Core i3-1115G4 vs Core i5-8265U

The Core i3-1115G4 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-8265U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-8265U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i3-1115G4 versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-8265U — a 5% clock advantage for the Core i3-1115G4 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Core i3-1115G4 uses the Tiger Lake-UP3 (2020−2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Core i5-8265U uses Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-1115G4 scores 5,860 against the Core i5-8265U's 5,812 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i3-1115G4. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,579 vs 1,200, a 27.3% lead for the Core i3-1115G4 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

The Core i3-1115G4 uses the FCBGA1449 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-8265U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Core i3-1115G4 versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i5-8265U — the Core i3-1115G4 supports 33.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Core i3-1115G4) vs 16 (Core i5-8265U) — the Core i5-8265U offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i3-1115G4 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (48 EU) (Core i3-1115G4) and Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Core i5-8265U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-1115G4 targets Mainstream Laptop, Core i5-8265U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i3-1115G4 rivals Ryzen 3 5300U.