Intel Core i7-1185GRE vs Intel Core i7-8559U Comparison

# Intel Core i7-8559U vs Intel Core i7-1185GRE

The Intel Core i7-8559U wins 7 of 8 head-to-head benchmarks despite being the older Kaby Lake-R part, but the Intel Core i7-1185GRE counters with a decisive single-core Geekbench victory. The data shows a split personality: the 8559U dominates every Cinebench iteration and Geekbench multi-core, while the 1185GRE takes Geekbench single-core by a wide margin. Both CPUs land at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores (2225 for the 8559U, 2178 for the 1185GRE) place them within 2.1% of each other overall.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i7-8559U sweeps all three Cinebench versions in both multi-core and single-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 8559U scores 6984 against the 1185GRE’s 6635, a 5.3% advantage. The single-core R23 result follows the same pattern: 986 versus 936, again 5.3% ahead. These are consistent margins, suggesting the 8559U’s higher boost clock (4.50 GHz versus 4.40 GHz) translates into a uniform performance edge across rendering workloads.

Cinebench R20 shows identical relative gaps. The 8559U posts 2933 multi-core and 414 single-core, while the 1185GRE manages 2786 and 393 respectively; both deltas sit at 5.3%. Cinebench R15 repeats the trend with scores of 703 versus 668 multi-core (5.2% delta) and 99 versus 94 single-core (5.3% delta). The older chip wins every render test, but the margins are narrow — no single Cinebench result exceeds 5.3%.

Geekbench multi-core follows the same script: 4293 for the 8559U versus 4060 for the 1185GRE, a 5.7% win for the Kaby Lake part. That is the largest multi-core delta in the entire comparison. However, Geekbench single-core flips the script entirely. The 1185GRE scores 1848 against the 8559U’s 1384, producing a 25.1% advantage — by far the biggest margin in either direction. This single result is anomalous relative to the rest of the data, suggesting the 1185GRE’s Tiger Lake architecture has a significant single-threaded integer performance advantage that Cinebench’s older instruction mix does not capture.

The head-to-head record stands at 7 wins for the 8559U and 1 for the 1185GRE. Yet the single loss is large enough to make the average scores close: 2225 versus 2178, a 2.2% difference. The 8559U’s wins are consistently small (5.2% to 5.7%), while the 1185GRE’s single win is massive at 25.1%. This asymmetry matters for workload selection.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-8559U is the better all-round performer. It wins every multi-core benchmark and every Cinebench single-core test, with margins ranging from 5.2% to 5.7%. For rendering, video encoding, compilation, or any workload that scales across cores, the 8559U delivers a uniform, measurable advantage. Its 28W TDP class allows higher sustained clocks, and the data reflects that in every threaded test.

The Intel Core i7-1185GRE is the specialist. Its 25.1% Geekbench single-core win suggests superior performance for lightly-threaded, latency-sensitive applications — think UI responsiveness, scripting, or single-threaded productivity tools. The 1185GRE also brings modern platform features: 10nm process, 12MB L3 cache, ECC memory support, PCIe Gen 4, and a 15W TDP. If power efficiency and platform capabilities matter more than raw render scores, the 1185GRE is the rational choice.

Choose the 8559U if your priority is maximum compute throughput in a compact package. Choose the 1185GRE if you need ECC memory, lower power draw, PCIe Gen 4 connectivity, or if your application is dominated by single-threaded Geekbench-style workloads. The data does not support a universal recommendation — it supports a workload-driven one.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-8559U has an average benchmark score of 2225, compared to 2178 for the Intel Core i7-1185GRE. That is a 2.2% difference in favor of the 8559U.

Q: How large is the Geekbench single-core gap?

A: The Intel Core i7-1185GRE scores 1848 in Geekbench single-core versus 1384 for the 8559U. This produces a 25.1% advantage for the 1185GRE, the largest delta in any benchmark between the two.

Q: Does the 8559U win all multi-core tests?

A: Yes. The 8559U wins Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core, plus Geekbench multi-core. Its margins range from 5.2% in R15 to 5.7% in Geekbench multi-core.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The Intel Core i7-8559U has a TDP of 28W, while the Intel Core i7-1185GRE has a TDP of 15W. This is a 13W difference, with the 1185GRE drawing significantly less power.

