Intel Core 7 360 vs Intel Core i7-9700 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core 7 360 leads with a score of 1924, which is 21.7% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700's 1581.

Q: Does the newer Core 7 360 have more cores than the i7-9700?

A: No. The i7-9700 has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Core 7 360 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in data encryption workloads?

A: The Intel Core 7 360 scores 11164 in PassMark data encryption, which is 158.3% higher than the i7-9700's 4322. This is the largest single benchmark delta between the two.

Q: Are both processors currently in production?

A: No. The Core 7 360 is marked as Active, with a release date of April 2026, while the i7-9700 is End-of-life, having been released in April 2019.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The Core 7 360 has a single-channel memory bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-9700 has a dual-channel bus with 42.7 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Core 7 360 averages 18374, which is 1.1% above the i7-9700's 18180. Both sit at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core 7 360 uses the Wildcat Lake codename and is built on a 3 nm process node, while the Intel Core i7-9700 uses the Coffee Lake architecture on a 14 nm node. This process gap is substantial and explains much of the efficiency and clock behavior difference between the two parts. The Core 7 360 has a base clock of 1.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, while the i7-9700 runs at 3.00 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost.

The cache layouts diverge significantly. The Core 7 360 provides 192 KB of L1 per core and 2.5 MB of L2 per core, but only 6 MB of shared L3. The i7-9700 has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. This means the older desktop chip has twice the L3 capacity, while the newer mobile chip has far larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations.

Memory support also differs. The Core 7 360 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X over a single-channel bus, delivering 59.7 GB/s. The i7-9700 supports DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, delivering 42.7 GB/s. Despite the single-channel limitation, the newer memory type gives the Core 7 360 a bandwidth advantage of 17.0 GB/s.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Core 7 360 carries Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores, while the i7-9700 uses UHD Graphics 630. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The Core 7 360 uses Intel BGA 1516 and is a mobile part, while the i7-9700 uses Intel Socket 1151 and is a desktop part, which means they are not socket-compatible.

The Core 7 360 is a 15 W TDP part, while the i7-9700 is rated at 65 W. The i7-9700 has a die size of 180.3 mm², while no die size is recorded for the Core 7 360. PCIe connectivity also differs: the Core 7 360 offers Gen 4 with 6 CPU lanes, while the i7-9700 offers Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Core 7 360 wins 13 of the 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, with the i7-9700 taking the remaining 4. The most dominant area for the newer chip is single-thread performance. In PassMark single-thread, the Core 7 360 scores 4274 against 2756, a 55.1% advantage. This pattern repeats across Cinebench single-core tests: R15 shows 193 vs 159 (21.4% ahead), R20 shows 808 vs 664 (21.7% ahead), and R23 shows 1924 vs 1581 (21.7% ahead).

Multi-core Cinebench results also favor the Core 7 360 despite its lower core count. In R15, the Core 7 360 scores 1374 against 1128, a 21.8% lead. R20 shows 5726 vs 4704 (21.7% ahead), and R23 shows 13634 vs 11200 (21.7% ahead). The consistent 21.7% delta across R20 and R23 suggests a uniform clock or IPC advantage rather than a workload-specific effect.

The encryption test produces the largest gap in the entire comparison. The Core 7 360 scores 11164 in PassMark data encryption, which is 158.3% higher than the i7-9700's 4322. Prime number finding also favors the newer chip: 120 vs 48, a 150% lead. Floating-point math shows a 31.5% advantage (44963 vs 34187), and physics simulation shows a 47.9% advantage (1213 vs 820). PassMark multithread lands at 15544 vs 13223, a 17.6% lead for the Core 7 360.

The i7-9700 wins in four workload types. Data compression is its best result: 181411 vs 142877, a 21.2% lead. Random string sorting goes to the i7-9700 at 23482 vs 17636, a 24.9% margin. Integer math favors the older chip at 40138 vs 34238, a 14.7% lead, and extended instructions go to the i7-9700 at 14488 vs 12390, a 14.5% margin. These wins cluster around memory-latency-sensitive or highly parallel integer tasks, where the i7-9700's larger L3 cache and dual-channel memory bus likely help.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on every major specification field except manufacturer, ECC support, and unlocked multiplier status.

