Intel Celeron G6900E vs Intel Core i5-7400T Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between the Intel Core i5-7400T and the Intel Celeron G6900E is heavily lopsided in one direction. Across the eight recorded head-to-head tests, the Core i5-7400T wins seven of them, while the Celeron G6900E takes only a single victory. That one win is significant, but it is the exception, not the pattern.

The Core i5-7400T dominates every Cinebench workload in the database. In Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 multicore, R20 singlecore, R23 multicore, and R23 singlecore, the i5-7400T wins each time with deltas ranging from 9.6% to 9.8%. It also wins Geekbench multicore with a 6% advantage. The margin pattern is consistent: the i5-7400T leads by roughly 9.6% in most Cinebench tests, which indicates a systematic performance edge across render workloads rather than a test-specific anomaly.

The Celeron G6900E claims Geekbench singlecore as its only win. It scores 1561 against 1014 for the i5-7400T, a delta of -35% from the perspective of the i5-7400T, meaning the Celeron is 35% ahead in that specific test. This is a substantial single-thread victory and the defining strength of the Alder Lake part.

The use-case split follows directly from those results. For multi-threaded and most single-threaded render workloads, the i5-7400T is the clear choice. For applications that resemble Geekbench singlecore, the Celeron G6900E shows a decisive advantage. The data suggests the i5-7400T is the broader performer, while the Celeron has a narrow but striking specialty.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-7400T wins the overall matchup. It wins seven of eight benchmark comparisons, including all six Cinebench tests and Geekbench multicore. Its average benchmark score across the database is 1348, placing it at the 36th percentile of all CPUs. The Celeron G6900E averages 1321 and sits at the 35th percentile. The difference in average score is 27 points, roughly 2%, which is small in aggregate but masks the distribution of wins.

The i5-7400T is the safer recommendation for mixed workloads where Cinebench-style rendering and multi-core performance matter. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-4670 with an average score of 1347 and a delta of 0%, the Intel Xeon W-2104 at 1350 with a -0.1% delta, the Intel Core i5-4590T at 1340 with a 0.6% delta, and the Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3 at 1357 with a -0.6% delta. These numbers show the i5-7400T sits in a tightly packed cluster; its performance is essentially at parity with several older quad-core parts.

The Celeron G6900E is the choice only if Geekbench singlecore is the primary workload. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Celeron G6900T at 1321 with a 0% delta, the Intel Core i5-4570R at 1318 with a 0.2% delta, the Intel Core i7-3770T at 1314 with a 0.6% delta, and the Intel Core i5-2500K at 1329 with a -0.6% delta. The Celeron also lands in a tight cluster, but its 1561 Geekbench singlecore score is the outlier that defines its identity.

The verdict from the recorded data: the i5-7400T for general compute and rendering, the Celeron G6900E only for workloads that mirror Geekbench singlecore. The 35% single-core delta is too large to ignore, but it does not compensate for losing the other seven tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the Intel Core i5-7400T appears in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i5-7400T scores 401 against 366 for the Celeron G6900E, a 9.6% delta. The same 9.6% delta recurs in Cinebench R20 multicore with scores of 1672 and 1525, and in Cinebench R23 multicore with scores of 3981 and 3632. The consistency of the 9.6% delta across three different Cinebench versions indicates the multi-core advantage is stable across render engines and versions.

In single-core Cinebench tests, the i5-7400T wins with a 9.8% delta. Cinebench R15 singlecore shows 56 against 51, R20 singlecore shows 236 against 215, and R23 singlecore shows 562 against 512. The delta is 9.8% in all three, slightly higher than the multi-core margin. This is notable: the i5-7400T does not merely win multi-threaded tests, it wins Cinebench single-core tests by a hair more.

Geekbench multicore is the smallest win for the i5-7400T. It scores 2864 against 2702 for the Celeron G6900E, a 6% delta. This is a narrower margin than any Cinebench result, suggesting the two processors are closer in this workload, but the i5-7400T still leads.

