Intel Celeron G6900 vs Intel Core i9-11900KB Comparison

The Intel Core i9-11900KB and Intel Celeron G6900 occupy opposite ends of Intel’s performance spectrum, yet both sit at the 61st percentile of all CPUs in the database. That shared percentile is misleading: the i9-11900KB’s average benchmark score of 5587 is only 0.5% higher than the Celeron G6900’s 5561, a margin that places them as direct rivals in aggregate scoring despite a 6:0 head-to-head benchmark win count for the i9. The data shows a clear verdict: the i9-11900KB is the choice for any workload that scales with cores, threads, or single-thread speed, while the Celeron G6900 is the pick only for systems where its 46 W TDP, active production status, and DDR5 support matter more than raw compute. The i9-11900KB wins every Cinebench test by margins between 407.2% and 408.9%, an extraordinary gap that no other metric in the pack can bridge.

The Verdict

Benchmark results indicate the Intel Core i9-11900KB is the overwhelming performance winner, taking all six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons. In multi-core workloads, the i9-11900KB scores 19316 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 3808 for the Celeron G6900, a 407.2% advantage. Single-core performance tells a similar story: the i9-11900KB reaches 2727 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Celeron G6900 manages 537, a 407.8% delta. The i9-11900KB’s 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a 5.30 GHz boost clock, explain these margins; the Celeron G6900 offers only 2 cores and 2 threads with a 3.40 GHz base clock and no boost.

However, the aggregate average benchmark scores nearly tie, with the i9-11900KB at 5587 and the Celeron G6900 at 5561. This happens because the Celeron G6900 has additional PassMark tests in its benchmark set — including data compression (44464), floating-point math (11956), and integer math (9577) — that the i9-11900KB lacks, pulling its average up. For users choosing strictly from this data, the i9-11900KB is the correct pick for rendering, compiling, or any multi-threaded task, where its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 8112 dwarfs the Celeron’s 1599. The Celeron G6900 is only preferable for systems requiring a 46 W TDP, DDR5 memory support, an active production status, or a desktop socket (Intel Socket 1700) — none of which affect benchmark scores but may affect platform compatibility.

The i9-11900KB’s nearest rivals include the Intel Atom x7433RE (avg score 5601, -0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-12700T (5606, -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 (5610, -0.4%), all of which are less than 1% away from its average. The Celeron G6900’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900X (5555, +0.1%), Intel Atom x7433RE (5601, -0.7%), and Intel Core i7-12700T (5606, -0.8%). This proximity in aggregate scores suggests that for mixed workloads, the i9-11900KB and Celeron G6900 may deliver similar overall throughput per benchmark suite, but the Cinebench results show the i9-11900KB is in a different class for CPU-bound tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The Intel Core i9-11900KB scores 2727 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Intel Celeron G6900 scores 537. The i9-11900KB leads by 407.8%.

Q: How do the two CPUs compare in multi-core performance?

A: The i9-11900KB dominates, scoring 19316 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 3808 for the Celeron G6900, a 407.2% delta. The i9-11900KB also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (1946 vs 383) and R20 multi-core (8112 vs 1599).

Q: Do the CPUs have similar average benchmark scores?

A: Yes, the i9-11900KB has an average benchmark score of 5587, and the Celeron G6900 has 5561, a difference of only 0.5%. Both sit at the 61st percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What memory types does each CPU support?

A: The i9-11900KB supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Celeron G6900 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but no memory bandwidth figure is listed.

Q: Which CPU has a higher core and thread count?

A: The i9-11900KB has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Celeron G6900 has 2 cores and 2 threads. The i9-11900KB also has a larger shared L3 cache of 24 MB versus 4 MB on the Celeron G6900.

Q: Are both CPUs unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. The i9-11900KB has an unlocked multiplier, while the Celeron G6900’s multiplier is locked.

Architecture Differences

The i9-11900KB uses Intel’s Tiger Lake architecture, specifically Tiger Lake-H, built on a 10 nm process with a die size of 190 mm². The Celeron G6900 uses Alder Lake, specifically Alder Lake-S, also on a 10 nm process, but its die size is not listed. The i9-11900KB is a mobile-market part with an Intel BGA 1787 socket, while the Celeron G6900 is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700. This socket difference means they are not interchangeable in any system.

