Intel Core i7-1185G7 vs Intel Core i7-7700 Comparison

The Intel Core i7-7700 and Intel Core i7-1185G7 are both quad-core, eight-thread processors, but they serve entirely different segments of the market. The i7-7700 is a 65W Kaby Lake desktop part from early 2017, while the i7-1185G7 is a 28W Tiger Lake-U mobile chip from late 2020. Despite the older desktop chip’s higher base clock, the benchmark data consistently shows the newer mobile processor pulling ahead in most compute tasks, though the desktop part retains clear wins in specific memory and sorting workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i7-7700 runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz, which is higher than the i7-1185G7’s 3.00 GHz base clock. However, the i7-1185G7 has a significantly higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz compared to the i7-7700’s 4.20 GHz.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-core performance?

A: The i7-1185G7 leads in every single-core benchmark. It scores 1591 in Geekbench single-core versus 1369 for the i7-7700, a 14% advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i7-1185G7’s 1188 score beats the i7-7700’s 1036 by 12.8%.

Q: Which CPU wins in multi-core workloads?

A: The i7-1185G7 wins the majority of multi-core tests. It scores 8416 in Cinebench R23 multicore versus 7344 for the i7-7700, a 12.7% lead. The i7-7700 does win in PassMark data compression with a 122429 score versus 104630 for the i7-1185G7.

Q: What are the biggest performance gaps between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark data encryption, where the i7-1185G7 scores 5598 versus 2974 for the i7-7700, a 46.9% advantage. The i7-7700’s biggest win is in random string sorting, where its 15509 score beats the i7-1185G7’s 12792 by 21.2%.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory and PCIe standards?

A: No. The i7-7700 supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-1185G7 supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4X. The i7-7700 offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, whereas the i7-1185G7 provides PCIe Gen 4 with only 4 lanes.

Q: Which CPU has the larger cache?

A: The i7-1185G7 has a 12 MB shared L3 cache, compared to 8 MB for the i7-7700. The i7-1185G7 also has larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, at 80 KB and 1.25 MB per core respectively, versus 64 KB and 256 KB per core for the i7-7700.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent distinct architectural generations from Intel. The i7-7700 is built on the Kaby Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node, while the i7-1185G7 uses the Tiger Lake architecture (specifically Willow Cove-U) on a 10 nm process. This process shrink allows the i7-1185G7 to achieve higher performance within a much lower 28W TDP, compared to the i7-7700’s 65W TDP.

The memory and I/O configurations diverge sharply. The i7-7700 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a rated bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The i7-1185G7 also supports DDR4 but adds LPDDR4X support, and its memory bandwidth is not specified in the data. For PCIe, the i7-7700 provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the i7-1185G7 offers Gen 4 but only 4 lanes, reflecting its mobile focus where bandwidth per lane matters more than lane count.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The i7-1185G7 features 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, alongside a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The i7-7700 has smaller per-core caches—64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2—with an 8 MB shared L3. The i7-1185G7’s larger L2 and L3 caches are likely contributors to its superior performance in many single-threaded and latency-sensitive tasks.

Integrated graphics also set the parts apart. The i7-7700 uses HD 630 graphics, while the i7-1185G7 integrates Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units, a much more capable iGPU for a mobile platform. The i7-1185G7 is a BGA 1449 socket part, whereas the i7-7700 uses the desktop LGA 1151 socket. Production status differs too: the i7-7700 is listed as active, while the i7-1185G7 is marked end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Across 19 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the i7-1185G7 wins 16, while the i7-7700 takes 3. The margin of victory varies widely by workload, revealing distinct strengths.

The i7-1185G7 dominates in CPU compute tests. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 848 against 740, a 12.7% lead. The single-core R15 result is similar: 119 versus 104, a 12.6% advantage. The gap holds steady through Cinebench R20 and R23, with the i7-1185G7 ahead by 12.7% in both multicore and single-core runs of R20, and by 12.7% and 12.8% respectively in R23 multicore and single-core.

Geekbench results show a smaller multicore gap but a larger single-core one. The i7-1185G7 scores 4816 in Geekbench multicore versus 4640 for the i7-7700, just 3.7% ahead. In single-core, the i7-1185G7’s 1591 beats 1369 by 14%.

PassMark results are where the two chips diverge most. The i7-1185G7 wins floating point math with 20126 versus 16904 (16% ahead), integer math with 34211 versus 27538 (19.5% ahead), and multithread with 10115 versus 8635 (14.6% ahead). The i7-1185G7 also takes physics with 763 versus 588, a 22.9% margin, and single-thread with 2778 versus 2442, a 12.1% lead.

The i7-1185G7’s biggest win is data encryption, scoring 5598 versus 2974, a massive 46.9% advantage. It also leads in prime number finding, 47 versus 28, a 40.4% gap. These results suggest the newer architecture’s instruction set and crypto acceleration are significantly stronger.

The i7-7700’s three wins are all in PassMark memory or sorting tasks. Data compression sees the i7-7700 score 122429 versus 104630, a 17% advantage. Extended instructions favor the i7-7700 at 8128 versus 7396, a 9.9% lead. Random string sorting is its largest win: 15509 versus 12792, a 21.2% margin. These wins indicate the desktop chip’s older but higher-bandwidth memory subsystem may retain an edge in specific data-moving workloads.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core i7-1185G7 for general-purpose and compute-heavy tasks. It wins 16 of 19 benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, both Geekbench tests, and the majority of PassMark CPU tests. Its lead is consistent across single-core and multi-core workloads, ranging from 3.7% in Geekbench multicore to 46.9% in data encryption. For users prioritizing raw CPU performance, encryption, floating-point math, or physics simulation, the i7-1185G7 is the decisive choice—even though it is a mobile part with a 28W TDP versus the i7-7700’s 65W.

The i7-7700 is not without merit, however. Its wins in data compression, extended instructions, and random string sorting—by margins of 17%, 9.9%, and 21.2% respectively—show that it handles memory-heavy and sorting workloads better. This likely stems from the desktop platform’s full 16-lane PCIe Gen 3 connection and dedicated DDR4 bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. Users running compression or large-scale sorting tasks may see tangible benefits from the older desktop chip.

The overall average benchmark scores are close: the i7-7700 averages 11914, while the i7-1185G7 averages 11697. Both chips sit at the 67th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-7700’s nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7453 and Ryzen 5 3500X, while the i7-1185G7’s closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-4790K, a result that underscores how competitive the mobile part has become against older desktop silicon.

The choice ultimately depends on platform and workload. For a mobile system or a low-power build where the i7-1185G7’s integrated Iris Xe graphics and PCIe Gen 4 support matter, the mobile chip is superior in nearly every metric. For a desktop system where memory bandwidth and sorting performance are critical, the i7-7700 remains viable, though its overall benchmark profile is slightly weaker. The i7-7700 is still in active production, while the i7-1185G7 is end-of-life, which may influence availability.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-7700 | Intel Core i7-1185G7 |

|---|---|---|

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 3.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.20 GHz | 4.80 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 28 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | Intel BGA 1449 |

| Architecture | Kaby Lake | Tiger Lake |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 10 nm |

| Die Size | Not specified | 144 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR4, LPDDR4X |

| Memory Bandwidth | 38.4 GB/s | Not specified |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 4 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | HD 630 | Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 96EU |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2017-01-02 | 2020-09-01 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | $426 |

| Part Number | SR338 | SRK1F |