Intel Core i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7: Review and Relevance in 2025
Although the Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor hit the market back in 2019, it can still be found in entry-level and mid-range laptops. Six years later, it remains an interesting option for users who need a balance between performance, battery life, and price. Let's explore what this chip is capable of in 2025 and who it might be suitable for.
Architecture and Process: Ice Lake on 10 nm
Ice Lake is the first generation of Intel moving to a 10-nanometer process. This transition has allowed for reduced power consumption and increased transistor density. However, as practice has shown, moving to new technology came with challenges: frequencies ended up being lower than those of 14-nm counterparts, and thermal dissipation required careful management.
CPU: 4 cores, 8 threads
The Core i7-1065G7 is equipped with four cores supporting Hyper-Threading (8 threads). The base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with a maximum boost in turbo mode of 3.9 GHz. In comparison, modern Intel 13th generation processors (for example, the Core i7-1360P) have a base frequency starting at 2.2 GHz and turbo up to 5 GHz.
The Sunny Cove architecture brought an 18% improvement in IPC (instructions per clock) compared to previous generations. This made the chip more effective in single-threaded tasks like web surfing and document work.
iGPU: Iris Plus Graphics
The integrated graphics Iris Plus G7 (64 EU) is a major advantage of this processor. It supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, and allows for low-settings gaming in less demanding titles. For example:
- CS:GO — 40-50 FPS at 720p;
- Fortnite — 30-35 FPS at 720p with minimum settings.
The chip also supports output to two 4K monitors (60 Hz) via DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0b.
Power Consumption and TDP: 15W with caveats
The nominal TDP of the processor is 15W, but in reality, it can vary from 12W to 25W depending on load and system settings. For instance, in the Dell XPS 13 ultrabook (2020), the chip operated in the range of 15-20W, providing a balance between performance and heat.
For comparison, modern AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (4 nm) processors with a TDP of 15W demonstrate 30-40% higher multithreaded performance.
Performance in Real Tasks
Office Work and Multimedia
- Google Chrome with 20 tabs + Zoom — the processor handles it without lag, but in turbo mode, the frequency stays around 3.5 GHz, leading to a casing temperature of 45-50°C.
- Adobe Photoshop (photo retouching) — filter applications take 2-3 seconds.
- 4K video — playback in VLC or YouTube is seamless thanks to hardware decoding.
Gaming
While Iris Plus G7 is not gaming graphics, it is sufficient for indie projects or older AAA titles:
- Hades — 60 FPS at 1080p;
- The Witcher 3 — 25-30 FPS at 720p with low settings.
Important: In laptops with passive cooling (e.g., Huawei MateBook X Pro), gaming performance may drop due to throttling.
Turbo Mode: Brief Surge
The maximum frequency of 3.9 GHz is achieved only under load on 1-2 cores and is maintained for no longer than 20-30 seconds — for example, when launching an application or rendering a short video. In multithreaded scenarios (like exporting a project in Premiere Pro), frequency drops to 2.8-3.2 GHz.
Use Cases: Who is the i7-1065G7 relevant for in 2025?
1. Students and Office Workers — working with documents, online courses, video conferences.
2. Travelers — compact ultrabooks with this processor weigh 1.2-1.5 kg and operate for 8-10 hours on battery.
3. Casual Gamers — games like Stardew Valley or Minecraft.
Not suitable for:
- 4K video editing in DaVinci Resolve;
- Running modern games like Cyberpunk 2077.
Battery Life: 8-10 hours under ideal conditions
With moderate usage (screen brightness at 150 nits, Wi-Fi, browsing), laptops with this processor last 8-10 hours. However, consider:
- Enabling turbo mode reduces battery life by 20-30%.
- Power-saving technologies:
- Intel Speed Shift — dynamic frequency adjustment;
- Dynamic Tuning — adaptation to load in real-time.
Tip: Disable Turbo Boost in power settings to extend battery life to 12 hours (at the cost of reduced performance).
Comparison with Competitors
AMD Ryzen 7 4800U (2020)
- Pros: 8 cores, 16 threads; better for multithreaded tasks.
- Cons: Weaker integrated graphics Vega 8.
Price of laptops with Ryzen 7 4800U in 2025: starting at $600 (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad 5).
Apple M1 (2020)
- Pros: 2-3 times higher performance per watt; 18 hours of battery life.
- Cons: Limited compatibility with Windows programs.
Price of MacBook Air M1: starting from $799 (used — from $400).
Intel Core i7-1165G7 (Tiger Lake)
A newer architecture with Iris Xe graphics (96 EU). The difference in gaming can reach up to 40% in favor of the i7-1165G7. Laptops with this chip start at $700.
Pros and Cons
Strengths:
- Good integrated graphics for casual gaming;
- Support for Thunderbolt 3 (connection of external GPUs or 5K monitors);
- Low power consumption.
Weaknesses:
- Only 4 cores — struggling with multithreaded tasks;
- Heat under prolonged load;
- Outdated process compared to Apple’s 5-nm chips and AMD’s 4-nm.
Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop
1. Device Type: ultrabooks (ASUS ZenBook, Dell XPS 13) or 2-in-1 hybrids (HP Spectre x360).
2. Cooling: choose models with a fan rather than passive cooling — this will decrease throttling.
3. Screen: IPS matrix with brightness of at least 300 nits.
4. Memory and SSD: at least 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB NVMe.
Average price for new laptops with i7-1065G7 in 2025: $550-800.
Examples of models:
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 — $699, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD;
- Acer Swift 3 — $599, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD.
Final Conclusion
The Intel Core i7-1065G7 in 2025 is a choice for those looking for an affordable laptop for basic tasks. Its key advantages include:
- Sufficient performance for office work;
- Support for modern interfaces (Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6);
- Acceptable graphics for casual gaming.
However, if you need power for video editing or gaming, consider more modern processors: AMD Ryzen 5 7640U or Intel Core Ultra 5 125U. In the segment under $800, the i7-1065G7 remains a "nothing extra" option, especially if battery life and portability are more important than raw performance.