Intel Core i3-1115G4 vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-1115G4 vs Intel Core i7-8550U and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, rendering, machine learning, video editing. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, PassMark, 7zip, AIDA64, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Handbrake, Blender, Gears 5, Prime95, PCMark 10, RealBench, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Fortnite
Last Man Standing
Grand Theft Auto V
Watch Dogs Legion
Fallout 76
Valorant
Apex Legends
Valheim
Halo Infinite
Rainbow Six Siege
Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
Red Dead Redemption 2
Overwatch
DOOM: Eternal
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or Intel Core i3-1115G4.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-1115G4

51%

Core i7-8550U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-1115G4

51%

Core i7-8550U

52%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.0	91.9
Valorant	103.4	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.9	58.5
Apex Legends	97.2	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	77.6	78.3
Overwatch	83.8	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.3	72.0
DOOM Eternal	51.7	52.2
Warzone	80.7	81.4
Assassin's Creed	86.9	87.7
Valheim	85.8	86.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-1115G4

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-1115G4 since it has less power consumption: 0W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-1115G4	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	158	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	621	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	419	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1535	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	826	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3206	3111

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-1115G4	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	2765	2072
Multi-Core	6415	5970

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-1115G4	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	1348	1027
Multi-Core	2938	3788

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-1115G4	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1449	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Tiger Lake	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	8
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3200 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)		15 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-3733	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-1115G4 is 40% better than Core i7-8550U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8550U has 2 more core than Core i3-1115G4. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-1115G4 is better: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 18
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-1115G4 and Intel Core i7-8550U before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i3-1115G4 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.