Q: Do both CPUs have the same core and thread count?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads. The performance differences come from architecture, clock speeds, and cache, not core count.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i7-1185GRE supports ECC memory (true), while the Intel Core i7-8559U does not (false). This makes the 1185GRE more suitable for error-sensitive workloads.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every physical specification beyond core count. The 8559U has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz; the 1185GRE has a base clock of 1800.00 MHz (1.80 GHz) and boost of 4.40 GHz. The 8559U boosts 100 MHz higher, but the 1185GRE has a substantially lower base clock — 900 MHz lower — which explains its lower multi-core scores despite similar boost. TDP differs sharply: 28W for the 8559U versus 15W for the 1185GRE.

Sockets are incompatible: the 8559U uses Intel BGA 1356, while the 1185GRE uses Intel BGA 1449. Die size favors the 8559U at 123 mm² versus 144 mm² for the 1185GRE, though the newer chip packs more cache. L3 cache jumps from 8 MB shared on the 8559U to 12 MB shared on the 1185GRE. L1 cache is 64 KB per core on the 8559U versus 80 KB per core on the 1185GRE; L2 cache is 256 KB per core versus 1.25 MB per core — a 5x increase.

Memory support differs: the 8559U supports DDR4 only, while the 1185GRE supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X, with a dual-channel memory bus. PCIe capability is present only on the 1185GRE, which specifies Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The 1185GRE also has a part number (SRK0Y) and a launch MSRP of $490. The 8559U has no launch MSRP listed. Both have locked multipliers, active production status, and target the mobile market segment.

Architecture Differences

The 8559U is built on Kaby Lake architecture (Kaby Lake-R codename) using Intel’s 14 nm process. The 1185GRE uses Tiger Lake architecture (Tiger Lake-U codename) on Intel’s 10 nm process. This is a full node shrink, enabling the 1185GRE’s lower TDP and larger cache. The 8559U’s generation is listed as Core i7 (Kaby Lake-U Refresh), while the 1185GRE is Core i7 (Willow Cove-U) — Willow Cove is the microarchitecture inside Tiger Lake.

Cache hierarchy changes are substantial. The 8559U provides 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. The 1185GRE provides 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. That means the 1185GRE has 50% more L3 cache and roughly 5x more L2 cache per core. These larger caches likely contribute to its Geekbench single-core win.

Integrated graphics differ: the 8559U features Iris Pro Plus, while the 1185GRE features Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 96 execution units. The 1185GRE also supports ECC memory, which the 8559U lacks. The foundry is Intel for both, and neither CPU has unlocked multipliers. The 1185GRE was released later (September 2020 versus April 2018), so it benefits from two additional years of architectural evolution — yet it still trails in most compute benchmarks.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-8559U wins every multi-threaded workload in the data set. Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core all go to the 8559U with 5.2% to 5.3% margins. Geekbench multi-core also favors the 8559U at 5.7% ahead. For rendering, video processing, batch image editing, or any parallel compute task, the 8559U is the stronger choice. Its 28W TDP allows higher sustained clocks, which directly translates into these consistent multi-core wins. The 8559U also wins Cinebench single-core in all three versions, so it is not purely a multi-core champion.

The Intel Core i7-1185GRE wins exactly one benchmark: Geekbench single-core, by 25.1%. This is a massive margin that suggests a fundamentally different strength profile. The 1185GRE excels at single-threaded integer performance as measured by Geekbench, likely due to its larger caches and newer Willow Cove microarchitecture. For applications that are latency-bound, interactive, or dominated by a single thread, the 1185GRE is the better fit. Its 15W TDP also makes it suitable for fanless or passively-cooled designs, and its ECC memory support suits reliability-focused deployments.

The 1185GRE’s platform advantages — PCIe Gen 4, dual-channel memory with LPDDR4X support, and ECC — extend beyond raw CPU benchmarks. If your workload involves high-speed storage or memory error correction, those features outweigh the 8559U’s compute lead. The data shows the 8559U is the faster CPU; it also shows the 1185GRE is the more feature-rich platform. Choose based on whether raw throughput or platform capabilities drive your use case.