Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i5-3330 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a remarkably consistent pattern across all five head-to-head Cinebench comparisons: the Intel Core i3-8109U wins every single test, but by margins that are almost uniformly narrow. In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the i3-8109U scores 357 against the i5-3330's 351, a lead of only 1.7%. The R20 multi-core benchmark repeats the same story, with the i3-8109U at 1488 and the i5-3330 at 1464, a 1.6% advantage. The R23 multi-core result is equally tight: 3544 versus 3486, again a 1.7% edge for the newer mobile part.

Single-core results follow the same trajectory but with slightly different margins. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-8109U posts 210 versus 206 for the i5-3330, a 1.9% delta, the largest relative win in the entire comparison. The R23 single-core test shows the i3-8109U at 500 and the i5-3330 at 492, a 1.6% gap. There is no test in the database where the older desktop processor pulls ahead; the win tally stands at 5 for the i3-8109U and 0 for the i5-3330.

What is notable here is not the magnitude of any single victory, but the consistency. The i3-8109U is a 2-core, 4-thread mobile chip with a 28 W thermal design point, while the i5-3330 is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop part with a 77 W TDP. The desktop chip has two additional physical cores, yet it cannot convert that hardware advantage into a benchmark lead. The i3-8109U's higher boost clock appears to offset the core count deficit: the mobile part boosts to 3.60 GHz, while the desktop part tops out at 3.20 GHz. Both chips share a 3.00 GHz base clock, so the entire difference in frequency comes from the boost state.

The average benchmark score in the database also favors the i3-8109U, though the gap is modest: 1235 versus 1200 for the i5-3330. That places the i3-8109U at the 34th percentile of all CPUs, and the i5-3330 at the same 34th percentile, so both parts sit in the same broad performance tier. The nearest rivals for the i3-8109U include the Intel Pentium Gold G6600 at an identical average score of 1235, the Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 at 1232 (0.2% behind), and the Intel Core i7-3610QM at 1244 (0.8% ahead). The i5-3330's nearest rivals are all AMD parts: the Athlon PRO 200GE at exactly 1200, the Ryzen 3 2200G at 1202 (0.2% ahead), and the Ryzen Embedded V1605B at 1196 (0.4% behind).

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-8109U is the faster processor in every measured workload, but the advantage is small enough that real-world differences would be difficult to perceive without instrumentation. The largest delta across all tests is 1.9% in R20 single-core, and the smallest is 1.6% in R20 multi-core and R23 single-core. A user moving from the i5-3330 to the i3-8109U would see a measurable but not transformative improvement in Cinebench scores.

The more interesting conclusion comes from the architectural context. The i5-3330 has twice the physical core count (4 versus 2), yet it loses every test. That speaks to the efficiency gains of the newer Kaby Lake architecture and the higher boost clock of the i3-8109U. Conversely, the i5-3330 does hold its own in absolute terms: its R23 multi-core score of 3486 is only 1.7% behind the i3-8109U's 3544, which means the older chip is still competitive in multi-threaded workloads despite being built on a 22 nm process versus the 14 nm process of the i3-8109U.

For a buyer choosing between these two specific parts, the decision should hinge on platform constraints rather than raw performance. The i3-8109U uses Intel BGA 1356, a soldered mobile socket, while the i5-3330 uses Intel Socket 1155, a desktop socket with a removable processor. The i3-8109U also draws far less power (28 W versus 77 W), which makes it suitable for compact or thermally constrained systems. The i5-3330, despite its higher TDP, offers a larger shared L3 cache (6 MB versus 4 MB) and supports DDR3 memory, which may be relevant for users with existing DDR3 platforms.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-8109U wins in every benchmark category recorded in the database, but the nature of those wins is worth parsing. In single-core tests, the i3-8109U benefits from a 3.60 GHz boost clock, 0.40 GHz higher than the i5-3330's 3.20 GHz. That frequency advantage translates into a 1.9% lead in R20 single-core and a 1.6% lead in R23 single-core. For lightly threaded applications such as older games or spreadsheet workloads, the i3-8109U is the better choice.