The i9-11900KB’s L3 cache is 24 MB shared, versus 4 MB shared for the Celeron G6900 — a 6x difference. Both CPUs have identical per-core L1 (80 KB) and L2 (1.25 MB) caches. The i9-11900KB supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the Celeron G6900 supports PCIe Gen 5, though no lane count is given. The i9-11900KB integrates UHD Graphics 750, while the Celeron G6900 integrates UHD Graphics 710. Neither supports ECC memory.

The i9-11900KB’s TDP is 65 W, and its boost clock reaches 5.30 GHz from a 3.30 GHz base. The Celeron G6900 has a 46 W TDP, a 3.40 GHz base clock, and no boost clock listed. The i9-11900KB’s generation is listed as “Core i9 (Tiger Lake-H)” and the Celeron G6900’s as “Celeron (Alder Lake-S),” reflecting their separate product lines. The i9-11900KB is end-of-life, while the Celeron G6900 is active and was released on January 3, 2022.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every major specification field. The i9-11900KB has 8 cores and 16 threads; the Celeron G6900 has 2 cores and 2 threads. The i9-11900KB’s base clock is 3.30 GHz with a 5.30 GHz boost; the Celeron G6900’s base clock is 3.40 GHz with no boost clock. TDP differs: 65 W for the i9-11900KB versus 46 W for the Celeron G6900.

The socket and market segment diverge completely: Intel BGA 1787 and Mobile for the i9-11900KB, versus Intel Socket 1700 and Desktop for the Celeron G6900. The architecture and codename differ (Tiger Lake vs Alder Lake, Tiger Lake-H vs Alder Lake-S). The i9-11900KB has a 24 MB shared L3 cache; the Celeron G6900 has 4 MB. Memory support differs: the i9-11900KB supports only DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Celeron G6900 supports DDR4 and DDR5 with no bandwidth listed. PCIe generation differs: Gen 4 with 20 lanes for the i9-11900KB, Gen 5 for the Celeron G6900.

Integrated graphics differ: UHD Graphics 750 on the i9-11900KB, UHD Graphics 710 on the Celeron G6900. The i9-11900KB has an unlocked multiplier; the Celeron G6900 is locked. The i9-11900KB’s part number is SRKU4, and its launch MSRP is $539; the Celeron G6900’s part number is SRL67, and its launch MSRP is $52. The i9-11900KB is end-of-life with no release date; the Celeron G6900 is active with a release date of January 3, 2022.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i9-11900KB wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with deltas ranging from 407.2% to 408.9%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i9-11900KB scores 1946 against the Celeron G6900’s 383, a 408.1% lead. The single-core R15 test shows 274 versus 54, a 407.4% delta. The i9-11900KB’s multi-core advantage persists in R20 (8112 vs 1599, 407.3%) and single-core R20 (1145 vs 225, 408.9%). Cinebench R23 multi-core sees 19316 vs 3808 (407.2%), and single-core sees 2727 vs 537 (407.8%).

These deltas are remarkably consistent, clustering near 408% across all tests, which suggests the performance gap is primarily due to core count and clock speed rather than workload-specific optimizations. The i9-11900KB’s 3.30 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost, combined with 16 threads, produce roughly 5x the multi-core throughput of the Celeron G6900’s 2 threads at 3.40 GHz. The single-core deltas are nearly identical to multi-core deltas, indicating that even on a per-thread basis, the i9-11900KB’s Tiger Lake architecture at 5.30 GHz outperforms the Celeron G6900’s Alder Lake cores at 3.40 GHz.

The Celeron G6900 does have additional PassMark benchmarks that are not present for the i9-11900KB, including data compression (44464), data encryption (2235), extended instructions (4201), find prime numbers (34), floating-point math (11956), integer math (9577), multithread (4488), physics (407), random string sorting (5149), and single-thread (2709). These scores contribute to its average of 5561, but without comparable i9-11900KB data, they cannot be used for head-to-head comparison. The win count is 6 for the i9-11900KB and 0 for the Celeron G6900 across all available paired benchmarks.