CPU Comparison
Intel Core i3-1005G1 vs Intel Core i3-1110G4
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i3-1005G1 is a 15-watt Ice Lake-U mobile processor featuring two Sunny Cove cores and basic UHD graphics, launched at $281 to bring 10nm to budget-friendly ultrabooks.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Single-app use is fine, but opening multiple browser tabs alongside Office apps will cause noticeable slowdowns.
Basic office tasks run fine, but having only two cores means heavy multitasking or complex spreadsheets will slow down.
Gaming
The basic UHD graphics are too weak for any meaningful gaming experience.
The Iris Xe GPU can handle very light older games at low resolutions, but it is not a gaming processor.
Virtualization
2 cores and 4 threads are barely enough for the host OS, let alone a virtual machine.
Two cores and four threads are insufficient for any serious virtual machine hosting.
Efficiency
Good efficiency for a 15W chip, allowing for 6-8 hours of real-world battery life in basic ultrabooks.
Excellent power efficiency characteristic of the 10nm Tiger Lake mobile design.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- DLBoost is supported but the 2-core CPU heavily limits AI workload processing
- No dedicated AI hardware
- AVX-512 provides some vector compute capability but is impractical for modern AI workloads
Content Creation
Gaming
- The basic UHD graphics lack the power for even casual gaming
- CPU will bottleneck any game that relies on more than two threads
- Iris Xe graphics are a big improvement over UHD but still inadequate for modern AAA gaming
- Can manage simple 2D indie games or very old titles
- CPU will bottleneck even light games that rely on more than two threads
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Native Thunderbolt 3 support is excellent for docking stations
- Sunny Cove architecture provides strong single-thread performance for basic tasks
- 15W TDP allows for slim, portable laptop designs
- DDR4 and LPDDR4X memory flexibility
- 10nm process was very efficient for its time
Cons
- Only 2 cores and 4 threads, which is inexcusable at its $281 MSRP
- Basic UHD graphics lack the power of the Iris Plus found on other Ice Lake chips
- No PCIe 4.0 support
- Cannot handle modern multi-tab browsing without stuttering
- L3 cache is limited to 4 MB
Pros
- Modern 10nm manufacturing process
- Iris Xe graphics offer capable media acceleration
- Low 15 W power draw enables thin chassis designs
- PCIe 4.0 support for fast storage
- AVX-512 instruction support
Cons
- Only 2 physical cores severely limit multitasking
- Hyper-Threading cannot compensate for missing physical cores
- L3 cache is limited to 6 MB
- Only supports DDR4, missing out on LPDDR4X power benefits
- End of useful life for modern computing workloads
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i3-1005G1
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200URival
Budget Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500URival
Mainstream Mobile
- Intel Core i3-1005G4Rival
Better Graphics Ice Lake-U
- Intel Pentium Gold 6405URival
Ultra-Budget Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 3 4300URival
Next-Gen Budget Mobile
A 4-core Ice Lake alternative that solves the multitasking bottleneck.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core i3-1115G1Alt
The 11th-gen successor with higher clocks and better integrated graphics.
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
A modern 6-core laptop CPU that completely outclasses this 2-core chip.
A modern 10-core (hybrid) Intel chip that redefines budget laptop performance.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Core i3-1110G4
- AMD Ryzen 3 3250URival
Budget Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 3 5300URival
Mainstream Mobile
- Intel Pentium Gold 7505Rival
Entry Mobile
- MediaTek Kompanio 500Rival
ARM Laptop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i3-1125G4Rival
Upper Entry Mobile
A significant step up in both CPU cores and iGPU power for more demanding users.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5500UAlt
Six cores and eight threads for a much more future-proof laptop experience.
- Alt
If available in the budget range, it vastly outperforms this Intel chip in both efficiency and multi-core speed.
Compare head-to-head
Our Verdict on Each
The i3-1005G1 successfully brought 10nm and Thunderbolt 3 to cheap laptops, but its 2-core CPU and stripped-back graphics make it a poor choice for anything beyond light tasks.
Best for: The only scenario where an i3-1005G1 laptop makes sense is if it is being sold at an extreme clearance price (under $100) and you need a disposable machine for a child's schoolwork or a dedicated document viewer. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 3 means it can connect to high-speed docks, which might be useful for legacy office setups.
Read the full reviewThe i3-1110G4 brings modern Iris Xe graphics and a 10nm process to budget laptops, but its 2-core configuration severely limits multitasking and longevity compared to 4-core alternatives.
Best for: The i3-1110G4 should only be purchased if you are buying a highly discounted, entry-level laptop strictly for basic web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. Its Iris Xe graphics make it marginally better than older 2-core chips for media tasks. However, modern operating systems and web browsers are increasingly demanding, and a 2-core processor will struggle to maintain smooth performance over the laptop's lifespan. You should avoid it if you plan to keep the laptop for more than a couple of years or need to run multiple applications simultaneously.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i3-1005G1 or Intel Core i3-1110G4?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i3-1110G4 comes out ahead with a score of 5.5/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i3-1005G1 or Intel Core i3-1110G4?
For gaming, the Intel Core i3-1110G4 leads with a gaming performance score of 25/100 among Intel Core i3-1005G1 and Intel Core i3-1110G4.
Do Intel Core i3-1005G1 and Intel Core i3-1110G4 use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i3-1005G1: BGA 1526, Intel Core i3-1110G4: BGA 1598), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i3-1110G4 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i3-1005G1 (0), Intel Core i3-1110G4 (4,500). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.