Intel Core i7-3635QM

The Intel Core i7-3635QM is a mobile processor built on Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The 45 TDP part integrates Intel HD 4000 graphics and uses the Intel BGA 1224 socket. Benchmark aggregation places it at the 33rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average score of 1167.

Platform and Compatibility

The platform foundation is the Intel BGA 1224 socket. The processor belongs to the Core i7 line in the Ivy Bridge generation, with the codename Ivy Bridge and an Intel 22 nm process node. The die contains 1,480 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, and the foundry is Intel. The CPU ships with 4 cores and 8 threads, and its cache hierarchy is laid out as 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The base clock is 2.40 GHz and the boost clock is 3.40 GHz.

Memory support is described only as a dual-channel memory bus. The profile does not specify memory type or capacity details, and ECC memory is not supported. The integrated graphics are Intel HD 4000, and the market segment is mobile. The multiplier is locked, so users cannot adjust frequency multiplier settings. PCIe data is not recorded in the benchmark profile, so expansion and external GPU attachment are not quantified by this data. For upgrade planning, the socket is the primary constraint: Intel BGA 1224. Any compatible replacement would have to use that same socket, and the data does not list other processors on that socket.

Who Should Consider It

Users running parallel multi-threaded workloads can make use of the 4-core/8-thread design. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 4045, and the Geekbench multi-core score is 1790, showing that tasks able to use eight threads produce higher throughput than single-threaded tasks. For office applications that are mostly single-threaded, the single-core scores are 57 in Cinebench R15, 239 in Cinebench R20, 571 in Cinebench R23, and 532 in Geekbench. These are modest scores, so the processor is not a strong fit for single-thread-bound environments.

For gaming, the profile includes only Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics. No discrete GPU is part of the data, and the single-core results are low, so the platform is not aimed at high-end gaming. Content creation workloads that scale across threads, such as rendering in Cinebench, align with the multi-core results. Given the 33rd percentile placement, the i7-3635QM is best suited to older or less demanding workloads rather than modern high-end compute.

How It Compares

Against the AMD Opteron 6220, the i7-3635QM averages 1167, while the Opteron averages 1168. That is a 0.1% gap, putting the Intel part in line with the Opteron.

Against the Intel Core i5-3570S, the i5 averages 1165. The i7-3635QM is 0.2% ahead. The two parts produce essentially the same composite result.

Against the Intel Core i7-2960XM, the i7-2960XM averages 1170, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-3635QM. This makes it the strongest rival in the nearest set by average score.

Against the Intel Core i3-1110G4, the i3 averages 1164. The i7-3635QM is 0.3% ahead, making the i3 the lowest-scoring nearby part.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Core i7-3635QM use?

A: It uses the Intel BGA 1224 socket.

Q: Does the processor support ECC memory?

A: No. The profile lists ECC memory support as false, and the memory bus is dual-channel.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The multiplier is locked.

Q: What integrated graphics does it include?

A: It includes Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics.

Q: How close are the nearest rivals in average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the AMD Opteron 6220 at 1168, Intel Core i5-3570S at 1165, Intel Core i7-2960XM at 1170, and Intel Core i3-1110G4 at 1164. Deltas range from -0.2% to 0.3%.

Q: What is this CPU's overall standing?

A: It ranks at the 33rd percentile of all CPUs and has an average benchmark score of 1167.

Benchmark Performance

Across the Cinebench suite, the i7-3635QM scores 407 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 57 in single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 1698 multi-core and 239 single-core. In Cinebench R23, it scores 4045 multi-core and 571 single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 1790 multi-core and 532 single-core. These results produce an average benchmark score of 1167.

The percentileVsAllCpus value of 33 places it below most CPUs in the database. The nearest rivals sit in a tight band: the Opteron 6220 averages 1168, the i7-2960XM averages 1170, the i5-3570S averages 1165, and the i3-1110G4 averages 1164. The corresponding deltaPct values are -0.1, 0.2, -0.2, and 0.3. In other words, no nearby competitor separates itself by more than 0.3% from the i7-3635QM. The benchmark profile therefore does not show any clear winner among these parts.

The Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 4045 and the R20 multi-core result of 1698 indicate the CPU can complete threaded render workloads, while the single-core results of 571 and 239 in those same tests place a hard limit on per-core throughput. Because all nearest rivals are within a 0.3% band of average performance, workload type and platform fit matter more than raw benchmark differences when choosing between them.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The split between single-core and multi-core scores is central to understanding this processor. In every benchmark version, the multi-core score is much larger than the single-core score: Cinebench R15 407 versus 57, Cinebench R20 1698 versus 239, Cinebench R23 4045 versus 571, and Geekbench 1790 versus 532. This behavior is expected from a 4-core/8-thread CPU, since multi-core tests can use all threads.

The single-core scores are relatively modest, and the overall 33rd percentile rank suggests that single-thread performance is a limiting factor for many tasks. For applications that are written to distribute work across cores, the multi-core capacity provides a meaningful advantage over the single-core numbers. For applications that depend on a single fast core, the i7-3635QM will not offer the same level of response. The data shows a processor that is more capable in parallel throughput than in per-core speed.