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日本[Comparison] Intel Core i3-1215U vs Core i3-1115G4 – healthy increases in every metric
Finally, we have our hands on the Alder Lake U-series, which is supposed to bring even better efficiency to the table, extending laptop battery life to new heights for Intel. The Core i3-1215U that we have here should be a leader when it comes to that, but as of now, we have been left kinda disappointed.
At least there should be a good increase in performance, right? This is what we’re here to find out, as we compare the i3-1215U against the Core i3-1115G4, which doesn’t bring the new flashy efficiency cores, but can clock decently higher, which might matter a lot more.
You can take a look at our Top Laptop CPU Ranking, where we showcase the best and the newest laptop processors.
You can find more information about both CPUs here: Intel Core i3-1215U / Intel Core i3-1115G4
Specs table
| Intel Core i3-1215U | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Alder Lake-U | Tiger Lake UP3 |
| Cores / Threads | 6/8 | 2/4 |
| Clock Speeds – Base/Boost | 0.90 – 4.40GHz | 3.00 – 4.10GHz |
| Cache | 10MB | 6MB |
| Lithography | 10nm | 10nm |
| TDP | 15W | 12 / 15 / 28W |
| Memory type | DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-5200 DDR4–3200MHz LPDDR4x–4266MHz | DDR4-3200MHz, LPDDR4x-3733MHz |
| Integrated GPU | Intel UHD Graphics (Alder Lake, 64EU) | Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48EU) |
CPU benchmarks
The large increase in the core and thread count generally improves the performance, with the i3-1215U scoring 18% higher in 3D Rendering, while also being two seconds faster in Photoshop.
Results are from the Cinebench R23 CPU test (the higher the score, the better)
Results are from our Photoshop benchmark test (the lower the score, the better)
GPU benchmarks
The improvements in GPU performance are massive, with the iGPU inside the 12th Gen Core i3 scoring 70% higher in 3DMark Fire Strike, and 76% higher in Unigine Superposition.
Results are from the 3DMark: Time Spy (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the 3DMark: Wild Life benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Gaming tests
| CS:GO | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel UHD Graphics (Alder Lake, 64EU) – Core i3-1215U | 129 fps (+72%) | 93 fps (+79%) | 55 fps (+129%) |
| Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48EU) – Core i3-1115G4 | 75 fps | 52 fps | 24 fps |
| DOTA 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Normal (Check settings) | HD 1080p, High (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel UHD Graphics (Alder Lake, 64EU) – Core i3-1215U | 136 fps (+79%) | 84 fps (+68%) | 44 fps (+63%) |
| Intel Iris Xe Graphics G4 (48EU) – Core i3-1115G4 | 76 fps | 50 fps | 27 fps |
Conclusion
The Core i3-1215U brings overall increases to both CPU and GPU performance (including gaming). Battery life is increased as well, however not at a level that is still enough to challenge Ryzen CPUs and their levels of efficiency. Still, for daily driver devices that won’t do more than browse the web, check emails, and consume media, we see the Core i3 as a fantastic offering, as long as pricing is adequate.
