Intel Core i5-L16G7 vs Intel Core i7-870S Comparison

The Intel Core i5-L16G7 and Intel Core i7-870S represent two very different eras of Intel design, yet they land in the same performance percentile. Both chips sit at the 22nd percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 816 for the i5-L16G7 and 809 for the i7-870S. The data shows a consistent pattern in head-to-head testing, with the newer Lakefield part winning every single benchmark by a margin of roughly 19%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-L16G7 scores 2793 against 2350 for the i7-870S, an 18.9% lead. The single-core gap is just as decisive: 394 versus 331 in R23 single-core, a 19% advantage. These are not marginal wins; the i5-L16G7 is categorically faster in every measured workload, despite having fewer threads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 wins all five head-to-head comparisons, with every deltaPct falling between 18.7% and 19.1%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-L16G7 scores 281 while the i7-870S manages 236, a 19.1% difference. That is the largest margin of any test. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i5-L16G7 posts 1173 in multi-core against 987 for the i7-870S, an 18.8% lead. The single-core R20 result shows 165 versus 139, an 18.7% gap. The pattern holds in R23, where the i5-L16G7 reaches 2793 multi-core and 394 single-core, versus 2350 and 331 for the i7-870S, respectively. The consistency of these deltas — all hovering near 19% — suggests a fundamental architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The i7-870S has no counterpoint. It wins zero benchmarks in this comparison. Even in multi-threaded tests where its 8 threads might be expected to help, the i5-L16G7's 5 threads still come out ahead. The i5-L16G7's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-5550U with an average score of 813, while the i7-870S sits alongside the AMD A10-6800K at 809. Both chips are effectively tied in overall average score, but the distribution of performance is entirely different. The i5-L16G7 achieves its scores with a 7-watt TDP, whereas the i7-870S requires 82 watts. That efficiency gap is not directly benchmarked, but it contextualizes every result: the i5-L16G7 delivers roughly 19% more performance while consuming a fraction of the power budget.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is vast. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 uses the Lakefield architecture on a 10 nm process node, fabricated by Intel with 4,050 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. It integrates UHD Graphics 64EU directly on the package. The i7-870S, by contrast, uses the Nehalem architecture on a 45 nm process, with 774 million transistors and a 296 mm² die. That is a 5.2x transistor density difference, which explains why the newer chip achieves higher performance at a fraction of the power draw. The Lakefield chip has no discrete graphics option; the i7-870S has no integrated graphics at all.

Cache configurations also differ sharply. The i5-L16G7 has an 80 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and 4 MB of shared L3. The i7-870S has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. Despite having half the total L3 cache, the i5-L16G7 still outperforms in every test. The memory support tells a similar story: the i5-L16G7 uses LPDDR4X on a single-channel bus with 17.1 GB/s of bandwidth, while the i7-870S uses DDR3 on a dual-channel bus with no listed bandwidth figure. The newer chip does more with less memory bandwidth. PCIe connectivity also differs: the i5-L16G7 offers Gen 3 with 6 lanes, while the i7-870S provides Gen 2 with 16 lanes. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Why does the i5-L16G7 win every benchmark despite having fewer threads?

A: The i5-L16G7 has 5 cores and 5 threads, while the i7-870S has 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite the thread disadvantage, the i5-L16G7's newer 10 nm Lakefield architecture delivers higher per-core performance, as evidenced by its 19% lead in single-core Cinebench R23 (394 vs 331). The architectural efficiency outweighs the raw thread count.

Q: Is the i7-870S competitive in any workload?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the i7-870S loses all five benchmark comparisons, with margins ranging from 18.7% to 19.1%. There is no test in the data where the i7-870S comes out ahead.

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

A: The i5-L16G7 has an average score of 816, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon X3440 (815) and 0.4% ahead of both the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 and Intel Core i7-5550U (both 813). The i7-870S averages 809, tied with the AMD A10-6800K (809) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Athlon X4 850 (806).

Q: What are the power consumption implications?

