standard, but the i5-8500T has more lanes.

Q: How do their cache sizes compare?

A: The i7-1160G7 has 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core, with 12 MB shared L3. The i5-8500T has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with 9 MB shared L3. The i7-1160G7 has larger caches at every level.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The i5-8500T supports DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-1160G7 supports LPDDR4X with 34.1 GB/s. The i5-8500T has higher theoretical bandwidth, but the i7-1160G7 still wins all compute benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different architectural eras. The Intel Core i7-1160G7 is built on Tiger Lake, specifically the Tiger Lake-U codename, using the Willow Cove core microarchitecture. It is fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node with a die size of 144 mm². The i5-8500T is a Coffee Lake part, using the older Coffee Lake microarchitecture on a 14 nm process node. This process difference is significant: the 10 nm node allows for higher transistor density and better power efficiency, which partially explains how the i7-1160G7 achieves higher clock speeds (4.40 GHz boost) with a much lower TDP (15 W versus 35 W).

The core layouts differ in cache hierarchy. The i7-1160G7 allocates 80 KB of L1 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, while the i5-8500T has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. The shared L3 cache is 12 MB on the i7-1160G7 versus 9 MB on the i5-8500T. These cache sizes favor the i7-1160G7 in every category, giving it more on-die storage for frequently accessed data. The i7-1160G7 also features Intel's Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units, a substantial upgrade over the i5-8500T's UHD 630 integrated graphics.

The integrated memory controllers differ as well. The i7-1160G7 uses LPDDR4X memory, while the i5-8500T uses DDR4. Both are dual-channel, but the i5-8500T has higher peak bandwidth at 42.7 GB/s versus 34.1 GB/s for the i7-1160G7. The PCIe support also diverges: the i7-1160G7 has Gen 4 with 4 lanes, while the i5-8500T has Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The i7-1160G7's socket is Intel BGA 1598 (soldered), whereas the i5-8500T uses Intel Socket 1151 (LGA). The i7-1160G7's market segment is mobile, while the i5-8500T is a desktop part, which explains the socket and TDP differences.

Specification Differences

The specifications that differ between these two processors are extensive. The core count differs: the i7-1160G7 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-8500T has 6 cores and 6 threads. Base clocks differ significantly: 1.20 GHz for the i7-1160G7 versus 2.10 GHz for the i5-8500T. Boost clocks also differ, with the i7-1160G7 reaching 4.40 GHz and the i5-8500T topping out at 3.50 GHz. The TDP is a major differentiator: 15 W for the i7-1160G7 versus 35 W for the i5-8500T.

The sockets are different: Intel BGA 1598 for the i7-1160G7 versus Intel Socket 1151 for the i5-8500T. The process node is 10 nm for the i7-1160G7 and 14 nm for the i5-8500T. The die size is 144 mm² for the i7-1160G7, while the i5-8500T has no listed die size in the data. Cache configurations differ: L1 is 80 KB per core on the i7-1160G7 versus 64 KB per core on the i5-8500T; L2 is 1.25 MB per core versus 256 KB per core; L3 is 12 MB shared versus 9 MB shared.

Memory support differs: LPDDR4X for the i7-1160G7 and DDR4 for the i5-8500T. Memory bandwidth is 34.1 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s. PCIe is Gen 4 with 4 lanes versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The integrated graphics differ: Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 (96EU) versus UHD 630. Release dates differ: the i7-1160G7 launched in September 2020, while the i5-8500T launched in April 2018. The i7-1160G7 has a launch MSRP of $426, while the i5-8500T has no listed MSRP in the data. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier, and both support dual-channel memory without ECC.