Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i3-1120G4

Processor comparisons 03-04-2021

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i3-1120G4 and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, streaming, programming, rendering. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, PassMark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Blender, 3DMark, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Gears 5, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, RealBench, WPrime, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-1120G4 or Intel Core i5-8260U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i3-1120G4

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i3-1120G4

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.3	91.5
Valorant	104.9	104.0
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	58.2
Apex Legends	98.6	97.7
Call of Duty Warzone	78.7	78.0
Overwatch	85.0	84.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.4	71.7
DOOM Eternal	52.4	52.0
Warzone	81.8	81.1
Assassin's Creed	88.1	87.3
Valheim	87.1	86.3

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-8260U

221%

Core i3-1120G4

525%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-1120G4 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8260U as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 10W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1120G4
Cinbench 15 Single-core	157	185
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	596	727
Cinbench 20 Single-core	409	490
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2046	1796
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1029	966
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4033	3751

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1120G4
Single-Core	2385	3235
Multi-Core	7652	7506

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1120G4
Single-Core	997	1577
Multi-Core	4222	3437

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i3-1120G4
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	February 24, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1528	FCBGA1449
Core name	Coffee Lake	Tiger Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	11
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	1.6 MHz	1.5 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s OPI	2 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	10 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	LPDDR4x-4267
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	No	No
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 i5-8260U is 6% better than Core i3-1120G4 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i5-8260U is better: 21
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-1120G4 is better: 11
However, it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-8260U and Intel Core i3-1120G4 before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-8260U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-8260U specs and review.

Intel Core i3-1120G4 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-1120G4 specs and review.