Intel Core i3-8100 vs Intel Pentium Gold G7400 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Pentium Gold G7400, which secures 14 wins out of 17 direct comparisons against the Intel Core i3-8100. The most dramatic margin appears in the passmark data encryption test, where the Pentium Gold G7400 scores 3694 against the i3-8100's 1828, a 102.1% advantage. This suggests the newer architecture handles cryptographic workloads with substantially greater efficiency.

Across the entire Cinebench suite, the Pentium Gold G7400 maintains a remarkably consistent lead. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it posts 574 points versus 379 points for the i3-8100, a 51.5% difference. The single-core R15 result follows the same pattern: 80 points against 53 points, a 50.9% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core score of 2394 versus 1582 represents a 51.3% advantage, while the single-core score of 337 versus 223 is a 51.1% lead. The Cinebench R23 results mirror these proportions: 5700 versus 3769 in multi-core (51.2% ahead) and 804 versus 532 in single-core (51.1% ahead). The consistency of roughly 51% across all three Cinebench versions indicates a fundamental per-thread performance advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

Passmark results show a more varied picture. The Pentium Gold G7400 wins integer math with 18675 points against 16191 points, a 15.3% margin. Floating point math goes to the Pentium Gold G7400 by a narrower 5% (14458 versus 13774). The multithread passmark test shows a 10.2% lead (6704 versus 6086), while physics testing reveals a 24.5% advantage (575 versus 462). Prime number finding favors the Pentium Gold G7400 by 22.2% (33 versus 27). Single-thread performance, measured twice under slightly different test names, gives the Pentium Gold G7400 a 35.4% edge in both cases (2982 versus 2203).

However, the Core i3-8100 claims three notable victories. Data compression is the closest contest: the i3-8100 scores 82992 against 72591, a 12.5% advantage. Extended instructions heavily favor the i3-8100, with a score of 7212 versus 4887, a 32.2% lead. Random string sorting also goes to the i3-8100 by a significant 28.3% margin (10150 versus 7278). These wins align with the i3-8100's four physical cores, which provide an advantage in workloads that scale across cores without hyper-threading overhead.

The aggregate benchmark score tells a similar story. The Pentium Gold G7400 averages 8515 across all tests, while the i3-8100 averages 8123. Both processors sit at the 64th percentile among all CPUs in the database, indicating comparable overall standing despite their architectural differences.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and manufacturing processes. The Pentium Gold G7400 is built on the Alder Lake architecture (Alder Lake-S specifically) using a 10 nm process node, while the Core i3-8100 uses the older Coffee Lake architecture on a 14 nm node. This process shrink contributes to the Pentium Gold G7400's efficiency and per-clock performance gains.

Core counts differ significantly. The Pentium Gold G7400 provides 2 physical cores with 4 threads, utilizing hyper-threading to reach that thread count. The Core i3-8100 offers 4 physical cores but only 4 threads, meaning no hyper-threading support. Despite having half the physical cores, the Pentium Gold G7400 outperforms in most tests due to its newer microarchitecture and higher base clock of 3.70 GHz versus 3.60 GHz.

Cache hierarchies also differ notably. The Pentium Gold G7400 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, while the Core i3-8100 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. Both share 6 MB of L3 cache, but the per-core L2 allocation is substantially larger on the Pentium Gold G7400. The Core i3-8100 has a recorded die size of 126 mm², while no die size is listed for the Pentium Gold G7400.

Memory support diverges as well. The Pentium Gold G7400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the Core i3-8100 only supports DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the Core i3-8100 has a listed memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, with no bandwidth figure recorded for the Pentium Gold G7400. ECC memory support differs: the Core i3-8100 supports ECC, while the Pentium Gold G7400 does not.

PCIe capabilities reflect their respective generations. The Pentium Gold G7400 supports PCIe Gen 5, while the Core i3-8100 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. Integrated graphics also differ: the Pentium Gold G7400 uses UHD Graphics 710, while the Core i3-8100 features UHD Graphics 630. Sockets are incompatible, with the Pentium Gold G7400 using Intel Socket 1700 and the Core i3-8100 using Intel Socket 1151.

