AMD Ryzen 7 2700U vs Intel Core i3-9100TE Comparison

AMD Ryzen 7 2700U and Intel Core i3-9100TE are two very different processors that happen to land in the same performance bracket. The data shows a 3-3 split in benchmark wins, but the nature of those wins tells the real story. The AMD part dominates older Cinebench R15 tests while the Intel part takes newer Cinebench R23 and Geekbench tests. This is not a simple "one is faster" comparison, it is a matter of workload and generation.

The average benchmark scores are close, with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U at 1415 and the Intel Core i3-9100TE at 1386. Both sit at the 37th percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they are near the middle of the pack. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2314 at 1415 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-2700K at 1419 (-0.3% delta). The Intel part's nearest rivals are older server chips like the AMD Opteron 6274 at 1387 (-0.1% delta) and the AMD Opteron 6238 at 1383 (0.3% delta). These are not modern competitors, which suggests both CPUs are entry-level or embedded parts by current standards.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the database is the Cinebench R15 single-core score. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U scores 143.5, while the Intel Core i3-9100TE scores 55. That is a 160.9% advantage for AMD, an enormous gap. This is likely a reflection of the Intel part's low clock speed under this specific test, as the R15 single-core test appears to heavily penalize it. The AMD part also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by a wide margin, scoring 644 versus 393, a 63.9% lead. In this older test, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is simply in a different class.

Moving to Cinebench R23, the picture flips. The Intel Core i3-9100TE scores 3900 in multi-core, beating the AMD's 3603 by 7.6%. In single-core R23, the AMD wins again, scoring 886 versus 550, a 61.1% advantage. The fact that AMD wins single-core in both R15 and R23, but loses multi-core in R23, is telling. It suggests the Intel part scales better with multiple threads in newer workloads, despite having fewer threads (4 versus 8).

Geekbench results favor Intel across the board. In multi-core, the Intel Core i3-9100TE scores 3214 against the AMD's 2411, a 25% lead. In single-core, Intel scores 1105 against 804, a 27.2% advantage. These are substantial wins, and they indicate that the Intel architecture handles modern integer and floating-point workloads more efficiently. The AMD part's wins are concentrated in legacy Cinebench R15, while Intel's wins are in the more modern R23 and Geekbench suites.

The benchmark results indicate a clear generational split. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U was released in 2017, and its Zen architecture shows its age in newer tests. The Intel Core i3-9100TE, released in 2019, benefits from a more recent design refresh. The data shows the AMD part has a 61.1% single-core advantage in R23, but that is largely because the Intel part's score of 550 is unusually low for a 4-core CPU. In contrast, the Geekbench single-core score of 1105 for Intel is more representative of its real-world capability, and it beats the AMD part's 804 by a significant margin.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from completely different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is a mobile part built on the Zen architecture with the codename Raven Ridge. It uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries and packs 4,950 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. The Intel Core i3-9100TE is a desktop part using the Coffee Lake architecture and also a 14 nm process, but from Intel's own fabs, with a smaller 126 mm² die. The transistor count for the Intel part is not listed, but the die size difference is significant.

The AMD part has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel part has 4 cores and 4 threads. This means the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U can process two threads per core, which is a major advantage in multi-threaded workloads. The Intel Core i3-9100TE lacks Hyper-Threading, so it is limited to 4 threads. Despite this, the Intel part still wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core and Geekbench multi-core, which shows that its individual cores are much more powerful.

Cache layouts differ as well. The AMD part has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a larger 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger L3 cache on the Intel part likely helps in workloads that benefit from more shared data, while the AMD part's larger L1 and L2 per core may help with latency-sensitive tasks.

Both support DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a listed memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The AMD part does not support ECC memory, while the Intel part does. This is a notable difference for embedded or server use cases where data integrity is critical. The PCIe configurations also differ, with the AMD part offering Gen 3, 8 lanes (CPU only) and the Intel part offering Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only). The Intel part has double the PCIe lanes, which matters for expansion cards or storage.

The integrated graphics are also different. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U uses Radeon RX Vega 10, which is generally considered a more capable iGPU for gaming or media tasks. The Intel Core i3-9100TE uses UHD Graphics 630, which is sufficient for basic display output but not for demanding graphics workloads. The AMD part is a mobile part with a 15 W TDP, while the Intel part is a desktop part with a 35 W TDP. This explains why the AMD part is designed for laptops and the Intel part for compact desktops or embedded systems.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U wins decisively in legacy Cinebench R15 tests. It scores 644 in multi-core and 143.5 in single-core, both far ahead of the Intel part. It also wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 886. These wins suggest the AMD part is better for older software that relies on single-threaded performance or is optimized for the Cinebench R15 rendering engine. The 8 threads of the AMD part also help in R15 multi-core, where it achieves a 63.9% lead over the Intel part.

