Intel Celeron G5920 vs Intel Core i5-680 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a remarkably close contest between the Intel Celeron G5920 and the Intel Core i5-680, with the Celeron taking a narrow victory in every single benchmark. Across all five Cinebench tests, the Celeron G5920 wins five, while the Core i5-680 wins none. The margins, however, are extremely tight, ranging from a 0.3% difference to a 0.8% difference, which places these two processors in essentially the same performance tier.

In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, both processors score exactly 226 points, a perfect tie with a delta of 0%. The database awards the win to the Celeron G5920 based on the tie-break rule, but the practical performance is identical. Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Celeron G5920 scores 945 against the Core i5-680's 942, a lead of 0.3%. This translates to a three-point advantage, which is well within the margin of run-to-run variance for most workloads.

The single-core results follow the same pattern. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Celeron G5920 posts 133 points, while the Core i5-680 scores 132, giving the Celeron a 0.8% advantage. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test shows the Celeron G5920 at 2252 points versus 2243 for the Core i5-680, a 0.4% lead. Finally, in Cinebench R23 single-core, the Celeron G5920 scores 318 against 316, a 0.6% edge.

The aggregate benchmark score reinforces this picture. The Celeron G5920 carries an average benchmark score of 775, while the Core i5-680 sits at 772. Both processors occupy the 21st percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they are statistically indistinguishable in overall standing. The nearest rivals for the Celeron G5920 include the Intel Core i3-3250T at an identical 775, the Intel Pentium Silver J5005 at 776, and the AMD Athlon X4 760K at 777. The Core i5-680, for its part, lists the Celeron G5920 as a nearest rival with a delta of -0.4%, confirming that the database itself treats these two as direct competitors.

The Verdict

The benchmark data leads to a clear conclusion: the Intel Celeron G5920 is the superior processor in this matchup, but only by a hair. With five wins out of five head-to-head tests, the Celeron G5920 holds the overall edge. Its greatest advantage comes in single-core workloads, where it leads by 0.8% in Cinebench R20 and 0.6% in Cinebench R23. These gains, while small, are consistent across every test, indicating a slight architectural efficiency advantage in the newer Comet Lake design.

The Core i5-680, despite its higher base clock of 3.60 GHz versus the Celeron's 3.50 GHz, cannot translate that frequency advantage into a benchmark win. The Celeron G5920's newer 14 nm process node and newer architecture compensate for the clock deficit. The data shows the Core i5-680 is not a competitive choice against the Celeron G5920 in Cinebench workloads, though the margins are so slim that real-world differences would be imperceptible.

For users choosing between these two, the Celeron G5920 is the pick for anyone prioritizing raw benchmark scores, even marginally. The Core i5-680, however, offers Hyper-Threading with 4 threads against the Celeron's 2 threads, which could matter in specific multi-threaded scenarios not captured by Cinebench. The database, however, only records what the Cinebench tests show, and those records favor the Celeron G5920 in every instance. The Core i5-680 is also end-of-life in production status, while the Celeron G5920 remains active, making the newer part the more sensible choice from a longevity perspective.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from completely different architectural eras. The Intel Celeron G5920 is built on the Comet Lake architecture, released in 2020, while the Intel Core i5-680 uses the Westmere microarchitecture, codenamed Clarkdale, released in 2010. This ten-year gap manifests in the process node: the Celeron G5920 uses a 14 nm process, while the Core i5-680 uses a 32 nm process. The smaller node allows the Celeron to achieve comparable performance with a lower thermal design power of 58 watts against the Core i5-680's 73 watts.

The cache configurations differ significantly. The Celeron G5920 has a shared 2 MB L3 cache, while the Core i5-680 has a shared 4 MB L3 cache. Both processors have identical L1 and L2 cache sizes per core, at 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. The doubling of L3 cache in the Core i5-680 is notable, but it does not translate into a benchmark advantage in the recorded data.

Memory support marks a major architectural divergence. The Celeron G5920 supports DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the Core i5-680 supports DDR3 with a bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s. The Celeron's memory bandwidth is exactly double that of the Core i5-680, a substantial architectural advantage that likely contributes to its slightly higher single-core scores. Both processors use dual-channel memory buses.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Celeron G5920 features UHD 610, while the Core i5-680 has the older Intel HD graphics. PCIe support also differs: the Celeron G5920 runs Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the Core i5-680 runs Gen 2 with 16 lanes. The Core i5-680 has a documented transistor count of 382 million and a die size of 81 mm², while the Celeron G5920 has no recorded transistor or die size data in the database.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specification fields. The core and thread counts are the most significant: the Celeron G5920 has 2 cores and 2 threads, while the Core i5-680 has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Core i5-680 benefits from Hyper-Threading, doubling its thread count, yet this does not yield a win in any Cinebench multi-core test.

