Intel Core i3-7100T vs Intel Pentium Silver N6005 Comparison

The Intel Core i3-7100T and Intel Pentium Silver N6005 occupy very different corners of the Intel lineup, yet benchmark results show they are surprisingly close in overall standing. The Core i3-7100T sits in the 34th percentile of all CPUs in the database, and the Pentium Silver N6005 also sits in the 34th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are 1258 and 1218 respectively, a gap of roughly 3%. The recorded data shows a split personality: the Pentium Silver wins five of the seven head-to-head tests, but the Core i3 wins the two Geekbench tests by huge margins. Understanding which chip wins where, and why, requires looking at both the benchmark numbers and the underlying architecture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Pentium Silver N6005 dominates the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 447 against 319 for the Core i3-7100T, a 28.6% advantage. The same pattern appears in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Pentium Silver scores 1866 versus 1333, again 28.6% ahead. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 4444 versus 3175, another 28.6% gap. These are consistent, repeatable margins across three generations of the Cinebench render test, which suggests the Pentium Silver has a structural advantage in heavily threaded workloads.

The single-core Cinebench results tell the same story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Pentium Silver scores 263 against 188, a 28.5% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 627 against 448, also 28.5% ahead. The consistency of these margins, 28.5% to 28.6% across every Cinebench test, points to a fundamental throughput advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The Core i3-7100T fights back in Geekbench, and it does so decisively. In Geekbench multicore, the Core i3 scores 2230 against 1469 for the Pentium Silver, a 51.8% lead. In Geekbench single-core, the margin grows to 97%, with the Core i3 scoring 1111 against 564. These are enormous gaps, and they flip the overall narrative. The Pentium Silver wins five of seven tests, but the Core i3 wins the two Geekbench tests by such wide margins that its average benchmark score of 1258 still ends up higher than the Pentium Silver's 1218.

The delta in average score is small, but it is in the Core i3's favor. The nearest rivals in the database confirm that both chips sit in similar company. The Core i3-7100T's closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-3615QM with an average score of 1260, a 0.2% difference, followed by the AMD Athlon 200GE at 1261, also 0.2% off. The Pentium Silver N6005's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-3632QM at 1219, a 0.1% gap, with the Intel Core i5-2500 at 1220 coming 0.2% behind. The data places both chips in the same performance tier, despite the very different benchmark profiles.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and are built for different market segments. The Core i3-7100T is a Kaby Lake desktop part, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process. It has 2 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and no boost clock listed. The Pentium Silver N6005 is a Tremont architecture part from the Jasper Lake family, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz.

The core counts are the first major divergence. The Pentium Silver has twice as many physical cores, 4 versus 2, but the Core i3 uses Hyper-Threading to reach 4 threads from its 2 cores. In the end, both expose 4 threads to the operating system. The difference is that the Pentium Silver's 4 threads are on 4 physical cores, while the Core i3's 4 threads are split across 2 physical cores with 2 threads per core.

The cache layouts also differ significantly. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The L2 cache, however, is organized differently: the Core i3 has 256 KB per core, while the Pentium Silver has 1.5 MB shared across all cores. The L3 cache also favors the Pentium Silver, with 4 MB shared versus 3 MB shared on the Core i3. The larger shared cache pool on the Pentium Silver likely contributes to its Cinebench performance, as more data can be kept close to the cores.

The process node difference is notable. The Core i3 is on 14 nm, while the Pentium Silver is on 10 nm. The Pentium Silver's die size is recorded at 63.8 mm², while the Core i3 has no die size listed. The smaller process node and the modest die size help explain the power envelope difference: the Pentium Silver has a TDP of 10 watts, while the Core i3 is rated at 35 watts. That is a 71% reduction in thermal design power for the Pentium Silver, which is a substantial efficiency advantage.

Memory support is another differentiator. The Core i3 supports DDR4 with a dual-channel memory bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Pentium Silver supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4, also with a dual-channel bus, but its memory bandwidth is listed at 46.9 GB/s, which is about 22% higher. The ability to use LPDDR4 is a mobile-oriented feature, consistent with the Pentium Silver's BGA 1338 socket and mobile market segment, while the Core i3 uses the desktop Socket 1151.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Core i3 pairs with Intel HD 630, while the Pentium Silver uses UHD Graphics 32EU. The PCIe configurations also differ: the Core i3 provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Pentium Silver provides Gen 3 with 8 lanes. The Core i3 has more PCIe lanes, which makes sense for a desktop part, while the Pentium Silver's 8 lanes are sufficient for its mobile and low-power designs.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 has 4 physical cores, while the Intel Core i3-7100T has 2 physical cores. Both processors expose 4 threads, but the Core i3 achieves this through Hyper-Threading on 2 cores.