The Celeron G6900E's single win is Geekbench singlecore, and it is dramatic. The Celeron scores 1561, the i5-7400T scores 1014, and the delta from the i5-7400T perspective is -35%. That is a 547-point gap, the largest absolute difference in any head-to-head test. The i5-7400T's Geekbench singlecore score of 1014 is lower than its own Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 562 when normalized differently, but the direct comparison is what matters: the Celeron is 35% faster in this one test.

The overall pattern in the head-to-head data: the i5-7400T wins by a consistent 9.6% to 9.8% across Cinebench, wins by 6% in Geekbench multicore, and loses by 35% in Geekbench singlecore. The Celeron's architecture has a clear single-core strength, but it is isolated to one benchmark family.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-7400T wins seven of the eight head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Celeron G6900E wins only Geekbench singlecore.

Q: How big is the Celeron's single-core win?

A: In Geekbench singlecore, the Celeron G6900E scores 1561 against 1014 for the i5-7400T, a delta of -35% from the i5-7400T's perspective.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores?

A: The i5-7400T has an average benchmark score of 1348, and the Celeron G6900E has an average of 1321. The i5-7400T sits at the 36th percentile of all CPUs, the Celeron at the 35th.

Q: How consistent is the i5-7400T's lead in Cinebench?

A: The i5-7400T leads by 9.6% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multicore, and by 9.8% in all three single-core versions. The margins are nearly identical across every Cinebench test.

Q: Does the Celeron win any multi-core test?

A: No. The Celeron G6900E loses every multi-core test in the database, including Geekbench multicore where it scores 2702 against 2864 for the i5-7400T, a 6% deficit.

Q: How do the two compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i5-7400T matches the Intel Core i5-4670 at a 0% delta, with the Xeon W-2104 at -0.1%, the Core i5-4590T at 0.6%, and the Xeon E3-1226 v3 at -0.6%. The Celeron G6900E matches the Celeron G6900T at 0%, with the Core i5-4570R at 0.2%, the Core i7-3770T at 0.6%, and the Core i5-2500K at -0.6%.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and process nodes. The Intel Core i5-7400T is a Kaby Lake part on a 14 nm process, released in January 2017. The Intel Celeron G6900E is an Alder Lake-S part on a 10 nm process, released in January 2022. The process node difference of 14 nm versus 10 nm is the clearest architectural distinction.

Core and thread counts differ. The i5-7400T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900E has 2 cores and 2 threads. The i5-7400T doubles the core count. The base clock of the i5-7400T is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The Celeron G6900E has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and no boost clock listed in the database.

Cache configurations are also distinct. The i5-7400T has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The Celeron G6900E has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Celeron has more L1 and L2 per core, but the i5-7400T has more total L3.

Both use dual-channel memory, but the Celeron supports DDR4 and DDR5 while the i5-7400T only lists DDR4. The i5-7400T has a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s; the Celeron has no bandwidth figure recorded. Neither supports ECC memory.

PCIe capabilities differ. The i5-7400T uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Celeron G6900E uses PCIe Gen 5, a much newer standard. Integrated graphics also differ: the i5-7400T has HD 630, the Celeron has UHD Graphics 710.

Power and socket are further distinctions. The i5-7400T has a 35 W TDP and uses Intel Socket 1151. The Celeron G6900E has a 46 W TDP and uses Intel Socket 1700. The Celeron consumes more power despite having fewer cores, which reflects its newer architecture and higher base clock.

The production status for both is listed as Active. The i5-7400T has a part number of SR332; the Celeron has no part number recorded. The Celeron's higher base clock and larger per-core caches likely explain its Geekbench singlecore advantage, while the i5-7400T's additional cores and larger L3 explain its multi-core wins. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The i5-7400T is a Kaby Lake Core i5, the Celeron is an Alder Lake-S Celeron, and those architectural lineages define their respective benchmark profiles.