Clock speeds show a slight edge for the Core i5-680. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, compared to the Celeron G5920's 3.50 GHz. Additionally, the Core i5-680 has a boost clock of 3.87 GHz, while the Celeron G5920 has no boost clock capability at all. Despite these frequency advantages, the Celeron G5920 still wins every benchmark.

The thermal design power differs by 15 watts, with the Celeron G5920 at 58 watts and the Core i5-680 at 73 watts. The sockets are incompatible: the Celeron G5920 uses Intel Socket 1200, while the Core i5-680 uses Intel Socket 1156. The process node, as noted, is 14 nm for the Celeron and 32 nm for the Core i5-680. Memory support, memory bandwidth, PCIe generation, integrated graphics, and production status all differ as documented in the architecture section.

The release dates show a decade of separation: the Celeron G5920 launched in April 2020, while the Core i5-680 launched in April 2010. The Core i5-680 has a launch MSRP of $294, which may be stated once as historical context. The Celeron G5920 has no recorded launch MSRP. The Core i5-680 is marked as end-of-life, while the Celeron G5920 remains active in production.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Celeron G5920 wins all five head-to-head benchmark tests. It takes Cinebench R15 multi-core, R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, and R23 single-core, while the Intel Core i5-680 records zero wins.

Q: How large is the performance difference between the two processors?

A: The largest margin is 0.8% in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Celeron G5920 scores 133 against the Core i5-680's 132. The smallest margin is 0.3% in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with scores of 945 and 942. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test is a perfect tie at 226 points.

Q: Does the Core i5-680's higher clock speed give it an advantage?

A: No. The Core i5-680 has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 3.87 GHz, while the Celeron G5920 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and no boost clock. Despite this, the Celeron G5920 wins every benchmark, indicating that architectural efficiency outweighs raw clock speed.

Q: How do these processors compare in terms of thread count?

A: The Core i5-680 has 4 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, while the Celeron G5920 has only 2 threads. Both have 2 cores. The thread advantage does not produce a win for the Core i5-680 in any recorded multi-core benchmark.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The Celeron G5920 has an average benchmark score of 775, while the Core i5-680 has 772. This three-point difference places both in the 21st percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: Which processor has better memory bandwidth support?

A: The Celeron G5920 supports DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is exactly double the Core i5-680's DDR3 bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Celeron G5920 wins across the board in the recorded benchmarks. Its strongest showing is in single-core performance, where it leads by 0.8% in Cinebench R20 single-core and 0.6% in Cinebench R23 single-core. This makes it the better choice for lightly threaded applications that rely on single-thread responsiveness, such as everyday desktop tasks, web browsing, and older software that does not scale across multiple cores. The Celeron G5920 also wins in multi-core tests, with leads of 0.3% in R20 and 0.4% in R23, making it the preferable option for multi-threaded rendering workloads in Cinebench as well.

The Intel Core i5-680, despite losing every benchmark, has its own areas of theoretical advantage based on the specification data. Its 4 threads, enabled by Hyper-Threading, could provide better responsiveness in workloads that benefit from additional thread scheduling, even if Cinebench does not reward this capability. The Core i5-680's larger 4 MB L3 cache, double that of the Celeron G5920, could aid in scenarios with high cache reuse, though the benchmark results do not reflect this benefit. Its higher base and boost clocks, 3.60 GHz and 3.87 GHz respectively, give it a raw frequency advantage that might matter in latency-sensitive tasks, but the data shows this does not convert into Cinebench wins.

The Celeron G5920 also wins on efficiency and platform modernity. Its 14 nm process node and 58 watt TDP make it a cooler-running, lower-power option compared to the Core i5-680's 32 nm node and 73 watt TDP. The Celeron G5920's DDR4 support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 connectivity are substantial platform upgrades over the Core i5-680's DDR3 and PCIe Gen 2. The Celeron G5920 remains in active production, while the Core i5-680 is end-of-life. For any new system build, the Celeron G5920 is the clear recommendation from the recorded data, with the Core i5-680 serving only as a legacy platform option from a decade earlier.