Q: Why does the Pentium Silver N6005 win the Cinebench tests?

A: The Pentium Silver N6005 scores 447 in Cinebench R15 multicore versus 319 for the Core i3-7100T, and 4444 versus 3175 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The 4 physical cores, larger shared L2 cache of 1.5 MB, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache likely contribute to its consistent 28.6% advantage in these render workloads.

Q: Why does the Core i3-7100T win the Geekbench tests by such large margins?

A: The Core i3-7100T scores 2230 in Geekbench multicore versus 1469 for the Pentium Silver, a 51.8% lead. In Geekbench single-core, it scores 1111 versus 564, a 97% lead. Its higher base clock of 3.40 GHz, compared to the Pentium Silver's 2000 MHz base clock, likely plays a role in these results.

Q: Which processor has the higher power draw?

A: The Core i3-7100T has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Pentium Silver N6005 has a TDP of 10 watts. The Pentium Silver draws 71% less power according to the recorded TDP figures.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes. Both the Core i3-7100T and the Pentium Silver N6005 are recorded in the 34th percentile of all CPUs in the database. Their average benchmark scores are 1258 and 1218 respectively, placing them in the same performance tier.

Q: Which processor supports LPDDR4 memory?

A: The Pentium Silver N6005 supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4, while the Core i3-7100T supports DDR4 only. The Pentium Silver also has a higher recorded memory bandwidth at 46.9 GB/s versus 38.4 GB/s for the Core i3.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several clear differences between the two processors.

Cores and threads: The Core i3-7100T has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Pentium Silver N6005 has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Clock speeds: The Core i3-7100T has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and no boost clock recorded. The Pentium Silver N6005 has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz.

Process node: The Core i3-7100T is built on a 14 nm process. The Pentium Silver N6005 is built on a 10 nm process.

TDP: The Core i3-7100T is rated at 35 watts. The Pentium Silver N6005 is rated at 10 watts.

Socket: The Core i3-7100T uses Intel Socket 1151. The Pentium Silver N6005 uses Intel BGA 1338.

Architecture: The Core i3-7100T is based on Kaby Lake. The Pentium Silver N6005 is based on Tremont with the Jasper Lake codename.

L2 cache: The Core i3-7100T has 256 KB per core. The Pentium Silver N6005 has 1.5 MB shared.

L3 cache: The Core i3-7100T has 3 MB shared. The Pentium Silver N6005 has 4 MB shared.

Die size: The Core i3-7100T has no die size recorded. The Pentium Silver N6005 has a die size of 63.8 mm².

Memory support: The Core i3-7100T supports DDR4 only. The Pentium Silver N6005 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4.

Memory bandwidth: The Core i3-7100T has 38.4 GB/s. The Pentium Silver N6005 has 46.9 GB/s.

PCIe: The Core i3-7100T has Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Pentium Silver N6005 has Gen 3 with 8 lanes.

Integrated graphics: The Core i3-7100T has Intel HD 630. The Pentium Silver N6005 has UHD Graphics 32EU.

Market segment: The Core i3-7100T is a desktop part. The Pentium Silver N6005 is a mobile part.

Production status: The Core i3-7100T is listed as active. The Pentium Silver N6005 is listed as end-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear choice based on workload type. For multi-threaded render workloads like Cinebench, the Pentium Silver N6005 is the stronger option. It leads by 28.6% in all three multicore Cinebench tests, and its 4 physical cores, larger shared caches, and 10 nm process give it a structural advantage in these sustained compute tasks. Its 10 watt TDP also makes it the more efficient choice for thermally constrained systems.

For single-threaded performance as measured by Geekbench, the Core i3-7100T is the clear winner. Its 97% lead in Geekbench single-core and 51.8% lead in Geekbench multicore are dramatic, and its 3.40 GHz base clock, which is substantially higher than the Pentium Silver's 2000 MHz base clock, appears to be the deciding factor. The Core i3 also benefits from a desktop socket, 16 PCIe lanes, and active production status.

The average benchmark scores slightly favor the Core i3-7100T, 1258 versus 1218, and both sit in the 34th percentile. The nearest rivals for each chip, the Core i7-3615QM for the Core i3 and the Core i7-3632QM for the Pentium Silver, are separated by less than 1% in average score. The data does not declare an overall winner, it declares a workload-specific winner. Users who prioritize Cinebench-style render performance and low power draw should look at the Pentium Silver N6005. Users who prioritize Geekbench scores and desktop platform flexibility should look at the Core i3-7100T. The 5 wins for the Pentium Silver and 2 wins for the Core i3 in the head-to-head tests are less important than the magnitude of the Core i3's Geekbench victories, which keep its average score ahead.