Intel Core i7-1260U

The Intel Core i7-1260U is a mobile processor in Intel's Alder Lake-U lineup. It has 10 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 1100.00 MHz, and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It is built on Intel's 10 nm process and includes Iris Xe 96EU integrated graphics. Its average benchmark score is 16,526, which puts it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs in the database. With a TDP of 9, this is an ultra-low-power mobile part.

Who Should Consider It

Office and general productivity users should consider this CPU because the single-thread scores are strong for its power class. PassMark single-thread is 3,153, Geekbench single-core is 1,936, and Cinebench R23 single-core is 1,649. Those scores indicate fast application response and smooth interactive use. PassMark data compression is 152,217, which suggests archive management and file-processing tasks are handled comfortably. PassMark random string sorting is 16,726, another signal that everyday data-shuffling workloads should not strain the chip. The 74th percentile overall standing reinforces that the processor is above the middle of the entire database, not merely competitive among low-power parts.

Mobile creators get a usable, if limited, multi-core engine. Cinebench R23 multi-core is 11,681, Cinebench R20 multi-core is 4,906, and Cinebench R15 multi-core is 1,177. PassMark multithread is 14,011. These results support photo processing, software builds, and moderate 3D rendering tasks. PassMark integer math is 45,887, floating-point math is 31,456, and the extended instructions score is 8,280, adding evidence of real compute capability beyond basic office work. The caveat is the 9W TDP and the 1100.00 MHz base clock: sustained all-core workloads will not behave like a high-power desktop part.

Gaming considerations are less clear cut. The only graphics processor listed is Iris Xe 96EU, and there are no gaming frame-rate benchmarks in the data. PassMark physics is 1,046, but that is a CPU physics simulation score, not a GPU gaming result. Users who demand discrete-class gaming performance should not look to this processor; the data supports integrated-graphics duty only. For light gaming paired with the integrated Iris Xe 96EU, the CPU compute is present, but the database does not quantify actual frame rates.

Power and Thermals

The defining number here is the 9W TDP. That places the i7-1260U in the ultra-low-power class and tells the user to expect a compact thermal solution. The 1100.00 MHz base clock keeps light and idle workloads at a modest power level, while the 4.70 GHz boost clock allows short bursts of high performance. The Intel 10 nm process is the manufacturing context for that efficiency.

The database does not list a cooler specification, so the exact cooling solution remains platform-dependent. The cooling tier implied by a 9W mobile chip is a thin, low-airflow design rather than a high-volume desktop heat sink. The gap between the 1100.00 MHz base clock and the 4.70 GHz boost clock also signals a frequency curve designed around bursty workloads: the chip can spike when needed but is not built to hold maximum boost across a long, heavily threaded render.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark results split clearly along single-thread and multi-thread lines. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 1,649 and the multi-core score is 11,681. Cinebench R20 reports 692 single-core and 4,906 multi-core. Cinebench R15 reports 166 single-core and 1,177 multi-core. Every Cinebench version shows the same shape: multi-core throughput is much higher than single-core, but single-core performance remains respectable for a low-power mobile chip.

PassMark delivers a similar pattern. Single-thread is 3,153, while multithread is 14,011. Geekbench single-core is 1,936 and multi-core is 6,320. With 10 cores and 12 threads, not every core carries an extra thread, which helps explain why multi-core scaling is present but not extreme. The 4.70 GHz boost clock gives the chip an advantage in workloads that depend on one or a few fast threads, such as application launch, scripting, and interactive latency-sensitive work. The 9W TDP and 1100.00 MHz base clock set the ceiling for all-core sustained performance.

How It Compares

The i7-1260U has an overall average benchmark score of 16,526. The AMD EPYC 7543P averages 16,395, and the i7-1260U is 0.8% ahead. That is effectively a statistical tie; the two parts land within a rounding error of each other in overall average score.

The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U averages 16,663. The delta is -0.8%, meaning the i7-1260U trails by 0.8%. This is another near-parity comparison, and the practical difference is negligible in overall score.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U averages 16,775. Here the i7-1260U trails by 1.5%, the largest gap among the listed rivals. Still, a 1.5% overall deficit is a small margin.

The Intel Core i7-10850H averages 16,241. The i7-1260U is 1.8% ahead of this rival. Despite the low 9W TDP, the i7-1260U comes out slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-10850H in overall average score.

Platform and Compatibility

The i7-1260U uses the Intel BGA 1781 socket. It belongs to the Alder Lake architecture and the Alder Lake-U mobile segment. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and ECC memory is not supported. Platform storage and expansion use PCIe Gen 4. Integrated graphics are provided by Iris Xe 96EU.

Cache capacity is listed as 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The multiplier is locked, so the chip is not intended for overclocking. Intel launched this processor on 2022-02-22, and the production status is Active. For an upgrade path, the BGA 1781 socket constrains users to systems built around that exact socket; this is a platform-level decision rather than a simple CPU swap.