The Verdict

The benchmark data consistently favors the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 in the majority of tested workloads. Its 14 wins against 3 for the Core i3-8100, combined with an aggregate score of 8515 versus 8123, make it the stronger performer overall. The single-thread advantage of 35.4% is particularly significant for everyday responsiveness and lightly threaded applications. The Cinebench results, showing roughly 51% advantages across every version tested, indicate that the Pentium Gold G7400 delivers superior rendering performance despite having fewer physical cores.

The Core i3-8100 remains competitive in specific areas. Its four physical cores provide genuine advantages in data compression (12.5% ahead), extended instructions (32.2% ahead), and random string sorting (28.3% ahead). These workloads benefit from having more independent execution units, even if each unit is slower on a per-clock basis. Users who prioritize these specific tasks might prefer the i3-8100, but the broader benchmark picture favors the Pentium Gold G7400.

The Pentium Gold G7400 also benefits from being an active product with a newer manufacturing process, while the Core i3-8100 is marked as end-of-life. The Pentium Gold G7400 supports PCIe Gen 5 and DDR5 memory, offering a more future-proof platform. The Core i3-8100's ECC memory support and larger physical core count may appeal to specific professional use cases, but the data does not indicate a general performance advantage.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Pentium Gold G7400 | Intel Core i3-8100 |

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

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| TDP | 46 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| Die Size | Not recorded | 126 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 6 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not recorded | 38.4 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 5 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 710 | UHD Graphics 630 |

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

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2017-10-04 |

| Launch MSRP | $74 | $117 |

| Part Number | SRL66 | SR3N5 |

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Core i3-8100 has 4 physical cores, while the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 has only 2 physical cores. Both processors support 4 threads total.

Q: What is the single-thread performance difference?

A: In the passmark single-thread test, the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 scores 2982 against the Core i3-8100's 2203, giving the Pentium Gold G7400 a 35.4% advantage.

Q: Does the Core i3-8100 win any benchmark comparisons?

A: Yes, the Core i3-8100 wins three tests: data compression (82992 versus 72591, 12.5% ahead), extended instructions (7212 versus 4887, 32.2% ahead), and random string sorting (10150 versus 7278, 28.3% ahead).

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i3-8100 supports ECC memory, while the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 does not have ECC memory support.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G7400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The Intel Core i3-8100 supports only DDR4 memory. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: How do the aggregate benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G7400 has an average benchmark score of 8515, while the Intel Core i3-8100 averages 8123. Both processors rank at the 64th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Pentium Gold G7400 dominates in CPU-bound tasks that respond to high per-core performance and modern instruction efficiency. The 51% advantage across all Cinebench versions makes it the clear choice for rendering workloads, 3D modeling, and any multi-threaded application that scales with hyper-threading efficiency. Its 102.1% lead in data encryption makes it particularly well-suited for security-related tasks, VPN processing, and encrypted file operations. The 35.4% single-thread advantage indicates superior performance in general desktop responsiveness, office applications, and legacy software that relies on one or two threads. Integer math performance (15.3% ahead) and physics calculations (24.5% ahead) further support its case for scientific computing and simulation workloads.

The Core i3-8100 demonstrates its strengths in workloads that scale with additional physical cores. Its 32.2% advantage in extended instructions suggests better performance in applications that utilize SIMD or specialized instruction sets that benefit from having four independent execution units. The 28.3% lead in random string sorting points to advantages in database operations, text processing, and data organization tasks. Its 12.5% advantage in data compression makes it the better option for archiving, backup, and file compression utilities. The ECC memory support adds value for users who require error correction in mission-critical or long-running compute environments.

For users making a choice between these two processors, the decision hinges on workload patterns. The Pentium Gold G7400 offers superior all-around performance with a 14-3 win record, newer platform features including PCIe Gen 5 and DDR5 support, and lower power consumption at 46 W TDP versus 65 W. The Core i3-8100 retains advantages specifically in compression, extended instructions, and string sorting, along with ECC support, but its end-of-life status and older platform limit its long-term viability. The data clearly positions the Pentium Gold G7400 as the stronger general-purpose processor, with the Core i3-8100 serving niche workloads where physical core count outweighs architectural efficiency.