CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i3-14100 is the outright winner over the Intel Core i7-8700, taking 16 of 19 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench and Geekbench test. The i7-8700 retains only three wins, all in specialized PassMark workloads, but the i3-14100’s lead in single-core performance is decisive and its multi-core advantage is consistent across every rendering and general-purpose test. For new builds, the i3-14100 is the clear choice; the i7-8700 only makes sense if you already own a compatible Intel Socket 1151 platform and prioritize specific compression or sorting workloads.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-14100 outperforms the Intel Core i7-8700 in the vast majority of measured workloads. The i3-14100 wins 16 benchmarks, while the i7-8700 wins only 3. This is despite the i7-8700 having 6 cores and 12 threads versus the i3-14100’s 4 cores and 8 threads. The i3-14100’s newer architecture and higher clock speeds overcome the core-count deficit.

For single-threaded performance, the gap is enormous. The i3-14100 leads by 38.7% in Geekbench single-core (2133 vs 1538) and by 43% in PassMark single-thread (3759 vs 2629). This translates directly to snappier everyday use and better performance in lightly-threaded applications. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i3-14100 scores 1809 versus 1528, an 18.4% advantage.

Multi-threaded results are closer but still favor the i3-14100. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i3-14100 scores 12820 versus 10829, an 18.4% lead. Geekbench multi-core shows a 10.9% advantage (7231 vs 6519). The i7-8700’s extra two cores are not enough to overcome the i3-14100’s per-core efficiency gains.

The only areas where the i7-8700 wins are PassMark data compression, extended instructions, and random string sorting. The i7-8700 leads data compression by 6.9% (187009 vs 174115), extended instructions by 4.6% (12432 vs 11865), and random string sorting by 27.4% (23963 vs 17397). These are specific, niche workloads that may matter for archiving or data-processing tasks, but they do not offset the i3-14100’s dominance elsewhere.

Verdict: Choose the i3-14100 for almost any use case. The i7-8700 is only preferable if your primary workload involves the three PassMark tests it wins, or if you are constrained to the Intel Socket 1151 platform.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and manufacturing processes. The i3-14100 is built on Intel’s 10 nm process and uses the Raptor Lake architecture (codename Raptor Lake-R), part of the Core 14th Gen series. The i7-8700 uses the older 14 nm process and Coffee Lake architecture, part of the Core i7 (Coffee Lake) generation. This process shrink contributes to the i3-14100’s efficiency and higher clock speeds.

Core and thread counts differ: the i3-14100 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the i7-8700 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i3-14100 compensates with higher clocks, a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz, versus the i7-8700’s 3.20 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost. The i3-14100 also has a lower TDP of 60 watts versus 65 watts for the i7-8700.

Cache layouts differ significantly. The i3-14100 has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 12 MB of shared L3. The i7-8700 has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, also with 12 MB of shared L3. The i3-14100’s larger per-core L2 cache is a notable advantage for repeated data access.

Memory support diverges: the i3-14100 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i7-8700 only supports DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the i7-8700 has a listed memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The i3-14100 also supports ECC memory, while the i7-8700 does not. PCIe generations differ: the i3-14100 offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the i7-8700.

Integrated graphics are present on both, with the i3-14100 featuring UHD Graphics 730 and the i7-8700 featuring UHD Graphics 630. The i3-14100 uses the Intel Socket 1700, while the i7-8700 uses the older Intel Socket 1151. The i3-14100 is currently Active in production, while the i7-8700 is End-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-14100 is significantly faster. It leads by 38.7% in Geekbench single-core (2133 vs 1538) and by 43% in PassMark single-thread (3759 vs 2629). In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 1809 versus 1528, an 18.4% advantage.

Q: Does the i7-8700’s higher core count make it better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: No. Despite having 6 cores and 12 threads versus the i3-14100’s 4 cores and 8 threads, the i7-8700 loses all multi-core benchmarks. The i3-14100 leads Cinebench R23 multi-core by 18.4% (12820 vs 10829) and Geekbench multi-core by 10.9% (7231 vs 6519).

Q: In what specific tests does the i7-8700 win?

A: The i7-8700 wins three PassMark tests: data compression (187009 vs 174115, a 6.9% lead), extended instructions (12432 vs 11865, a 4.6% lead), and random string sorting (23963 vs 17397, a 27.4% lead).

Q: What are the socket and memory differences?