In multi-core tests, the i3-8109U's win is narrower in percentage terms (1.6% to 1.7%) but still consistent. The i5-3330's two extra physical cores cannot overcome the i3-8109U's architectural efficiency and higher per-core throughput. However, the multi-core gap is small enough that the i5-3330 remains a viable option for heavily threaded productivity tasks, especially if the system already has a compatible DDR3 motherboard.

The i5-3330 does not win any benchmark in the database, but it does have qualitative advantages that do not appear in the scores. It has four physical cores, which can be beneficial for workloads that scale with core count beyond what the Cinebench suite captures. It also has a larger 6 MB shared L3 cache, which may reduce memory latency in cache-sensitive applications. The i5-3330's integrated graphics is the Intel HD 2500, while the i3-8109U ships with Iris Pro Plus, a more capable GPU, though no graphics benchmarks are recorded for either part.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i3-8109U scores 3544, which is 1.7% higher than the Intel Core i5-3330's 3486. The i3-8109U wins this test despite having only 2 cores versus the i5-3330's 4 cores.

Q: How much of a lead does the i3-8109U have in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-8109U scores 210 versus 206 for the i5-3330, a 1.9% advantage. In R23 single-core, the gap is 500 to 492, a 1.6% lead.

Q: Does the i5-3330 win any benchmark in the database?

A: No. The head-to-head comparison records 5 wins for the i3-8109U and 0 wins for the i5-3330 across all Cinebench tests.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The i3-8109U has an average benchmark score of 1235, while the i5-3330 has an average of 1200. Both parts sit at the 34th percentile of all CPUs.

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

A: The i3-8109U is tied with the Intel Pentium Gold G6600 at 1235, is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 at 1232, and is 0.8% behind the Intel Core i7-3610QM at 1244. The i5-3330 is tied with the AMD Athlon PRO 200GE at 1200, is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G at 1202, and is 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1605B at 1196.

Q: What are the clock speed differences between the two CPUs?

A: Both have a 3.00 GHz base clock. The i3-8109U boosts to 3.60 GHz, while the i5-3330 boosts to 3.20 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and manufacturing processes. The Intel Core i3-8109U is built on Kaby Lake-R architecture using a 14 nm process node, with a die size of 123 mm². It features 2 cores and 4 threads, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip is designed for the mobile segment, fits the Intel BGA 1356 socket, and has a 28 W TDP. Its integrated graphics is the Iris Pro Plus, and it supports DDR4 memory. The processor does not support ECC memory and has a locked multiplier. It was released in April 2018 and is listed as an active production part.

The Intel Core i5-3330 is an Ivy Bridge desktop processor built on a 22 nm process, with a die size of 133 mm². It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with the same 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core configuration, but a larger 6 MB shared L3 cache. The chip uses the Intel Socket 1155 and has a 77 W TDP, more than double the i3-8109U's power envelope. It supports DDR3 memory in dual-channel mode and includes integrated graphics in the form of Intel HD 2500. The i5-3330 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. It does not support ECC memory and has a locked multiplier. The part number is SR0RQ, and it was released in September 2012.

The most significant architectural difference is the core count and thread count. The i5-3330 has four physical cores but no hyper-threading, giving it exactly 4 threads. The i3-8109U has two physical cores with hyper-threading, yielding 4 threads as well. This means both processors expose the same thread count to the operating system, but the i5-3330 has more physical execution resources. Despite that, the benchmark data shows the i3-8109U pulling ahead in every test, which points to a higher instructions-per-clock rate in the newer Kaby Lake design plus the advantage of a 3.60 GHz boost versus 3.20 GHz.

Cache hierarchy also differs. The i5-3330 has 6 MB of shared L3, while the i3-8109U has 4 MB. The i3-8109U's smaller L3 is partially mitigated by its more recent memory controller and DDR4 support, whereas the i5-3330 is paired with DDR3. The i3-8109U's process node advantage (14 nm versus 22 nm) explains its much lower TDP of 28 W against 77 W, making it the clear choice for thermally constrained mobile systems. The i5-3330 remains a desktop-only part with a larger footprint and higher power draw, but its four physical cores and larger cache could still appeal in legacy desktop builds where DDR3 memory is already available.