Intel has introduced 10th-gen Intel Core processors with Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 variants with core / thread counts of 2/4 and 4/8. TDP scales from 9W on lower-end models up to 28W for the top-end Core i7-1068G7. All models feature Gen11 integrated graphics, most with Intel’s Iris Plus.
Intel’s new Ice Lake chips are scheduled to crop up in new laptops and 2 in 1s from PC manufacturers this holiday season but we don’t have to wait until then to get an idea of how they perform.
As you can see, your typical processor name will be something like “Core i5-1035G7.”
Core i3 means you’re looking at a low-end chip with just two cores that can run a maximum of four operations at a time but offer slightly higher base clockspeeds while Core i5 and Core i7 each offer 4 cores and 8 threads. You also get 2MB of extra cache with each processor tier.
The first two digits are always “10,” and they simply mean you’re looking at a 10th Gen Ice Lake processor with all the benefits that confers, like faster graphics and better battery life when playing HEVC video, but also often a lower base clockspeed than before. If you see a “9” or an “8”, you’re looking at an older Intel processor.
The third digit seems to be how high a chip sits on the totem pole in terms of speed. For instance, a Core i7-1065G7 is clocked 100MHz higher than a Core i5-1035G7, and can boost 200MHz faster for short periods of time.
But the fourth digit is weirdly more important than the third digit, because it tells you the entire class of processor you’re looking at a 0 means it’s a 9-watt Y-series chip that’s designed for fanless laptops and tablets that aren’t generally suited to sustained workloads, a 5 means it’s a 15-watt U-series chip that’s a little bit more powerful, and an 8 means it’s the beefy one a 28-watt chip that, somehow, is the only processor in this lineup that starts at over 2GHz and can turbo to over 4GHz.
Lastly, Ice Lake’s faster graphics doesn’t mean fast graphics unless you see a high G-number at the end of the processor’s name, topping out at G7 for Intel Iris Plus graphics with 64 “execution units,” compared to G4 with 48 EUs or G1 which only have 32 EUs in tow. When Intel says you’re going to squeak by in e-sports titles at 1080p with integrated graphics, it’s a safe bet you’ll need the G7 to do so.
The general consensus seems to be that Intel’s latest offering provides a solid – although not groundbreaking – boost in CPU-minded performance. If you’re also in need of integrated graphics, well, that’s where things become even more interesting. But we’ll have to wait until later this year to get a firm grasp on exactly what Ice Lake is capable of as more hands-on time with chips is needed.
