Intel Core i3-8100T vs Intel Core i5-7500T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i3-8100T wins every single head-to-head benchmark in this comparison. That is the headline. Across eight tests spanning Cinebench R15, R20, R23, and Geekbench, the i3-8100T takes the win in all eight, with margins ranging from a razor-thin 0% to a more substantial 2.6%. The data is unambiguous: the newer Coffee Lake part outruns the older Kaby Lake i5 across the board, though the size of that advantage varies significantly by workload.

The most decisive victories for the i3-8100T come in Geekbench. In Geekbench multicore, the i3-8100T scores 3142 against the i5-7500T's 3062, a 2.6% delta — the largest gap in the entire head-to-head set. Geekbench singlecore follows closely: 1104 versus 1078, a 2.4% advantage. This suggests the i3-8100T's architectural improvements show up most clearly in the mixed, real-world-style workloads that Geekbench measures, where even small per-clock gains compound into measurable leads.

The Cinebench results tell a tighter story. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-8100T scores 450 versus 448, a 0.4% edge. R20 multicore is nearly identical: 1876 to 1870, a 0.3% difference. R23 multicore follows the same pattern: 4467 to 4454, again 0.3%. Single-core Cinebench results are even closer. R15 singlecore is a dead tie at 63 points apiece, with a 0% delta. R20 singlecore gives the i3-8100T a 264 to 263 win (0.4%), and R23 singlecore is 630 to 628 (0.3%).

These Cinebench margins are small — under half a percent in every case. The i3-8100T wins, but the i5-7500T is hardly embarrassed. Yet the consistent direction of the results, across every single test, points to a real if modest performance advantage for the i3-8100T. When the averages are tallied, the i3-8100T's average benchmark score is 1500 against the i5-7500T's 1483, confirming that the edge is real but narrow — a roughly 1.1% overall lead.

Both processors share the same 38th percentile ranking among all CPUs, so neither is a performance kingpin. The i3-8100T's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-3770S, scores 1498 — a 0.1% delta that puts the i3-8100T essentially on par with that older i7. The i5-7500T's closest competitor, the Intel Core i5-5575R, scores 1478, a 0.4% gap in the i5-7500T's favor. Both chips sit in a crowded field of mid-range desktop parts from the mid-2010s.

Where Each One Wins

The i3-8100T wins everywhere in this matchup, but the magnitude of its wins creates a clear use-case split. For heavily threaded, sustained rendering workloads — the kind that Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multicore tests simulate — the i3-8100T's advantage is present but barely perceptible. A 0.3% to 0.4% edge in multicore Cinebench means that in a long video render or 3D scene export, the two chips would finish at nearly the same time. Users running these workloads would be hard-pressed to notice any difference in practice.

The i3-8100T's stronger showing in Geekbench multicore (2.6%) and singlecore (2.4%) points to where it genuinely pulls ahead. Geekbench's mixed workload — which includes encryption, image processing, machine learning tasks, and other diverse operations — rewards the i3-8100T's architectural refinements more than the Cinebench rendering tests do. For users whose daily work spans many different application types, or who run productivity suites that touch multiple subsystems, the i3-8100T offers a more tangible advantage.

The i5-7500T, for its part, wins no benchmark in this comparison. Its strongest relative result is the Cinebench R15 singlecore tie at 63 points, where it matches the i3-8100T exactly. The i5-7500T's boost clock of 3.30 GHz helps it stay competitive in lightly threaded tasks, but the i3-8100T's higher 3.10 GHz base clock (with no boost listed) is enough to edge it out in most single-core tests anyway.

For users who need ECC memory support, the i3-8100T is the only option — it supports ECC, while the i5-7500T does not. This makes the i3-8100T the pick for reliability-sensitive builds where data corruption is a concern. The i3-8100T also features the newer UHD Graphics 630 integrated GPU, while the i5-7500T carries the older HD 630. Both are capable of basic display output and light media playback, but the newer iGPU is the more modern implementation.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall?

A: The Intel Core i3-8100T. It wins all 8 head-to-head benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 1500 versus the i5-7500T's 1483. The largest margin is 2.6% in Geekbench multicore.

Q: Are the performance differences large enough to matter?

A: In Cinebench workloads, the differences are minimal — margins of 0.3% to 0.4% in multicore and 0% to 0.4% in single-core. In Geekbench, the differences are more meaningful at 2.4% to 2.6%.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes. Both have 4 cores and 4 threads. Neither has hyper-threading, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Intel Core i3-8100T supports ECC memory. The i5-7500T does not. Both support DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the release timing difference between the two?

