Intel Core i5-1035G1 benchmarks and tests, vs i5-10210U, i5-8265U and Ryzen 5 3500U

In this article, we take a look at the Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, the mid-range CPU in Intel's IceLake platform designed to power most mid- to high-tier Ultrabooks in 2020.

IceLake is Intel's first 10nm low-voltage platform for thin and light general-purpose notebooks.

However, Ice Lake processors are available side-by-side with 14nm Comet Lake processors and both are referred to as 10th Gen platforms, so choosing the right option for your needs and budget can be confusing.

Below we explain the differences between the Core i5-1035G1 (Ice Lake) and the Core i5-10210U (Comet Lake), as well as the performance of these two 10th Gen processors over previous platforms, namely the Whiskey Lake Core i5-8265U and the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U. We will also cover all Core i7 options in a separate article.

Before we dive into the performance and specifics, let's go through this summarized spec sheet.

	Core i5-1035G1 (Ark)	Core i5-10210U (Ark)	Core i5-8265U (Ark)	Ryzen 5 3500U (Ark)
building process	10nm	14+++nm	14++ nanometers	12nm
generation	ice lake	comet sea	whiskey lake	picasso
Standard TDP	15 w	15 w	15 w	15 w
Configurable TDP	13-25 w	10-25W	10-25W	12-35W
cores/threads	4/8	4/8	4/8	4/8
CPU base frequency	1.0GHz	1.6GHz	1.6GHz	2.1GHz
CPU Max Turbo 1 core	3.6GHz	4.2GHz	3.9GHz	3.7GHz
CPU Max Turbo 2 cores	3.6GHz	4.2GHz	3.9GHz	3.7GHz
CPU Max Turbo 4 Core	3.3GHz	3.9GHz	3.7GHz	3.7GHz
cache	6MB	6MB	6MB	4MB
Maximum memory	64GB	64GB	32GB	32GB
storage type	DDR4 3200MHz, LPDDR4X 3733MHz	DDR4 2666MHz, LPDDR3 2133MHz	DDR4 2400MHz, LPDDR3 2133MHz	DDR4 2400MHz
graphic	Intel UHD G1, 32EU	Intel UHD, 24 EU	Intel UHD 620, 24 EU	Radeon Vega8
graphics speed	300-1050MHz	300-1100MHz	300-1100MHz	300-1200MHz
PCIe lanes	32	16	16	12

There are a few key things to take out of these spec lists:

• Compared to the 14nm Intel processors, the Ice Lake Core i5-1035G1 is clocked lower and accelerates to a lower max turbo frequency. This results in a slight performance hit on CPU-intensive loads.
• Ice Lake improves memory support with the ability to use faster DDR4 RAM and especially the highly efficient LPDDR4X chips. This largely compensates for the previous point.
• The Ice Lake i5 gets faster Gen 11 graphics with 33% additional execution units in this G1 iteration, as well as various improvements over the Gen 9 graphics on the Comet/Whiskey Lake CPUs.
• There's more to the IceLake platform than meets the eye, including built-in support for Thunderbolt 3 and Wireless AX. So if you are interested in a detailed analysis of the IceLake platform and Project Athena, this one on Anandtech is an excellent read.
• The comparison to the Ryzen chips is a bit more difficult based only on the specifications due to the differences in hardware design. We'll let the benchmark results speak for themselves.

Before we continue, it's important to understand that manufacturers are able to optimize the power ratings for each notebook. For the i5-1035G1, the PL1 limit can vary between 13W and 25W, and higher-powered implementations can operate at higher frequencies, thus performing better under demanding CPU loads.

However, most 13/14-inch Ultrabooks will ship with the standard 15W i5-1035G1, and that's what we used in our testing. The results in this article are based on the 14-inch Acer Aspire Swift 3 SF314-57 configured with the Core i5-1035G1 processor, 8 GB LPDDR4 memory and 512 GB PCIe x2 SSD storage, a mid-range ultraportable device with commodity hardware / thermal designs. I expect that higher tier implementations will do slightly better in some tests, while the 25W variants that will find their way into some 15-inch notebooks will do even better.

