CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i3-10100 and Intel Core i5-5675C present a fascinating generational clash. The data shows a clear split: the older Broadwell part dominates in most Cinebench tests, while the newer Comet Lake chip wins in Geekbench multi-core. Both CPUs sit at the 41st percentile among all processors, with average benchmark scores of 1742 and 1759 respectively, indicating they occupy a similar overall performance tier despite their divergent architectures.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-5675C is the clear victor in rendering workloads. Cinebench results show a consistent and massive advantage across every version of the test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-5675C scores 4912 against the i3-10100's 2564, a 47.8% margin. The same pattern holds in Cinebench R20 multi-core (2063 vs 1076) and Cinebench R15 multi-core (495 vs 258). This is not a marginal lead; it is a dominant one that suggests the i5-5675C's architecture handles sustained multi-threaded loads far more efficiently.

Surprisingly, the i5-5675C also wins in Cinebench single-core tests. It scores 693 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 362 for the i3-10100, again a 47.8% difference. The i5-5675C also takes Cinebench R20 single-core (291 vs 152) and even Cinebench R15 single-core (69 vs 88, a rare i3 win). The pattern is odd: the i5-5675C wins most single-core Cinebench tests by huge margins, yet loses the Geekbench single-core test narrowly.

The i3-10100's wins are fewer but meaningful. It takes Geekbench multi-core with a score of 4495 against 4159, an 8.1% advantage. It also wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 27.5% (88 vs 69). These wins point toward scenarios where the i3-10100's higher clock speeds and Hyper-Threading prove beneficial. The i3-10100 boosts to 4.30 GHz compared to the i5-5675C's 3.60 GHz, a difference that likely explains its Geekbench multi-core success.

The benchmark split suggests the i5-5675C excels in Cinebench's specific workload, which is heavily optimized for certain instruction sets and cache hierarchies. The i3-10100's advantage in Geekbench multi-core indicates it handles more general-purpose parallel tasks better, likely due to its 8 threads versus the i5-5675C's 4 threads. The data does not support a simple "newer is better" narrative; instead, it reveals two very different processors optimized for different types of workloads.

The Verdict

The data points to the i5-5675C as the superior choice for Cinebench rendering tasks. Its scores are consistently 47.8% higher across R20 and R23 multi-core tests, a staggering margin that no other benchmark in this comparison comes close to matching. Users whose primary workload involves Cinebench-style rendering should select the i5-5675C without hesitation, as the benchmark results are unambiguous.

The i3-10100 is the better option for general-purpose multi-threaded applications, as evidenced by its 8.1% Geekbench multi-core win. Its 8 threads versus the i5-5675C's 4 threads provide a structural advantage in parallel workloads that do not rely on Cinebench's specific optimization patterns. The i3-10100 also offers a 27.5% win in Cinebench R15 single-core, suggesting it has superior short-burst single-thread performance.

Both CPUs sit at the 41st percentile, making them equivalent in overall standing. The i5-5675C has a slightly higher average benchmark score (1759 vs 1742), but this difference is minimal. The decision comes down to workload: Cinebench-heavy users choose the i5-5675C, while users with mixed or general-purpose tasks should consider the i3-10100's Geekbench multi-core advantage. The i5-5675C's unlocked multiplier also allows for overclocking, a feature absent from the i3-10100, which could further extend its lead in rendering tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the i5-5675C comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 4912 against 2564, a 47.8% delta. This is mirrored in Cinebench R20 multi-core (2063 vs 1076, 47.8% delta) and Cinebench R20 single-core (291 vs 152, 47.8% delta). The consistency of the 47.8% figure across these three tests is striking and suggests a systematic architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific anomaly.

The i5-5675C also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by the same 47.8% margin (693 vs 362). This is particularly notable because the i3-10100 has a higher boost clock (4.30 GHz vs 3.60 GHz), yet still loses decisively. The i5-5675C's Broadwell architecture appears to have superior instruction-level efficiency in Cinebench's single-threaded path, despite the i3-10100's clock speed advantage.

The i3-10100's biggest win is in Geekbench multi-core, where it scores 4495 against 4159, an 8.1% delta. This win is modest compared to the i5-5675C's Cinebench margins, but it demonstrates that the i3-10100's 8 threads provide a real benefit in certain multi-threaded scenarios. The i3-10100 also wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 27.5% (88 vs 69), a rare bright spot in the Cinebench suite.

The narrowest margin is in Geekbench single-core, where the i5-5675C wins 1388 to 1350, a 2.7% delta. This is the closest result in the head-to-head data and suggests that in pure single-threaded Geekbench tasks, the two CPUs are nearly equivalent, with the i5-5675C holding a slight edge.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmarks overall?

A: The Intel Core i5-5675C wins 6 out of 8 head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Core i3-10100 wins the remaining 2.

Q: Does the i3-10100 ever beat the i5-5675C in Cinebench?

A: Yes, in Cinebench R15 single-core, the i3-10100 scores 88 versus 69 for the i5-5675C, a 27.5% advantage. In all other Cinebench tests, the i5-5675C wins by 47.8%.

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The i5-5675C has an average benchmark score of 1759, while the i3-10100 has an average of 1742. Both CPUs rank at the 41st percentile among all processors.

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

A: The i3-10100 wins Geekbench multi-core with a score of 4495 versus 4159 for the i5-5675C, an 8.1% difference.

Q: Is the i5-5675C's Cinebench lead consistent across versions?

A: Yes, the 47.8% delta appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, and R23 single-core. The R15 multi-core test shows a similar 47.9% delta.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The i3-10100 uses Comet Lake, a 14 nm process design with a 65 W TDP, while the i5-5675C uses Broadwell, also on a 14 nm process and also 65 W TDP. Both are manufactured by Intel, but their internal designs differ significantly.

The i3-10100 features 4 cores and 8 threads, a configuration that enables simultaneous multi-threading. Its L3 cache is 6 MB shared, and it has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. The i5-5675C has 4 cores and 4 threads, with no multi-threading support. Its L3 cache is smaller at 4 MB shared, but it shares the same L1 and L2 per-core sizes of 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. The i5-5675C has a die size of 182 mm², while the i3-10100's die size is not specified in the data.

Memory support differs substantially. The i3-10100 supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The i5-5675C supports DDR3 memory, also dual-channel, but with a lower bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. This memory bandwidth difference could contribute to the i3-10100's Geekbench multi-core advantage, as faster memory access benefits general-purpose parallel workloads.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i3-10100 includes UHD Graphics 630, while the i5-5675C features Iris Pro Graphics 6200. The i5-5675C has an unlocked multiplier, allowing for overclocking, while the i3-10100's multiplier is locked. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU and neither supports ECC memory.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in several key specifications. The i3-10100 has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, while the i5-5675C has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The i3-10100's higher clocks give it a frequency advantage, but this does not translate into Cinebench superiority.

Thread counts differ: the i3-10100 has 8 threads, the i5-5675C has 4. The i3-10100 uses Socket 1200, while the i5-5675C uses Socket 1150. The i3-10100 has 6 MB of L3 cache, the i5-5675C has 4 MB. The i3-10100 supports DDR4 memory, the i5-5675C supports DDR3. Memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s for the i3-10100 and 25.6 GB/s for the i5-5675C.

The i5-5675C has a launch MSRP of $276, while no launch MSRP is listed for the i3-10100. The i5-5675C has an unlocked multiplier; the i3-10100 does not. The i5-5675C's die size is 182 mm², a figure not provided for the i3-10100. The i3-10100 was released on 2020-04-29, while the i5-5675C was released on 2015-05-14. Both have a TDP of 65 W and are marked as Active in production status.