The Intel Core i3-9100TE wins in more modern benchmarks. It scores 3900 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, beating the AMD part by 7.6%. It also wins Geekbench multi-core with a 25% lead and Geekbench single-core with a 27.2% lead. These results indicate the Intel part is better for current software, modern productivity applications, and any workload that uses the Geekbench test suite. The Intel part's higher clock speed, listed as 3.20 GHz boost versus the AMD's 3.80 GHz, is misleading because the benchmark results show Intel winning in newer tests despite a lower boost clock.

For a practical use-case split, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is the better choice for older applications, especially those that were designed around the Cinebench R15 era or that do not scale well with newer instruction sets. It also has a more capable integrated GPU, so it could handle light gaming or media playback better. The Intel Core i3-9100TE is the better choice for modern desktop workloads, including office productivity, web browsing, and any software that is optimized for current CPU architectures. Its ECC memory support also makes it suitable for entry-level servers or embedded systems where data reliability is a priority.

Specification Differences

The core specifications highlight how different these two parts are despite having the same core count. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U has 8 threads, while the Intel Core i3-9100TE has only 4 threads. The base clocks are identical at 2.20 GHz, but the boost clocks differ: the AMD part boosts to 3.80 GHz, while the Intel part boosts to 3.20 GHz. The AMD part has a 15 W TDP, the Intel part has a 35 W TDP. The AMD part uses AMD Socket FP5, the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1151.

The process nodes are both 14 nm, but the foundries differ: GlobalFoundries for AMD and Intel for Intel. The die sizes are 210 mm² for AMD and 126 mm² for Intel. The AMD part has 4,950 million transistors, while the Intel part's transistor count is not recorded. The cache layout differs, with AMD having 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, and Intel having 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. The L3 cache is 4 MB for AMD and 6 MB for Intel.

ECC memory support is a key differentiator: the AMD part does not support it, the Intel part does. PCIe lanes are also different, with AMD offering 8 lanes and Intel offering 16 lanes, both Gen 3. The integrated graphics are Radeon RX Vega 10 for AMD and UHD Graphics 630 for Intel. The market segments are mobile for AMD and desktop for Intel. The AMD part is listed as Active in production, while the Intel part is End-of-life. The release dates are 2017 for AMD and 2019 for Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U has 8 threads, while the Intel Core i3-9100TE has 4 threads.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-9100TE support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i3-9100TE supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U does not.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, compared to the Intel Core i3-9100TE's 3.20 GHz.

Q: Which CPU wins in Geekbench multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i3-9100TE wins Geekbench multi-core with a score of 3214, which is 25% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U's 2411.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U has a TDP of 15 W, while the Intel Core i3-9100TE has a TDP of 35 W.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i3-9100TE has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

The Verdict

The data shows a clear split based on workload era. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is the winner in older Cinebench R15 tests, with a 63.9% multi-core lead and a 160.9% single-core lead. It also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 61.1%. This makes it the better choice for legacy software and any application that relies on the older Cinebench rendering engine. Its 8 threads and higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz contribute to these wins.

The Intel Core i3-9100TE is the winner in modern tests. It leads by 7.6% in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 25% in Geekbench multi-core, and 27.2% in Geekbench single-core. This makes it the better choice for current software, modern productivity suites, and any workload that uses the Geekbench benchmark. Its ECC memory support and 16 PCIe lanes also make it more suitable for embedded or server applications.

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the AMD at 1415 and the Intel at 1386. The percentile ratings are also identical at 37%. This means the two CPUs are statistically equivalent in overall performance, but they achieve it in different ways. The AMD part relies on more threads and a higher clock speed, while the Intel part relies on more efficient cores and a larger L3 cache.

For a mobile user with older software, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is the obvious pick. For a desktop user with modern applications, the Intel Core i3-9100TE is the better choice. The Intel part is end-of-life, so new systems should consider alternatives, but the data shows it is the stronger performer in current benchmarks. The AMD part is still active, but its wins are concentrated in legacy tests, which may not reflect real-world modern usage. The verdict is simple: pick the AMD for compatibility with older workloads, pick the Intel for modern performance and ECC support.