Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Pentium Silver N6005 Comparison

The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 and Intel Core i3-8121U are both end-of-life mobile processors, but they present starkly contrasting performance profiles. The benchmark data shows a clear split: the Pentium Silver N6005 dominates in Cinebench rendering workloads, while the Core i3-8121U takes a commanding lead in Geekbench tests. This divergence stems from fundamental architectural differences, making the choice between them highly dependent on the specific application.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the complete inversion of performance across the two benchmark suites. In Cinebench tests, the Pentium Silver N6005 wins all six head-to-head matchups with a remarkably consistent margin. The multicore scores show a delta of 22.1% in Cinebench R15 (447 vs 366), 22.2% in Cinebench R20 (1866 vs 1527), and 22.2% in Cinebench R23 (4444 vs 3637). The single-core Cinebench results tell a similar story, with the N6005 leading by 23.5% in R15 (63 vs 51) and 22.3% in R20 (263 vs 215), while R23 single-core shows a 22.2% advantage (627 vs 513).

The Core i3-8121U fights back decisively in Geekbench. In Geekbench multicore, it scores 2215 against the N6005's 1469, a delta of -33.7% from the Pentium's perspective. The single-core Geekbench gap is even more pronounced: the i3-8121U scores 1149 compared to 564 for the N6005, representing a -50.9% delta. This means the Core i3-8121U is roughly twice as fast as the Pentium Silver in Geekbench single-core, while the Pentium is about 22% faster across all Cinebench tests.

The overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the N6005 averages 1218, while the i3-8121U averages 1209. Both processors sit at the 34th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals for the N6005 are the Intel Core i7-3632QM (delta -0.1%), Intel Core i5-2500 (delta -0.2%), Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 (delta 0.5%), and Intel Core i3-7300T (delta 0.6%). The i3-8121U's closest competitors include the Intel Xeon D-1520 (delta 0%), Intel Xeon E5645 (delta -0.1%), Intel Xeon D-1527 (delta 0.1%), and the same Core i3-7300T (delta -0.1%).

Architecture Differences

These divergent results trace back to distinct design philosophies. The Pentium Silver N6005 uses the Tremont architecture on the Jasper Lake platform, built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 63.8 mm². It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz. The Core i3-8121U, by contrast, uses the Cannon Lake architecture (listed under the Core i3 / Kaby Lake-U Refresh generation), also on a 10 nm process but with a larger die at 70.52 mm². It has 2 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The N6005 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.5 MB of shared L2 cache, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The i3-8121U also has 64 KB of L1 per core but provides 256 KB of L2 per core (totaling 512 KB) and the same 4 MB of shared L3. The per-core L2 allocation is notably larger on the i3-8121U, which may contribute to its Geekbench strength.

Thermal and platform characteristics also separate them. The N6005 has a TDP of 10 watts and uses the Intel BGA 1338 socket, while the i3-8121U has a 15-watt TDP on the Intel BGA 1440 socket. Memory support differs: the N6005 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4 with dual-channel access and a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, whereas the i3-8121U supports only DDR4 with dual-channel access and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe lanes also favor the i3-8121U, which offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) versus the N6005's Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only). A notable omission is that the i3-8121U has no integrated graphics, while the N6005 includes UHD Graphics 32EU.

Where Each One Wins

The Cinebench sweep for the Pentium Silver N6005 indicates a clear advantage in sustained rendering workloads. Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 all stress multi-threaded CPU performance, and the N6005's extra two physical cores allow it to outpace the i3-8121U by a consistent 22% margin. This makes the N6005 the better choice for tasks like 3D rendering, video encoding, or any heavily threaded content creation that scales with core count. Its lower 10-watt TDP also suggests it can sustain these workloads in thermally constrained chassis without throttling as aggressively as a 15-watt part.

The Core i3-8121U's Geekbench victories point to superior performance in tasks that favor higher clock speeds, larger per-core cache, and newer core microarchitecture. Geekbench includes a mix of integer, floating-point, and memory tests that often respond well to single-thread efficiency. With a 50.9% lead in Geekbench single-core and a 33.7% lead in multicore, the i3-8121U is substantially faster for general desktop responsiveness, web browsing, office productivity, and light software development. The 2-core/4-thread configuration with 256 KB L2 per core appears better suited to latency-sensitive workloads that don't scale linearly with core count.

The N6005 also wins on memory bandwidth, with 46.9 GB/s versus 38.4 GB/s, which could benefit integrated-GPU tasks or memory-intensive compute. However, the i3-8121U has no integrated graphics, so any visual output requires a discrete GPU, which changes the system design calculus entirely.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous about the split. The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 wins 6 of 8 head-to-head benchmarks, all in Cinebench, with margins between 22.1% and 23.5%. The Intel Core i3-8121U wins the remaining 2 Geekbench tests with margins of 33.7% and 50.9%. Neither processor is a general-purpose victor; the correct choice depends on workload.

Pick the Pentium Silver N6005 if the priority is multi-threaded rendering performance, lower power consumption (10 W TDP), integrated graphics capability, and higher memory bandwidth. Its 4 physical cores and consistent 22% Cinebench advantage make it the better engine for batch rendering or CPU-bound creative tasks.

Pick the Core i3-8121U if the workload is dominated by general computing, single-threaded responsiveness, or applications that mirror Geekbench's test profile. Its 50.9% single-core lead and 33.7% multicore lead in Geekbench indicate significantly snappier everyday performance and faster execution of lightly threaded software. The 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes also offer more expandability for discrete GPUs or high-speed storage.

For users who need a balanced system with integrated graphics and lower power draw, the N6005 is the data-backed recommendation. For users pairing the CPU with a discrete GPU and prioritizing raw single-thread speed, the i3-8121U is superior. The near-identical average benchmark scores (1218 vs 1209) and same 34th percentile ranking mean that in aggregate, they perform at the same level — but the distribution of that performance could not be more different.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The average scores are nearly identical. The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 averages 1218, while the Intel Core i3-8121U averages 1209, a difference of less than 1%.

Q: How much faster is the Pentium Silver N6005 in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The N6005 scores 4444 versus 3637 for the i3-8121U in Cinebench R23 multicore, representing a 22.2% advantage for the Pentium.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head results?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench single-core, where the Intel Core i3-8121U scores 1149 versus 564 for the Pentium Silver N6005, a delta of -50.9% from the Pentium's perspective.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the Intel Pentium Silver N6005 and the Intel Core i3-8121U have ECC memory support listed as false.

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 has 4 cores, while the Intel Core i3-8121U has 2 cores. Both have 4 threads total.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two?

A: The Intel Pentium Silver N6005 has a TDP of 10 watts, while the Intel Core i3-8121U has a TDP of 15 watts. The N6005 also has a larger memory bandwidth at 46.9 GB/s compared to 38.4 GB/s.