A: The i5-L16G7 has a TDP of 7 watts, while the i7-870S has a TDP of 82 watts. The i5-L16G7 delivers roughly 19% higher performance in every benchmark while consuming less than one-tenth the power budget.

Q: Which chip has better integrated graphics?

A: The i5-L16G7 includes UHD Graphics 64EU on-die. The i7-870S has no integrated graphics listed. For systems requiring a display output without a discrete GPU, only the i5-L16G7 qualifies.

Q: Are these chips still in production?

A: Both are end-of-life. The i7-870S was released in 2010, and the i5-L16G7 is listed as production status "End-of-life" with no release date provided.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The i5-L16G7 has 5 cores and 5 threads; the i7-870S has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 1400 MHz for the i5-L16G7 and 2670 MHz for the i7-870S, but boost clocks are 3.00 GHz and 3.60 GHz, respectively. The i5-L16G7 has a 7-watt TDP versus 82 watts for the i7-870S. The i5-L16G7 uses a 10 nm process with 4,050 million transistors on an 82 mm² die; the i7-870S uses a 45 nm process with 774 million transistors on a 296 mm² die. Cache sizes are smaller on the i5-L16G7: 80 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and 4 MB shared L3, versus 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3 on the i7-870S.

Memory support differs: the i5-L16G7 uses LPDDR4X on a single-channel bus with 17.1 GB/s bandwidth; the i7-870S uses DDR3 on a dual-channel bus with no bandwidth figure. PCIe is Gen 3 with 6 lanes on the i5-L16G7, versus Gen 2 with 16 lanes on the i7-870S. The i5-L16G7 has integrated UHD Graphics 64EU; the i7-870S has none. The i5-L16G7 targets the mobile market segment, while the i7-870S is a desktop part. The i7-870S uses the Intel Socket 1156; the i5-L16G7 has no socket listed. The i5-L16G7 has a launch MSRP of $281; the i7-870S has none listed. Both are end-of-life, locked, and lack ECC support.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the Intel Core i5-L16G7 is the superior processor in every measurable way. It wins all five Cinebench benchmarks with consistent 19% margins. It does so while consuming 7 watts versus 82 watts for the i7-870S. It integrates graphics, uses a newer 10 nm process, and supports faster LPDDR4X memory. The i7-870S offers more threads (8 vs 5), more L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB), and more PCIe lanes (16 vs 6), but none of those advantages translate into benchmark wins.

For a system builder choosing between these two, the i5-L16G7 is the only rational pick based on performance. The 19% lead in multi-core and single-core tests is substantial. The efficiency advantage is even more dramatic: the i5-L16G7 achieves higher scores at 7 watts than the i7-870S does at 82 watts. The i7-870S might appeal to someone needing a legacy Socket 1156 platform or dual-channel DDR3, but those are platform considerations, not performance ones. The benchmark data shows no scenario where the i7-870S comes out ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-L16G7 wins in every single benchmark category. It is faster in Cinebench R15 multi-core (281 vs 236), R20 multi-core (1173 vs 987), R20 single-core (165 vs 139), R23 multi-core (2793 vs 2350), and R23 single-core (394 vs 331). The widest margin is in R15 multi-core at 19.1%, and the narrowest is in R20 single-core at 18.7%. For any workload that stresses CPU computation — rendering, encoding, or general productivity — the i5-L16G7 holds a decisive edge.

The i7-870S has no benchmark wins. Its only advantages are structural: 8 threads versus 5, 8 MB of L3 versus 4 MB, 16 PCIe Gen 2 lanes versus 6 Gen 3 lanes, and dual-channel DDR3 support. These features could matter in niche scenarios involving multi-threaded legacy software that scales poorly with fewer threads, or systems requiring more PCIe devices. But the benchmark data does not reflect any performance benefit from those features. In practical terms, the i5-L16G7 is the chip to choose for raw speed, while the i7-870S only makes sense for someone specifically targeting the older Socket 1156 platform with its associated components.