Intel Celeron G6900T vs Intel Core i5-7400T Comparison

The Intel Core i5-7400T and Intel Celeron G6900T are both 35-watt desktop processors, but they come from different eras and different design philosophies. The i5-7400T is a Kaby Lake part from 2017 with four cores, while the Celeron G6900T is an Alder Lake part from 2022 with two cores. The benchmark data shows the i5-7400T winning six of seven head-to-head tests, with the Celeron taking a single victory in Geekbench single-core. The average benchmark scores are close, 1348 for the i5-7400T against 1321 for the Celeron, placing both near the 35th and 36th percentiles of all CPUs respectively.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split. The Intel Core i5-7400T is the stronger processor for multi-threaded workloads. It wins Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests by 27.7% each, and Geekbench multi-core by 16.4%. For users running rendering, encoding, or other parallel tasks, the i5-7400T is the better choice.

The Intel Celeron G6900T, however, posts a notable single-core win in Geekbench, scoring 1422 against 1014, a 28.7% advantage. That result reflects the newer Alder Lake architecture and its higher 2.80 GHz base clock. In Cinebench single-core tests, though, the i5-7400T wins by 27.7% to 28.3%. The single-core picture is mixed, and the choice depends on which benchmark family matters more.

For buyers with a Socket 1151 platform, the i5-7400T is the obvious pick. For those building on Socket 1700, the Celeron G6900T is the only one of the two that fits. The i5-7400T has a 6 MB shared L3 cache against 4 MB on the Celeron, and it offers four cores versus two. The Celeron counters with DDR5 support and PCIe Gen 5. The launch MSRP of the Celeron G6900T is $42.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-7400T wins all multi-core tests. It leads by 27.7% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core, and by 16.4% in Geekbench multi-core.

Q: Which processor wins in single-core performance?

A: It depends on the test. The i5-7400T wins Cinebench R20 single-core by 28.3% and R23 single-core by 27.7%. The Celeron G6900T wins Geekbench single-core by 28.7%.

Q: Do these processors use the same socket?

A: No. The i5-7400T uses Intel Socket 1151, while the Celeron G6900T uses Intel Socket 1700. They are not interchangeable.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The i5-7400T supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Celeron G6900T supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The i5-7400T has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Celeron G6900T has 2 cores and 2 threads.

Q: What is the TDP of each processor?

A: Both processors have a TDP of 35 watts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The i5-7400T is built on Kaby Lake using Intel's 14 nm process. The Celeron G6900T is built on Alder Lake-S using Intel's 10 nm process. This generational gap explains several differences in cache layout and feature support.

The i5-7400T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900T has 2 cores and 2 threads. The i5-7400T's cache is organized as 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 6 MB L3. The Celeron G6900T has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with a shared 4 MB L3. The larger per-core L2 on the Celeron reflects the newer architecture, but the i5-7400T's larger shared L3 gives it an advantage in workloads that benefit from a bigger pool of shared cache.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The i5-7400T pairs with HD 630 graphics, while the Celeron G6900T uses UHD Graphics 710. Both are integrated solutions, but they belong to different graphics generations.

The memory controllers differ. The i5-7400T supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel memory and a measured bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Celeron G6900T supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, though no bandwidth figure is recorded in the database. The PCIe support also differs: the i5-7400T offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Celeron G6900T offers Gen 5.

The release dates are far apart. The i5-7400T was released on January 2, 2017, and the Celeron G6900T on January 3, 2022. Both are listed as Active in production status.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The i5-7400T has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Celeron G6900T has 2 cores and 2 threads. The base clock of the i5-7400T is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The Celeron G6900T has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and no boost clock listed.

The socket is different: Intel Socket 1151 for the i5-7400T, Intel Socket 1700 for the Celeron G6900T. The architecture is Kaby Lake for the i5-7400T and Alder Lake for the Celeron G6900T. The process node is 14 nm for the i5-7400T and 10 nm for the Celeron G6900T.

Cache configurations differ. The i5-7400T has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. The Celeron G6900T has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3.

Memory support differs. The i5-7400T supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Celeron G6900T supports DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory, with no bandwidth figure recorded.

PCIe support differs. The i5-7400T has Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Celeron G6900T has Gen 5.

Integrated graphics differ. The i5-7400T uses HD 630, while the Celeron G6900T uses UHD Graphics 710.

The release dates differ by five years: January 2, 2017 for the i5-7400T, and January 3, 2022 for the Celeron G6900T. The Celeron G6900T has a launch MSRP of $42. The i5-7400T has no launch MSRP recorded.

Both processors have a TDP of 35 watts, neither has an unlocked multiplier, and neither supports ECC memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows the i5-7400T winning six of seven tests. The Celeron G6900T wins one.

The i5-7400T's largest win comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it scores 236 against 184, a 28.3% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-7400T scores 401 against 314, a 27.7% lead. The same 27.7% margin appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core (1672 vs 1309), Cinebench R23 multi-core (3981 vs 3117), and Cinebench R23 single-core (562 vs 440). In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-7400T scores 2864 against 2460, a 16.4% lead.

The Celeron G6900T's only win is in Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1422 against 1014, a 28.7% advantage. This is the largest margin in either direction across all tests.

The average benchmark scores reflect the overall balance. The i5-7400T has an average benchmark score of 1348, placing it at the 36th percentile of all CPUs. The Celeron G6900T has an average score of 1321, placing it at the 35th percentile. The nearest rivals for the i5-7400T 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 delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i5-4590T at 1340 with a delta of 0.6%, and the Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3 at 1357 with a delta of -0.6%. The Celeron G6900T's nearest rivals include the Intel Celeron G6900E at 1321 with a delta of 0%, the Intel Core i5-4570R at 1318 with a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core i7-3770T at 1314 with a delta of 0.6%, and the Intel Core i5-2500K at 1329 with a delta of -0.6%.

The pattern is consistent. In Cinebench workloads, the i5-7400T holds a steady 27.7% to 28.3% advantage across both single-core and multi-core tests. The Celeron G6900T only breaks through in Geekbench single-core, where its newer architecture and higher base clock produce a 28.7% win. The i5-7400T's four cores give it a decisive edge in multi-threaded tests, and its higher boost clock of 3.00 GHz helps in Cinebench single-core tests despite a lower base clock of 2.40 GHz.

For users who prioritize Geekbench single-core performance, the Celeron G6900T is the better option. For everything else in the recorded data, the i5-7400T is ahead. The 16.4% Geekbench multi-core win for the i5-7400T is its smallest margin, but it is still a clear victory. The Celeron's single win, while significant at 28.7%, does not offset the i5-7400T's dominance across the other six tests.