CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i3-10110Y and the Intel Core i7-940 are separated by over a decade of silicon evolution, yet their benchmark scores tell a surprisingly close story. The i3-10110Y, a 14nm Comet Lake-Y mobile part, edges out the 45nm Nehalem desktop processor in every single Cinebench test recorded, but the margins are razor-thin. Across five benchmarks, the i3-10110Y wins all five, with deltas ranging from 0.4% to 0.6%. This is not a generational gap; it is a statistical tie, with the newer chip consistently holding a microscopic lead that will not translate into perceptible real-world differences.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a clean sweep for the Intel Core i3-10110Y, though the victories are measured in fractions of a percent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i3-10110Y scores 265 against the i7-940’s 264, a delta of 0.4%. The story repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i3-10110Y posts 1108 versus 1102, a 0.5% advantage. Single-core results follow the same pattern: in Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-10110Y leads 156 to 155 (0.6% delta), and in Cinebench R23 single-core, it wins 372 to 370 (0.5%).

The most telling result is Cinebench R23 multi-core, the heaviest workload in the set. Here, the i3-10110Y scores 2640 against the i7-940’s 2626, a 0.5% margin. This is remarkable because the i7-940 has twice the cores and twice the threads. The i3-10110Y compensates for its 2-core/4-thread configuration with a 4.00 GHz boost clock versus the i7-940’s 3.20 GHz, and a much newer architecture. Yet the outcome is not a landslide; it is a near dead heat. The average benchmark score for the i3-10110Y is 908, while the i7-940 sits at 903, placing both at the 24th percentile of all CPUs. The i3-10110Y’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, matches its 908 average score exactly, while the i7-940’s closest competitor, the Intel Core i5-5350U, also posts 903.

Architecture Differences

The two processors belong to entirely different eras of Intel design. The i3-10110Y is built on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically Comet Lake-Y, using a 14nm process node from Intel’s own foundry. It is a mobile-oriented chip with a 9W TDP, designed for thin-and-light laptops. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. It features integrated UHD Graphics, making it a complete system-on-chip solution.

The i7-940, by contrast, is a Nehalem architecture part codenamed Bloomfield, fabricated on a 45nm process. It is a desktop processor with a massive 130W TDP, reflecting its older, less efficient design. The i7-940 packs 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die, a detail not provided for the i3-10110Y. Its cache is larger at the L3 level: 8 MB shared, though L1 and L2 are identical at 64 KB and 256 KB per core, respectively. The i7-940 has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU. It supports triple-channel memory, a feature absent from the i3-10110Y’s spec sheet, and offers PCIe Gen 2 connectivity. The i3-10110Y lists no PCIe generation information.

Both CPUs support DDR3 memory and lack ECC support. Neither has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is off the table for both. The i3-10110Y’s architecture is roughly a decade newer, and the process node shrink from 45nm to 14nm is the primary driver of its vastly lower power consumption. The i7-940’s 130W TDP is more than 14 times the i3-10110Y’s 9W, a staggering efficiency gap that does not show up in raw benchmark scores but dominates any thermal or battery-life consideration.

Where Each One Wins

On the basis of benchmark data alone, the i3-10110Y wins everywhere, but the margins are so small that neither chip can claim a meaningful performance victory. The i3-10110Y’s largest win is a 0.6% edge in Cinebench R20 single-core, which suggests a slight advantage in lightly threaded tasks like everyday application responsiveness. Its 0.5% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core indicates that even in heavily threaded workloads, the newer architecture’s efficiency offsets the i7-940’s core count advantage.

The i7-940’s strengths lie outside the benchmark suite. It is a desktop part with a 130W TDP, implying it is meant for systems with robust cooling and no power constraints. Its triple-channel memory bus and PCIe Gen 2 support offer connectivity options the i3-10110Y does not document. For a user with legacy DDR3 modules and a Socket 1366 motherboard, the i7-940 is the only choice that fits. The i3-10110Y, with its Intel BGA 1440 socket, is soldered to the board and offers no upgrade path.

In practical terms, the i3-10110Y is the better chip for mobile use: its 9W TDP enables fanless or ultra-quiet designs, and its integrated UHD Graphics removes the need for a separate GPU. The i7-940, being end-of-life and requiring a discrete graphics card, is suited for older desktop builds where raw multi-threading was once the priority. The benchmark data, however, shows that the i7-940’s extra cores do not deliver any advantage in Cinebench, as the i3-10110Y matches or slightly beats it across the board.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every major specification except memory type and ECC support. The most glaring contrast is core count: the i3-10110Y has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-940 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Clock speeds favor the newer chip, with the i3-10110Y running at a 1.00 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost, versus the i7-940’s 2.93 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The base clock difference is enormous, the i7-940 starts at nearly triple the i3-10110Y’s base, but the boost clocks tell the real story: the i3-10110Y turbo is 25% higher.

Process technology separates them further: the i3-10110Y uses 14nm, the i7-940 uses 45nm. This drives the TDP disparity: 9W versus 130W. The i7-940’s transistor count of 731 million and die size of 263 mm² are listed, while the i3-10110Y’s are null in the data. Cache sizes differ only at L3: 4 MB shared for the i3-10110Y, 8 MB shared for the i7-940. Both share 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core.

The socket and market segment are entirely different. The i3-10110Y uses Intel BGA 1440 and targets Mobile, while the i7-940 uses Intel Socket 1366 and targets Desktop. The i7-940 supports triple-channel memory; the i3-10110Y’s memory bus is not specified. The i7-940 has PCIe Gen 2; the i3-10110Y lists no PCIe. Integrated graphics are present only on the i3-10110Y (UHD Graphics), while the i7-940 has none. Production statuses diverge: the i3-10110Y is Active, the i7-940 is End-of-life. The i7-940 has a part number (SLBCK), while the i3-10110Y’s is null. Release dates are roughly eleven years apart: the i3-10110Y launched on 2019-08-20, the i7-940 on 2008-11-16. Neither chip has a launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i7-940 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y has only 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: How big is the performance gap in multi-core workloads?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i3-10110Y scores 2640 versus the i7-940’s 2626, a 0.5% lead for the i3-10110Y. Across all multi-core tests, the i3-10110Y wins by 0.4% to 0.5%.

Q: Which processor is more power-efficient?

A: The i3-10110Y has a 9W TDP, while the i7-940 has a 130W TDP. This means the i3-10110Y consumes dramatically less power, though exact wattage figures beyond TDP are not provided.

Q: Do both CPUs support the same memory type?

A: Yes, both support DDR3 memory and neither supports ECC memory. However, the i7-940 uses triple-channel memory, while the i3-10110Y’s memory bus is not specified.

Q: Which CPU has integrated graphics?

A: Only the Intel Core i3-10110Y has integrated graphics (UHD Graphics). The Intel Core i7-940 has no integrated graphics and requires a discrete GPU.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i3-10110Y scores 372 versus the i7-940’s 370, a 0.5% lead. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-10110Y leads 156 to 155, a 0.6% margin.