A: The i5-7500T was released on 2017-01-02, while the i3-8100T was released on 2018-04-01. The i5-7500T is listed as Active in production status, while the i3-8100T is End-of-life.

Q: How do these chips compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i3-8100T is within 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-3770S (1498 avg score) and 0.8% behind the Intel Core i7-8665U (1513). The i5-7500T is 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-5575R (1478) and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i7-4710HQ (1473).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification areas. The i3-8100T has a base clock of 3.10 GHz, while the i5-7500T has a lower base clock of 2.70 GHz but adds a boost clock of 3.30 GHz — the i3-8100T lists no boost clock at all. Both run at 35 W TDP, so power consumption is identical on paper.

The i3-8100T is built on the Coffee Lake architecture, while the i5-7500T uses Kaby Lake. Both use a 14 nm process node from Intel's own foundry. The i3-8100T has a die size of 126 mm², while the i5-7500T's die size is not listed. Cache configurations are identical: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3.

Memory support is the same — DDR4, dual-channel, 38.4 GB/s bandwidth — but ECC support differs: the i3-8100T supports ECC, the i5-7500T does not. PCIe connectivity is identical (Gen 3, 16 lanes from CPU). Integrated graphics differ by generation: the i3-8100T has UHD Graphics 630, while the i5-7500T has HD 630. The i3-8100T's launch MSRP was $117; the i5-7500T has no listed launch MSRP.

Production status also differs. The i3-8100T is End-of-life, while the i5-7500T is still listed as Active. The release dates are about 15 months apart, with the i5-7500T coming first in January 2017 and the i3-8100T following in April 2018.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split is Coffee Lake versus Kaby Lake. Both are 14 nm Intel designs with 4 cores and 4 threads, but Coffee Lake represents a newer generation with refinements that show up in benchmark results. The i3-8100T's higher base clock (3.10 GHz versus 2.70 GHz) is one clear architectural benefit, even though the i5-7500T can boost to 3.30 GHz when thermal headroom allows.

The cache hierarchy is identical — 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 6 MB shared L3 — so differences come from the core microarchitecture and clock behavior, not cache capacity. The i3-8100T's 126 mm² die size indicates a physically smaller chip than whatever the i5-7500T uses (its die size is unlisted), which can aid power efficiency and thermals.

The integrated graphics differ: Coffee Lake's UHD Graphics 630 versus Kaby Lake's HD 630. This generation bump brings improved media processing capabilities and better driver support on modern operating systems. ECC memory support on the i3-8100T is a notable architectural feature absent from the i5-7500T, expanding its potential use cases to error-sensitive workloads.

Both chips use the same Intel Socket 1151, meaning they can physically fit in the same motherboard socket class. However, the architectural generation difference can affect motherboard compatibility at the firmware level — a detail worth verifying for any specific board. The i3-8100T is end-of-life, which may affect long-term availability, while the i5-7500T remains in active production.

The Verdict

The data makes the choice straightforward: the Intel Core i3-8100T is the better processor. It wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, with an average benchmark score of 1500 that edges out the i5-7500T's 1483. The Geekbench results show the clearest advantage — 2.6% multicore and 2.4% single-core — indicating that the Coffee Lake architecture delivers measurable improvements in diverse, real-world workloads.

But the verdict comes with an important caveat. The Cinebench margins are tiny — never exceeding 0.4% — meaning that in pure rendering workloads, the two chips are effectively equivalent. If your primary use case is video rendering or 3D animation, the i3-8100T's advantage will be invisible. The i5-7500T's boost clock of 3.30 GHz keeps it competitive in these sustained single-threaded tasks.

The i3-8100T is the pick for users who want the best all-around performance and need ECC memory support. Its newer UHD Graphics 630 iGPU and higher base clock give it a modern edge. The i5-7500T makes sense for users who need an active, in-production processor and prioritize the boost clock behavior, or who already own a Kaby Lake-compatible motherboard and want to avoid platform changes.

For anyone building new, the i3-8100T's 8-0 head-to-head sweep and its 38th percentile ranking (same as the i5-7500T, but with a higher average score) make it the recommended choice. The i5-7500T is not a bad processor — it sits within 0.7% of the Intel Core i7-4710HQ and 0.4% of the i5-5575R — but it is simply outclassed by its newer sibling in every measured test.