Intel Core i3-6320 vs Intel Pentium Gold G5400 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a remarkably consistent picture: the Intel Core i3-6320 wins every single head-to-head comparison, and does so with almost identical margins. Across five Cinebench tests, the i3-6320 leads the Pentium Gold G5400 by between 15.5% and 15.8%. This uniformity is striking—it suggests the performance gap is structural rather than workload-dependent, tied to fundamental architectural differences rather than any particular test's quirks.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-6320 scores 378 against the G5400's 319, a 15.6% advantage. The R20 multicore test shows nearly the same story: 1576 versus 1331, a 15.5% gap. Single-core performance follows suit. In R20 single-core, the i3-6320 posts 222 while the G5400 manages 187, a 15.8% edge. The R23 suite confirms the pattern with the i3-6320 ahead by 15.5% in both single-core (529 vs 447) and multicore (3753 vs 3171) tests.

What is notable is the absence of any counter-example. The G5400 does not manage to win a single benchmark, not even in a test that might favor its newer Coffee Lake architecture. The data shows a clean sweep—five wins for the i3-6320, zero for the Pentium Gold. This is not a case where one chip excels in some areas and lags in others; the i3-6320 is simply faster everywhere.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar tale, though with a much smaller gap. The G5400 averages 1091 across all benchmark results, placing it in the 30th percentile of all CPUs. The i3-6320 averages 1085, also in the 30th percentile. This near-identical average score is curious given the consistent 15.5% delta in the head-to-head tests. The explanation likely lies in the different benchmark suites included in each chip's average—the i3-6320's average includes its R15 single-core score of 53, which is anomalously low and drags its mean down. The G5400 lacks an R15 single-core result entirely, so its average is computed from a different set of tests.

Where Each One Wins

Given the head-to-head sweep, the use-case split is straightforward. The i3-6320 wins across every measured category—single-core and multicore, older Cinebench versions and newer ones. For workloads that stress a single thread, such as lightly-threaded applications or games that rely on one core, the i3-6320's 15.8% advantage in R20 single-core suggests a meaningful responsiveness edge. For multi-threaded productivity tasks, the 15.5% multicore lead in R20 and R23 indicates the i3-6320 is consistently faster when all four threads are active.

The G5400, by contrast, has no benchmark category in which it emerges ahead. That does not mean it is without merit—it is a 14nm dual-core with four threads and a 3.70 GHz base clock, which places it in the same 30th percentile as its rival. But the data offers no instance where the G5400 can claim superiority. Even its closest rival comparisons show it trading blows with older Intel Core i5 parts—the i5-3475S matches its 1091 average score exactly, and the i7-4600M is just 0.1% behind. The i3-6320 sits in similar company, with the i5-2450P a mere 0.1% ahead and the i5-2320 just 0.2% behind.

The practical implication is that the i3-6320 is the better choice for any performance-sensitive application, while the G5400 might serve adequately in scenarios where the workload is modest and the 15.5% deficit is acceptable. Neither chip is a powerhouse—both sit at the 30th percentile of all CPUs—but within this pairing, the i3-6320 is unambiguously the stronger performer.

Architecture Differences

Despite both processors being built on Intel's 14nm process node, they represent different architectural generations with distinct designs. The G5400 is Coffee Lake, a refinement of Intel's 14nm process that powers the Pentium Gold line. The i3-6320 is Skylake, the architecture that Coffee Lake evolved from. Both are dual-core parts with four threads, but the similarities end there.

The most obvious difference is clock speed. The i3-6320 runs at 3.90 GHz base, while the G5400 is clocked at 3.70 GHz. That 200 MHz difference likely contributes to the i3-6320's single-core advantage, though the consistent 15.5% delta suggests other factors are at play. The i3-6320 also carries a larger transistor count at 1,400 million, versus the G5400's unspecified count, and a larger die size of 150 mm² compared to 126 mm². This suggests a more complex core design in the Skylake part, potentially with wider execution resources or deeper buffers that improve instructions-per-clock.

Cache configurations are identical: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. Memory support is the same—DDR4 with dual-channel access—though the G5400 offers higher memory bandwidth at 38.4 GB/s versus the i3-6320's 34.1 GB/s. The G5400's newer memory controller gives it a theoretical bandwidth advantage, yet the benchmark results show it still loses decisively, indicating that memory bandwidth is not the bottleneck in these tests.