A: The i3-14100 uses Intel Socket 1700 and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, plus ECC memory. The i7-8700 uses Intel Socket 1151 and supports only DDR4 memory, with no ECC support. The i7-8700 has a listed memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The i3-14100 has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, while the i7-8700 boosts to 4.60 GHz. The i3-14100 also has a higher base clock at 3.50 GHz versus 3.20 GHz.

Q: Are these processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No. Both the i3-14100 and the i7-8700 have their multipliers locked, indicated by `multiplierUnlocked: false`.

Specification Differences

• Cores: 4 (i3-14100) vs 6 (i7-8700)
• Threads: 8 (i3-14100) vs 12 (i7-8700)
• Base Clock: 3.50 GHz (i3-14100) vs 3.20 GHz (i7-8700)
• Boost Clock: 4.70 GHz (i3-14100) vs 4.60 GHz (i7-8700)
• TDP: 60 W (i3-14100) vs 65 W (i7-8700)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1700 (i3-14100) vs Intel Socket 1151 (i7-8700)
• Architecture: Raptor Lake (i3-14100) vs Coffee Lake (i7-8700)
• Process Node: 10 nm (i3-14100) vs 14 nm (i7-8700)
• L1 Cache: 80 KB per core (i3-14100) vs 64 KB per core (i7-8700)
• L2 Cache: 1.25 MB per core (i3-14100) vs 256 KB per core (i7-8700)
• L3 Cache: 12 MB shared (both)
• Memory Support: DDR4, DDR5 (i3-14100) vs DDR4 only (i7-8700)
• Memory Bandwidth: Not listed (i3-14100) vs 42.7 GB/s (i7-8700)
• ECC Memory: Supported (i3-14100) vs Not supported (i7-8700)
• PCIe: Gen 5, 16 Lanes (i3-14100) vs Gen 3, 16 Lanes (i7-8700)
• Integrated Graphics: UHD Graphics 730 (i3-14100) vs UHD Graphics 630 (i7-8700)
• Production Status: Active (i3-14100) vs End-of-life (i7-8700)
• Release Date: 2024-01-07 (i3-14100) vs 2017-10-04 (i7-8700)
• Launch MSRP: $134 (i3-14100) vs $303 (i7-8700)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i3-14100 dominates the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 1292 versus 1091, an 18.4% lead. Single-core R15 shows a 19% advantage (182 vs 153). These margins repeat across R20 and R23, with the i3-14100 winning every multi-core and single-core test by 18.4%. The consistency of this 18.4% delta across all three Cinebench versions indicates a fundamental architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

Geekbench results show an even wider split. The i3-14100 leads multi-core by 10.9% (7231 vs 6519), but single-core is where it truly pulls away, a 38.7% lead (2133 vs 1538). This single-core advantage is the largest relative gap in any benchmark except PassMark single-thread.

PassMark tests reveal the i3-14100’s strengths and the i7-8700’s niche wins. The i3-14100 wins data encryption by a massive 96.9% (8838 vs 4488), a near-doubling of performance. It also leads find prime numbers by 57.1% (55 vs 35) and floating point math by 26.7% (35266 vs 27839). Physics results favor the i3-14100 by 30.9% (958 vs 732). The PassMark multithread test shows an 18.3% lead for the i3-14100 (15095 vs 12756).

The i7-8700’s three wins are notable but isolated. Random string sorting is its best result, with a 27.4% lead (23963 vs 17397). Data compression shows a 6.9% advantage (187009 vs 174115), and extended instructions a 4.6% lead (12432 vs 11865). These wins suggest the i7-8700 has specific instruction-handling or memory-access patterns that favor these workloads, but they are insufficient to change the overall picture.

Where Each One Wins

The i3-14100 wins in every meaningful general-purpose category. It is the pick for single-threaded applications, where its 38.7% Geekbench single-core and 43% PassMark single-thread leads are decisive. It also wins in multi-threaded rendering, with an 18.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core. For encryption workloads, the i3-14100 is transformative, with a 96.9% lead in PassMark data encryption. It also wins in physics calculations, floating point math, and prime number finding. If you are building a new system on Intel Socket 1700, the i3-14100 is the obvious choice for gaming, office work, content creation, and most compute tasks.

The i7-8700 wins in exactly three scenarios: PassMark data compression, extended instructions, and random string sorting. These are specialized workloads that might appear in data compression tools, certain scientific computing tasks, or string-heavy data processing. The i7-8700’s 27.4% lead in random string sorting is its most significant victory, suggesting a real advantage in sorting algorithms. For users with workloads heavily dependent on these specific operations, the i7-8700 could be justified, particularly if they already own a Socket 1151 motherboard. However, for any other task, the data shows the i3-14100 is superior.