CPU Comparison

Intel Core i3-1110G4 vs Intel Core i3-1120G4

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i3-1110G4 is a 2-core, 4-thread mobile processor built on the 10nm process, featuring Willow Cove architecture and Iris Xe Graphics G4, designed for entry-level thin-and-light laptops.

Top pick
Intel · Core i3
Intel Core i3-1110G4
2C / 4T3.9 GHz15 W
5.5
Full review
Intel · Core i3
Intel Core i3-1120G4
4C / 8T3.5 GHz15 W
5
Full review

The Bottom Line

Overview & Launch

Brand
Intel
Intel
Market
Mobile
Mobile
Segment
Mobile
Mobile
Generation
11th Gen (Tiger Lake)
11th Generation
Launched
2020
2020
Status
Active
Active
Codename
Tiger Lake-U
Tiger Lake-U
Series
Core i3
Core i3
Family
Tiger Lake-U
Tiger Lake
Predecessor
Intel Core i3-1005G1
Intel Core i3-10110Y
Successor
None (Replaced by 12th-gen U-series)

Specifications Compared

Cores & Clocks
Cores
2
4
Threads
4
8
Base Clock
1.8 GHz
1.1 GHz
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
3.5 GHz
Cache & Power
L3 Cache
6 MB
8 MB
TDP
15 W
15 W
Architecture
Architecture
Tiger Lake-U (Willow Cove)
Tiger Lake-U
Process Node
10nm
10nm (SuperFin)
Memory
Memory Type
DDR4
DDR4
Memory Speed
DDR4-3733
DDR4-3733
Memory Channels
Dual (2)
Dual (2)
Platform & I/O
Socket
BGA 1598
BGA 1598
PCIe Version
PCIe 4.0
PCIe 4.0
PCIe Lanes
16
16
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
Unlocked
No
No

Performance Compared

Productivity

Intel Core i3-1110G445

Basic office tasks run fine, but having only two cores means heavy multitasking or complex spreadsheets will slow down.

Intel Core i3-1120G4Best55

Good for bursty office tasks due to 4 cores, but the 1.1 GHz base clock means it drops to very low performance during sustained workloads.

Gaming

Intel Core i3-1110G4Best25

The Iris Xe GPU can handle very light older games at low resolutions, but it is not a gaming processor.

Intel Core i3-1120G420

The Iris Xe G4 graphics can handle light tasks, but the thermally constrained environment prevents sustained GPU frequencies.

Virtualization

Intel Core i3-1110G420

Two cores and four threads are insufficient for any serious virtual machine hosting.

Intel Core i3-1120G4Best35

8 threads are nice on paper, but the thermal limits prevent running VMs effectively for any length of time.

Efficiency

Intel Core i3-1110G485

Excellent power efficiency characteristic of the 10nm Tiger Lake mobile design.

Intel Core i3-1120G4Best90

Extremely efficient at idle and low loads due to the 1.1 GHz base clock, perfect for always-connected devices.

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Intel Core i3-1110G4Minimal
  • No dedicated AI hardware
  • AVX-512 provides some vector compute capability but is impractical for modern AI workloads
Intel Core i3-1120G4Minimal
  • No dedicated IPU or NPU
  • AVX-512 support present but limited by thermal constraints
  • Not suited for AI workloads

Content Creation

Intel Core i3-1110G4Not Applicable
Intel Core i3-1120G4Minimal
Basic Document EditingLight Web Research

Gaming

Intel Core i3-1110G4Not Recommended
  • 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
Intel Core i3-1120G4Poor
  • Thermal constraints prevent sustained GPU performance
  • G4 tier graphics are already limited
  • Not designed or marketed for gaming

Industry Impact

Gaming
None
Negligible
Workstations
None
Negligible
Content Creation
None
Negligible
Virtualization
None
Negligible

Best CPU by Use Case

Web Browsing
Adequate
Microsoft Office
Good
Video Conferencing
Adequate
HD Video Playback
Excellent
Light Photo Editing
Limited
Ultra-Portable Web Browsing
Very Good
Media Consumption
Very Good
Office On-The-Go
Adequate
Light Multitasking
Adequate
Sustained Workloads
Poor

Target Audience

Gamers
Content Creators
Developers
Workstation Users
Streamers
Office / Productivity
Targeted
Targeted
Students
Targeted
Targeted

Strengths & Weaknesses

Intel Core i3-1110G4

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
Intel Core i3-1120G4

Pros

  • 4 cores provide good burst multi-threading
  • 1.1 GHz base enables ultra-thin, fanless designs
  • 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes for fast storage
  • Very high efficiency at low loads
  • 8MB L3 cache is generous for the segment

Cons

  • 1.1 GHz base clock causes severe performance drops under sustained load
  • BGA 1598 socket limits motherboard and upgrade options
  • No LPDDR4X support limits memory bandwidth
  • 3.5 GHz boost is the lowest among 4-core Tiger Lake parts
  • Lacks IPU 6.0 found on other similar-tier parts

Competitors & Alternatives

Intel Core i3-1110G4

  • AMD Ryzen 3 3250U

    Budget Mobile

    Rival
  • AMD Ryzen 3 5300U

    Mainstream Mobile

    Rival
  • Intel Pentium Gold 7505

    Entry Mobile

    Rival
  • MediaTek Kompanio 500

    ARM Laptop

    Rival
  • Intel Core i3-1125G4

    Upper Entry Mobile

    Rival
    Compare head-to-head
  • A significant step up in both CPU cores and iGPU power for more demanding users.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
    Alt

    Six cores and eight threads for a much more future-proof laptop experience.

  • If available in the budget range, it vastly outperforms this Intel chip in both efficiency and multi-core speed.

    Compare head-to-head

Intel Core i3-1120G4

  • AMD Ryzen 3 5300U

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Apple M1

    Mobile

    Rival
    Compare head-to-head
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2

    Mobile

    Rival
  • AMD Ryzen 3 3250U

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Intel Pentium Silver N6005

    Mobile

    Rival
  • Standard BGA 1449 socket with much higher clocks and IPU support for a similar core count.

    Compare head-to-head
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
    Alt

    If you can accept a slightly thicker laptop, you get dramatically better sustained performance.

  • Intel Core i5-1130G4
    Alt

    Slightly higher clocks on the same BGA 1598 platform if available.

Our Verdict on Each

The 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 review

An unusual 4-core Tiger Lake part severely limited by its 1.1 GHz base clock and BGA 1598 socket, making it a niche OEM component rather than a general-purpose mobile processor.

Best for: Purchasing a premium ultra-thin laptop or tablet where this chip is factory-installed and you value extreme portability over performance.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Intel Core i3-1110G4 or Intel Core i3-1120G4?

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 i3-1110G4 or Intel Core i3-1120G4?

For gaming, the Intel Core i3-1110G4 leads with a gaming performance score of 25/100 among Intel Core i3-1110G4 and Intel Core i3-1120G4.

Do Intel Core i3-1110G4 and Intel Core i3-1120G4 use the same socket?

Yes — all of these CPUs use the BGA 1598 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.

Which has more cores?

The Intel Core i3-1120G4 has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core i3-1110G4 (2 cores), Intel Core i3-1120G4 (4 cores).

Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?

The Intel Core i3-1110G4 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i3-1110G4 (4,500). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.