Here are some CPU benchmark results:

CPU benchmarks	i5-1035G1	i5-1035G1 UV	i5-10210U	i5-8265U	Ryzen5 3500U
Cinebench R15 CPU	541cb	618cb	678cb	583cb	539cb
Cinebench R15 CPU - single core	166cb	170cb	172cb	151cb	127cb
Cinebench R20 CPU	1210cb	1320cb	–	1257cb	1309 cb
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	15615	16270	15199	12318	11065
Geekbench 4 - Single core	5178	5092	4892	4264	3592
Geekbench 5 - Multi-Core	3485	3810	–	3117	2888
Passmark - CPU test	10287	10598	–	8240	8200
x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 – Passed 2	29.82 fps	31.28 fps	33.41 fps	31.9 fps	39.2 fps
x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - Pass 1	142.39 fps	149.78 fps	149.1 fps	150.1 fps	134.8 fps
x265 HD benchmark	109.26 fps	96.88 fps	– fps	– fps	95.85
3DMark - FireStrike Physics	8315	8723	8485	9026	8236
3DMark 11 - Physics	6238	6884	6789	6423	6360

• i5-1035G1 Results based on Acer Swift 3 SF314-57 with 8GB LPDDR4X-3733 RAM, 512GB PCIe X2 SSD;
• i5-1035G1 UV results are based on the same unit but with CPU undervoltage at -100mV (explained here);
• i5-10210U Results based on Shenker Slim 15 with 16GB DDR4-2666 RAM, 500GB PCIe X2 SSD;
• i5-8265U Results based on Lenovo ThinkBook 13s with 8GB DDR4-2666 RAM, 256GB PCIe X2 SSD;
• Ryzen5 3500U Results based on Lenovo IdeaPad S540 with 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM, 512GB PCIe X4 SSD;

Overall, the i5-1035G1 compares well to the other options. In some tests it loses compared to the higher clocked Comet Lake i5-10210U, in others it wins due to the faster memory.

As is the case with most modern processors, performance drops off under prolonged stress, as can be seen in the Cinebench loop test shown below. The CPU kicks in hard for the first few runs, then levels off at lower frequencies once the heat builds. This test also shows that undervolting helps quite a bit with these types of demanding loads.

As for the GPU results, here's what we got:

GPU benchmarks	i5-1035G1	i5-10210U	i5-8265U	Ryzen5 3500U	NVIDIA MX250
3DMark 11 graphics	2546	–	1500	3942	4446
3DMark - Time espionage graphics	466	–	359	766	1090
3DMark - Fire Strike graphics	1748	1280	1082	2228	3623
Passmark - 3D graphic mark	1674	–	1066	1767	2822
Uniengine Overlay - 1080p Medium	2988	–	–	–	2165

I've also included Nvidia MX250 results for comparison. While we don't have the results to fill in all the gaps, it's evident that the UHD G1 iGPU is faster than the older UHD 620 iGPU in the Comet and Whiskey Lake i5s. At the same time, however, it lags behind the Radeon Vega 8 in AMD APUs and builds with dedicated MX250 graphics. For that reason, don't expect to be able to comfortably game with a basic Core i5-1035G1 configuration (our in-depth Acer Swift 14 SF314-57 review looks further into gaming performance across multiple titles).

However, it's important to note that Intel also offers beefed-up SKUs of the IceLake Core i5s, Core i5-1035G4 (48 EUs), and Core i5-1035G7 (64 EUs), which perform better in GPU load and gaming. However, based on what I'm watching right now, I'm not expecting a lot of love for these processors. You'll find them in devices like the Lenogo Yoga 740 or the Surface Laptop 3 13, but most OEMs opt to stock the Core i7-1065G7 processor with faster clock speeds, more cache, and the 64 EU UHD graphics as the higher-end option to implement retaining the i5-1035G1 as a mid-range configuration.

That pretty much concludes our first overview of the Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor. In short, this CPU offers a slightly more balanced mid-range Ultrabook platform than the previous Intel Whiskey and Comet Lake hardware platforms, with good CPU performance for everyday multitasking and occasional use, and improved GPU performance for older or simpler games. It's not a game-changing update, but it's a good mid-ranger for the average user.

However, those interested in improved multitasking and high-load performance may want to look at the available six-core Core i7-10710U builds from Comet Lake, while those interested in fair gaming performance on an Ultrabook should opt for the higher-end i7-1065G7 options, or better yet, some of the MX250-powered variants out there. Finally, next-gen AMD Ryzen 5/7 and Renoir-based Athlon platforms are definitely not something to look past, especially if you're shopping on a lower budget.

By: Intel Core i5-1035G1 benchmarks and tests, vs i5-10210U, i5-8265U and Ryzen 5 3500U