• Cores: 6 (Core 7 360) vs 8 (i7-9700)
• Threads: 6 vs 8
• Base clock: 1.50 GHz vs 3.00 GHz
• Boost clock: 4.80 GHz vs 4.70 GHz
• TDP: 15 W vs 65 W
• Socket: Intel BGA 1516 vs Intel Socket 1151
• Codename: Wildcat Lake vs Coffee Lake
• Process node: 3 nm vs 14 nm
• Die size: not recorded vs 180.3 mm²
• L1 cache per core: 192 KB vs 64 KB
• L2 cache per core: 2.5 MB vs 256 KB
• L3 cache: 6 MB shared vs 12 MB shared
• Memory support: DDR5, LPDDR5X vs DDR4
• Memory bus: Single-channel vs Dual-channel
• Memory bandwidth: 59.7 GB/s vs 42.7 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 4, 6 lanes vs Gen 3, 16 lanes
• Integrated graphics: Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe) vs UHD Graphics 630
• Market segment: Mobile vs Desktop
• Production status: Active vs End-of-life
• Release date: April 2026 vs April 2019
• Part number: SAE3E vs SRG13

The launch MSRP for the Core 7 360 is $426, while the i7-9700 launched at $333. Both have a 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The Core 7 360 is the clear choice for single-thread-bound workloads. Its 55.1% lead in PassMark single-thread and consistent 21.7% margins across all Cinebench single-core tests make it the stronger option for lightly threaded applications such as web browsing, office productivity, and legacy single-threaded software. The physics test result also stands out: a 47.9% advantage (1213 vs 820) suggests strong performance in simulation and game-physics workloads that rely heavily on per-core efficiency.

For encryption and security-related tasks, the Core 7 360 is in a different class entirely. The 158.3% lead in data encryption and the 150% lead in prime number finding indicate that its newer instruction set and architectural improvements deliver outsized gains in these specific workloads. Floating-point math also favors the Core 7 360 by 31.5%, making it the better part for scientific computation and numerical analysis.

The i7-9700 wins where raw core count and cache capacity matter more than per-core speed. Its 8 cores and 12 MB L3 cache help in data compression, where it leads by 21.2%, and in random string sorting, where it leads by 24.9%. Integer math also goes to the i7-9700 by 14.7%, and extended instructions by 14.5%. These are throughput-oriented tasks that can use all available cores and benefit from the larger shared cache.

The multithreaded PassMark score tells a nuanced story. The Core 7 360 wins at 15544 vs 13223, a 17.6% margin, despite having 2 fewer cores and 2 fewer threads. This indicates that its IPC advantage and higher boost clock overcome the core deficit in mixed workloads. However, the i7-9700's wins in compression and sorting show that certain parallel tasks still favor the older chip's core count and cache hierarchy.

For platform-level considerations, the Core 7 360 targets mobile with a 15 W TDP, while the i7-9700 is a desktop part at 65 W. The newer chip also brings PCIe Gen 4 and DDR5/LPDDR5X support, though with only 6 CPU lanes compared to the i7-9700's 16 Gen 3 lanes. The i7-9700 remains the better option for systems requiring extensive PCIe expansion, while the Core 7 360 is designed for efficiency and compact form factors.

The overall benchmark average is close: 18374 for the Core 7 360 vs 18180 for the i7-9700, a 1.1% difference. Both occupy the same percentile rank of 72. The Core 7 360's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i3-13100 (delta 0%), Intel Core 5 330 (0.2% faster), Intel Core i3-14100 (0.3% faster), and Intel Core 3 305 (0.4% faster). The i7-9700's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-1365U (delta 0%), AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (0% faster), Intel Core 5 315 (0% faster), and AMD EPYC 9274F (0% faster).