Intel Core i7-1165G7 vs Intel Xeon Gold 6330 Comparison

The Intel Xeon Gold 6330 and Intel Core i7-1165G7 occupy opposite ends of Intel’s product stack, yet both land at the 65th percentile among all CPUs in the database. The Xeon Gold 6330 is a 28-core Ice Lake-SP server processor with a 205 W TDP, while the Core i7-1165G7 is a 4-core Tiger Lake-U mobile chip with a 28 W TDP and integrated Iris Xe graphics. Benchmark data shows the Xeon winning all six head-to-head tests, but the comparison is not about which is “better” in absolute terms — it is about which workload each was designed to serve. The Xeon’s wins are measured in multiples of the Core i7’s scores, while the Core i7’s relevance lies entirely in its mobile form factor and integrated graphics, which the Xeon lacks entirely.

Where Each One Wins

The Xeon Gold 6330 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head dataset, and the margins are extreme. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon scores 30,906 against the Core i7’s 8,293 — a 272.7% advantage. The same pattern holds across all Cinebench versions: R15 multi-core shows 3,115 vs 835 (273.1% delta), R20 multi-core shows 12,980 vs 3,483 (272.7% delta). Even in single-core tests, which are typically the mobile chip’s best chance, the Xeon leads by similar margins — R23 single-core is 4,363 vs 1,170 (272.9% delta). This indicates the Xeon’s advantage is not merely core count; its per-core performance in these tests is also substantially higher.

The Core i7-1165G7, despite losing all head-to-head contests, has a clear domain of strength that the benchmark comparison does not capture: mobility. It is a 28 W part on Intel BGA 1449, built for laptops, whereas the Xeon is a 205 W server chip on Intel Socket 4189. The Core i7 includes Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 96EU, providing integrated graphics that the Xeon does not offer. The Core i7’s own benchmark suite shows respectable results for its class — PassMark multi-thread at 9,958, Geekbench single-core at 1,578, and 3DMark max threads at 2,645. These numbers are meaningless in direct comparison to the Xeon, but they define the Core i7’s role as a capable mobile processor for mainstream laptops. The Xeon wins compute; the Core i7 wins portability and the ability to render graphics without a discrete GPU.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel architectures and process nodes, though both are listed as 10 nm. The Xeon Gold 6330 uses Ice Lake-SP (architecture: Ice Lake), while the Core i7-1165G7 uses Tiger Lake-U with Willow Cove cores. The Xeon has 28 cores and 56 threads; the Core i7 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Cache hierarchies differ significantly: the Xeon has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 42 MB shared L3; the Core i7 has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and only 12 MB shared L3. The Core i7’s larger per-core L1 and L2 are typical for newer mobile cores, but the Xeon’s 42 MB L3 is 3.5 times larger in absolute terms.

Memory support diverges sharply. The Xeon uses DDR4 with an eight-channel memory bus and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC support. The Core i7 uses DDR4 or LPDDR4X with a dual-channel bus and no ECC. PCIe lanes also differ: the Xeon provides Gen 4 with 64 lanes (CPU only), while the Core i7 provides Gen 4 with only 4 lanes (CPU only). The Xeon is a server/workstation part, production status Active, released April 2021. The Core i7 is a mobile part, production status End-of-life, released September 2020. The Xeon’s die size is not listed; the Core i7’s die is 144 mm². The Xeon has no integrated graphics; the Core i7 has Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 96EU. The Core i7’s launch MSRP is $426; the Xeon has no listed launch MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head dataset includes only Cinebench tests, and the Xeon Gold 6330 wins all six. The largest percentage margin is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the Xeon scores 439 versus the Core i7’s 117 — a 275.2% delta. The smallest margin is 272.7%, appearing in R20 multi-core and R23 multi-core. The R15 multi-core test shows 3,115 vs 835 (273.1%), R20 single-core shows 1,832 vs 491 (273.1%), and R23 single-core shows 4,363 vs 1,170 (272.9%). The consistency of these deltas — all hovering near 273% — suggests the performance gap scales uniformly across single- and multi-threaded workloads in Cinebench, rather than favoring one processor type in a specific test.

The Xeon’s absolute scores are notable: 30,906 in R23 multi-core is more than triple the Core i7’s 8,293. In R20, the Xeon’s 12,980 is 9,497 points ahead of the Core i7’s 3,483. Even in R15, where the older benchmark tends to compress scores, the Xeon’s 3,115 is 2,280 points ahead. The Core i7’s single-core scores — 117 in R15, 491 in R20, 1,170 in R23 — are roughly one-quarter of the Xeon’s corresponding scores. This is unexpected for a mobile part with a 4.70 GHz boost clock versus the Xeon’s 3.10 GHz boost, but the data shows the Xeon’s Ice Lake-SP cores deliver far higher per-thread Cinebench performance. The Core i7’s only consolation is that its benchmark suite is broader — it has 3DMark and PassMark tests that the Xeon does not have in the dataset — but within the shared Cinebench tests, there is no contest.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon Gold 6330 has 28 cores and 56 threads, while the Intel Core i7-1165G7 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: How much faster is the Xeon Gold 6330 in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Xeon scores 30,906 versus the Core i7’s 8,293, a 272.7% advantage.

Q: Does the Core i7-1165G7 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 96EU. The Xeon Gold 6330 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What memory channels does each processor support?

A: The Xeon Gold 6330 supports eight-channel DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth and ECC. The Core i7-1165G7 supports dual-channel DDR4 or LPDDR4X with no ECC.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Xeon Gold 6330 is Active, released April 2021. The Core i7-1165G7 is End-of-life, released September 2020.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Xeon Gold 6330 has Gen 4 with 64 lanes (CPU only), while the Core i7-1165G7 has Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification field. The Xeon Gold 6330 has 28 cores and 56 threads; the Core i7-1165G7 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 2000 MHz for the Xeon and 2800 MHz for the Core i7; boost clocks are 3.10 GHz and 4.70 GHz, respectively. TDP is 205 W for the Xeon versus 28 W for the Core i7. Sockets differ: Intel Socket 4189 for the Xeon, Intel BGA 1449 for the Core i7. Architecture and codename differ: Ice Lake / Ice Lake-SP for the Xeon, Tiger Lake / Tiger Lake-U for the Core i7. Process node is 10 nm for both, but the Core i7 lists a die size of 144 mm² while the Xeon does not.

Cache configurations differ: the Xeon has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 42 MB shared L3; the Core i7 has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. Memory support differs: the Xeon uses DDR4 with eight-channel bus and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth; the Core i7 uses DDR4 or LPDDR4X with dual-channel bus and no listed bandwidth. ECC memory is true for the Xeon, false for the Core i7. PCIe lanes are 64 for the Xeon and 4 for the Core i7, both Gen 4. Integrated graphics are absent on the Xeon, present as Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 96EU on the Core i7. Market segments are Server/Workstation for the Xeon and Mobile for the Core i7. Production status is Active for the Xeon and End-of-life for the Core i7. Release dates are April 2021 for the Xeon and September 2020 for the Core i7. Launch MSRP is $426 for the Core i7; the Xeon has none listed. Part numbers are SRKHMCD8068904572101 for the Xeon and SRK02 for the Core i7. Both have locked multipliers.