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Intel Core i7-1255U vs Intel Core i7-12700H: Comparison
What is the difference between Core i7-1255U and Core i7-12700H?
L3 cache is where these two genuinely part company, Core i7-1255U 12 MB against Core i7-12700H 24 MB, a 50% lead for Core i7-12700H. Measured rather than claimed: in Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core) the Core i7-12700H returns 102 against 97, a 5% lead. Core i7-12700H also leads on pcie lanes, 10 on the Core i7-1255U versus 20 on the Core i7-12700H. There is a split on tdp as well, 15 W on the Core i7-1255U versus 45 W on the Core i7-12700H. There is a split on configurable tdp floor as well, 9 W on the Core i7-1255U versus 35 W on the Core i7-12700H.
Who each one is for
The Core i7-1255U suits ultra-thin laptops and business laptops, though it is the wrong buy for gaming laptops and heavy sustained workloads. The Core i7-12700H is the one to take for premium laptops and everyday productivity, though it is not the pick for ultra-thin fanless laptops and maximum battery life. Our rating of the Core i7-1255U (7.7/10): the Intel Core i7-1255U prioritizes battery life and portability, fitting thin business and everyday laptops rather than performance-first designs. Our rating of the Core i7-12700H (8.3/10): the Intel Core i7-12700H is a well-rounded performance mobile chip, suited to premium laptops balancing power and portability.
What Core i7-1255U and Core i7-12700H have in common
Everything else lines up. Efficiency cores, p-core boost clock, e-core boost clock, integrated graphics and socket read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 14 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Core i7-1255U and Core i7-12700H differ on total cores?
Yes. Total Cores reads 10 on the Core i7-1255U versus 14 on the Core i7-12700H.
Is the Product Line the same on the Core i7-1255U and Core i7-12700H?
It is. Both are listed at Core, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Product Line
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Core
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Core
Form Factor
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Laptop
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- i7-1255U
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- i7-12700H
Codename
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Alder Lake
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Alder Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 2022
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 2022
TDP
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 15 W
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 45 W
iGPU
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Market Segment
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Laptop
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Alder Lake
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Alder Lake
Socket
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- FCBGA1744
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- FCBGA1744
Process Node
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 7 nm
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 7 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 10
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 14Best
Performance Cores
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 2
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 6Best
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 8
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 8
Total Threads
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 12
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 20Best
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Yes
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 1.7 GHz
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 2.3 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 4.7 GHz
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 4.7 GHz
E-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 1.2 GHz
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 1.7 GHz
E-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 3.5 GHz
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 3.5 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 12 MB-50%
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 24 MBBest
Base Power
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 15 W
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 45 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 55 W
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 115 W
Configurable TDP Floor
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 9 W
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 35 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- DDR5, DDR4, LPDDR5, LPDDR4x
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- DDR5, DDR4, LPDDR5, LPDDR4x
Max Memory Speed
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 4800 MT/s
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 4800 MT/s
Memory Channels
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 2
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 2
Max Memory Capacity
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 64 GB
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 64 GB
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Yes
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Yes
iGPU Model
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
iGPU Compute Units
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 96
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 96
PCIe Generation
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- PCIe 4.0
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- PCIe 4.0
PCIe Lanes
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 10-50%
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 20
Benchmarks
- General CPU
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 97-5%
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 102Best
Renders a 3D scene on one core. Shows how quick the CPU feels in everyday apps and games.
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
- Intel Core i7-1255U
- 7,758-50%
- Intel Core i7-12700H
- 15,632Best
Renders a 3D scene on every core. Shows speed in rendering and other heavy work.
Which one should you pick?
Choose 1255U if you want the higher memory channels (2 vs 2).
Choose 12700H if you want the higher L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), the higher PCIe lanes (20 vs 10) and the higher cinebench 2024 (Single-Core) (102 vs 97).
Verdict
Intel Core i7-1255U
7.7 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core i7-1255U prioritizes battery life and portability, fitting thin business and everyday laptops rather than performance-first designs.
Intel Core i7-12700H
8.3 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core i7-12700H is a well-rounded performance mobile chip, suited to premium laptops balancing power and portability.