Intel Celeron G6900E vs Intel Core i5-3570K Comparison

The Intel Celeron G6900E and the Intel Core i5-3570K represent two very different eras of Intel desktop silicon, separated by a decade of architectural evolution. The database records show a fascinating split: the older quad-core i5-3570K dominates the Cinebench suite, while the newer dual-core Celeron G6900E delivers a decisive victory in Geekbench, particularly in single-core tests. This comparison highlights how generational IPC gains and cache configurations can offset core count disadvantages, and how different benchmark methodologies can tell contrasting stories about the same two processors.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor based on the workload. The Intel Core i5-3570K wins six out of the eight recorded tests, claiming every single Cinebench benchmark (R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core variants). Its advantage in these tests ranges from 13.9% to 15%, which is consistent across the board. This suggests that the i5-3570K's four physical cores and higher base clock of 3.40 GHz, combined with a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, provide a sustained advantage in rendering workloads that scale well with core count and raw frequency.

Conversely, the Intel Celeron G6900E wins the two Geekbench tests, and it wins them decisively. In Geekbench multi-core, the Celeron scores 2702 against the i5-3570K's 2245, a 20.4% margin. The single-core Geekbench result is even more lopsided: the Celeron scores 1561 versus 776, representing a massive 101.2% advantage. This indicates that the Celeron G6900E, built on the Alder Lake architecture, has exceptionally strong single-threaded performance per clock, which Geekbench's methodology appears to reward more heavily than Cinebench does. For mixed workloads that leverage modern instruction sets and memory latency characteristics, the Celeron G6900E is the better performer; for sustained multi-threaded rendering, the older i5-3570K retains the lead.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural gap between these two CPUs is vast. The Celeron G6900E is built on Alder Lake architecture using Intel's 10 nm process node, while the i5-3570K uses the much older Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process. This process shrink allows the Celeron to achieve competitive performance with far lower power consumption, as evidenced by its 46 W TDP compared to the i5-3570K's 77 W TDP.

The core configurations differ significantly. The Celeron G6900E has 2 cores and 2 threads, while the i5-3570K has 4 cores and 4 threads. Despite having half the cores, the Celeron G6900E manages to win the Geekbench multi-core test, which speaks to the efficiency of its newer microarchitecture. The cache hierarchies also tell a story of generational change. The Celeron G6900E features 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 4 MB L3 cache. The i5-3570K has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a larger shared 6 MB L3 cache. The larger L3 on the i5 helps it in Cinebench, but the Celeron's per-core L2 is much more generous.

Memory support diverges completely. The Celeron G6900E supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the i5-3570K is limited to DDR3. The i5-3570K has a recorded memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, whereas no bandwidth figure is recorded for the Celeron. The Celeron also supports PCIe Gen 5, while the i5-3570K uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics differ as well: the Celeron G6900E uses UHD Graphics 710, while the i5-3570K uses Intel HD 4000. The i5-3570K is an unlocked multiplier part, while the Celeron G6900E is locked. The socket changes from Intel Socket 1155 on the older chip to Intel Socket 1700 on the newer one.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results consistently favor the Intel Core i5-3570K, with margins that hover around 14%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-3570K scores 425 against the Celeron G6900E's 366, a delta of -13.9% for the Celeron. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern: 60 points for the i5 versus 51 for the Celeron, a 15% deficit for the newer chip. These results reinforce that the i5-3570K's four cores and higher clocks (3.40 GHz base, 3.80 GHz boost) are enough to overcome the architectural advantages of the Celeron in this legacy rendering benchmark.

The Cinebench R20 results mirror the R15 data almost exactly. Multi-core scores are 1772 for the i5-3570K and 1525 for the Celeron G6900E, a -13.9% delta. Single-core R20 shows 250 versus 215, a -14% delta. Cinebench R23 follows the same trend, with multi-core scores of 4221 for the i5 and 3632 for the Celeron (-14%), and single-core scores of 596 versus 512 (-14.1%). The consistency of these deltas across all three Cinebench versions suggests that the benchmark's workload characteristics are stable across generations, and the i5-3570K simply has more resources to throw at it.

The Geekbench results completely invert the picture. In Geekbench multi-core, the Celeron G6900E scores 2702, beating the i5-3570K's 2245 by 20.4%. This is a substantial margin, especially considering the Celeron has only 2 cores versus 4 on the i5. The Geekbench single-core test shows the most dramatic difference of any benchmark in the comparison: the Celeron scores 1561 while the i5-3570K scores just 776, a 101.2% advantage for the Celeron. This means the Celeron G6900E is more than twice as fast as the i5-3570K in Geekbench's single-core test, which likely reflects the newer architecture's superior IPC, better branch prediction, and support for newer instruction sets that Geekbench exercises.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570K is faster, scoring 4221 compared to the Intel Celeron G6900E's 3632, a 14% advantage.

Q: How large is the Celeron G6900E's lead in Geekbench single-core?

A: The Celeron G6900E scores 1561 versus 776 for the i5-3570K, which is a 101.2% advantage, meaning it is more than twice as fast.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Intel Celeron G6900E supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the Intel Core i5-3570K supports only DDR3.

Q: Is the i5-3570K's larger L3 cache responsible for its Cinebench wins?

A: The i5-3570K has a shared 6 MB L3 cache versus 4 MB on the Celeron G6900E, which likely contributes to its multi-threaded rendering performance, along with its 4 cores versus 2.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The Intel Celeron G6900E has a TDP of 46 W, while the Intel Core i5-3570K has a TDP of 77 W.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-3570K has a base clock of 3.40 GHz, while the Intel Celeron G6900E has a base clock of 3.00 GHz. The i5-3570K also has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, whereas the Celeron has no recorded boost clock.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The core count is a primary differentiator: the Intel Celeron G6900E has 2 cores and 2 threads, while the Intel Core i5-3570K has 4 cores and 4 threads. The base clocks are close but not equal, with the Celeron at 3.00 GHz and the i5 at 3.40 GHz, plus a 3.80 GHz boost clock on the i5 that the Celeron lacks entirely. The TDP figures reflect the process node difference: 46 W for the Celeron G6900E (10 nm Alder Lake) versus 77 W for the i5-3570K (22 nm Ivy Bridge).

The cache layouts are distinctly different. The Celeron G6900E has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 4 MB of shared L3. The i5-3570K has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, with 6 MB of shared L3. The i5-3570K also has recorded transistor count of 1,400 million and a die size of 160 mm², while no such figures are recorded for the Celeron. Memory support is another major split: the Celeron supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the i5 supports only DDR3, with a recorded bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The PCIe generation differs as well: Gen 5 for the Celeron versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) for the i5.

The integrated graphics units are different models: UHD Graphics 710 on the Celeron G6900E versus Intel HD 4000 on the i5-3570K. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1700 for the Celeron and Intel Socket 1155 for the i5. The i5-3570K has an unlocked multiplier, while the Celeron G6900E is locked. The production status also differs: the Celeron is active, while the i5-3570K is end-of-life. The i5-3570K has a launch MSRP of $212, and its part number is SR0PM. The release dates are far apart: the i5-3570K released in 2012, while the Celeron G6900E released in 2022. The i5-3570K also has a larger recorded L3 cache at 6 MB versus the Celeron's 4 MB, and it supports dual-channel memory, as does the Celeron, though the i5 has a specific bandwidth figure recorded.