Integrated graphics differ: the G5400 has UHD Graphics 610, while the i3-6320 has Intel HD 530. The G5400's graphics are newer but the HD 530 is generally considered more capable in the same tier. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. Power draw favors the i3-6320 at 51W TDP versus the G5400's 58W, meaning the older chip is both faster and more power-efficient.

Release timing and production status tell an interesting story. The i3-6320 launched in August 2015 and remains Active, while the G5400 launched in April 2018 with an end-of-life status. The G5400's launch MSRP was $64, but the i3-6320 has no recorded launch price. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is off the table for both.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i3-6320 wins every single-core test. In Cinebench R20 single-core, it scores 222 against the G5400's 187, a 15.8% advantage. The R23 single-core test shows a 15.5% lead with 529 versus 447.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core workloads?

A: The i3-6320 leads by 15.5% in both R20 and R23 multicore tests. Specifically, it scores 1576 versus 1331 in R20 and 3753 versus 3171 in R23. The R15 multicore test shows a 15.6% edge with 378 against 319.

Q: Are these processors similar in overall performance?

A: Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical—1091 for the G5400 and 1085 for the i3-6320—and both sit in the 30th percentile of all CPUs. However, this average is skewed by an anomalous low R15 single-core score of 53 for the i3-6320. The head-to-head results show a consistent 15.5% gap in favor of the i3-6320.

Q: What architectural differences exist between them?

A: The G5400 is Coffee Lake on a 14nm node with a 126 mm² die, while the i3-6320 is Skylake on the same 14nm node but a larger 150 mm² die with 1,400 million transistors. The i3-6320 runs at 3.90 GHz versus 3.70 GHz for the G5400, and it has a lower TDP of 51W compared to 58W.

Q: Do they support the same memory and expansion?

A: Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode and use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. Neither supports ECC memory. However, the G5400 has higher theoretical memory bandwidth at 38.4 GB/s versus the i3-6320's 34.1 GB/s.

Q: Which chip has better integrated graphics?

A: The G5400 features UHD Graphics 610, while the i3-6320 uses Intel HD 530. The benchmark data does not include graphics tests, so a direct performance comparison cannot be made from this information.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Pentium Gold G5400 | Intel Core i3-6320 |

|---|---|---|

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 58W | 51W |

| Architecture | Coffee Lake | Skylake |

| Codename | Coffee Lake | Skylake |

| Die Size | 126 mm² | 150 mm² |

| Transistors | Not specified | 1,400 million |

| Memory Bandwidth | 38.4 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 610 | Intel HD 530 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | April 2018 | August 2015 |

| Launch MSRP | $64 | Not specified |

| Part Number | SR3X9 | SR2H9 |

The two chips share identical core counts (2), thread counts (4), cache hierarchies (64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 4 MB shared L3), socket (Intel Socket 1151), process node (14 nm), memory support (DDR4 dual-channel), PCIe configuration (Gen 3, 16 lanes), ECC support (none), multiplier unlock status (locked), and market segment (Desktop).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-6320 is the superior processor in every measured benchmark. It wins all five head-to-head tests with margins between 15.5% and 15.8%, covering both single-core and multi-core workloads across three generations of Cinebench. If raw performance is the only criterion, there is no reason to choose the Pentium Gold G5400.

The i3-6320 also offers better efficiency, with a 51W TDP versus the G5400's 58W, meaning it delivers more performance while drawing less power. Its Active production status is another advantage, suggesting continued availability, while the G5400 is marked end-of-life. The G5400 does have a higher memory bandwidth specification and a smaller die size, but neither translates into a benchmark win.

That said, the G5400 is not a bad processor—it sits at the same 30th percentile as the i3-6320 and matches the average score of the Core i5-3475S exactly. It launched at a $64 MSRP, though pricing should not factor into this analysis beyond that single mention. For users with workloads that are not performance-sensitive, the G5400's 3.70 GHz dual-core might suffice. But within this specific comparison, the i3-6320 is the clear winner.

The verdict for most users should be simple: choose the i3-6320 for any application where benchmark performance matters. Its consistent 15.5% lead across all tests indicates it will handle both lightly-threaded and multi-threaded tasks with a noticeable edge. The only scenario where the G5400 might be preferable is if the newer Coffee Lake architecture or UHD Graphics 610 are specifically required—but the benchmark data offers no evidence that those factors contribute to better performance.