Intel Core i3-9100HL vs Intel Core i7-2760QM Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall according to the benchmark data?

A: The Intel Core i7-2760QM wins all five head-to-head benchmark comparisons. Its average benchmark score is 1057, while the Intel Core i3-9100HL averages 1065, a narrow 0.8% difference in the i3's favor based on the aggregate metric.

Q: How large are the performance gaps in the individual Cinebench tests?

A: The i7-2760QM leads by 17.7% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (366 vs 311), 17.4% in R20 multi-core (1525 vs 1299), 17.5% in R20 single-core (215 vs 183), and 17.4% in both R23 multi-core (3631 vs 3094) and R23 single-core (512 vs 436).

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores?

A: Yes, both have 4 physical cores. However, the i7-2760QM supports 8 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the i3-9100HL has only 4 threads total.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two chips?

A: The i7-2760QM uses the Sandy Bridge architecture on a 32 nm process with 1,160 million transistors and a 216 mm² die. The i3-9100HL uses Coffee Lake on a 14 nm process with a 126 mm² die. Both share 6 MB of L3 cache.

Q: Which processor has higher clock speeds?

A: The i7-2760QM has a 2.40 GHz base clock and 3.50 GHz boost clock. The i3-9100HL has a 1.60 GHz base clock and 2.90 GHz boost clock. The i7 runs at higher frequencies in both states.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: The i3-9100HL supports ECC memory, while the i7-2760QM does not. The i3 also supports DDR4 memory with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the i7's memory support is not specified in the data.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-2760QM wins in every workload category measured. Across all five Cinebench tests, the i7 maintains a consistent advantage of roughly 17.4% to 17.7%. This includes both multi-core and single-core tests, meaning the i7's lead is not limited to threaded workloads — it also dominates in lightly-threaded scenarios.

The i3-9100HL's only statistical edge comes from its slightly higher average benchmark score of 1065 versus 1057 for the i7. This aggregate figure, however, sits within a razor-thin 0.8% margin and does not reflect any single test win. Looking at the nearest rivals for each chip, the i7 sits alongside the Intel Pentium G4600 (deltaPct 0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (deltaPct -0.1%), while the i3 sits near the Intel Xeon W3580 (deltaPct 0.1%) and Intel Core i5-2380P (deltaPct 0.2%). Both chips occupy the same 29th percentile among all CPUs.

For use-case planning, the data suggests the i7-2760QM is the stronger choice for CPU-bound tasks — rendering, encoding, or any workload where Cinebench scores correlate with real-world performance. The i3-9100HL, despite its lower raw scores, offers newer platform features like DDR4 memory support, ECC capability, and a smaller 126 mm² die with a 25 W TDP, making it potentially more suitable for compact or power-constrained desktop builds where those platform attributes matter more than peak compute.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design eras. The i7-2760QM is built on the Sandy Bridge architecture, fabricated on a 32 nm process with 1,160 million transistors spread across a 216 mm² die. The i3-9100HL uses the Coffee Lake architecture (specifically Coffee Lake Refresh), built on a 14 nm process with a substantially smaller 126 mm² die. The transistor count for the i3 is not listed in the data.

Both chips share the same core-level cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, with 6 MB of shared L3 cache. This parity in cache capacity means the performance differences stem primarily from clock speeds, thread support, and IPC improvements between generations.

The i7-2760QM is a mobile processor on the Intel BGA 1224 socket with a 45 W TDP. The i3-9100HL is a desktop processor on the Intel BGA 1440 socket with a 25 W TDP. The i3 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7's memory support details are not provided. The i3 also includes ECC memory support and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), whereas the i7's PCIe configuration is not specified.

Integrated graphics differ as well: the i7 pairs with Intel HD 3000, while the i3 includes UHD Graphics 630. The i3's newer graphics architecture and the i7's older HD 3000 represent a significant generational gap, though no graphics benchmarks are provided in the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-2760QM | Intel Core i3-9100HL |

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

| Base Clock | 2.40 GHz | 1.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.50 GHz | 2.90 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 25 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1224 | Intel BGA 1440 |

| Architecture | Sandy Bridge | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 32 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 1,160 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 216 mm² | 126 mm² |

| Memory Support | Not specified | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 42.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Not specified | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 3000 | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2011-09-03 | 2019-03-31 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | $225 |

| Part Number | SR02R | SRFEK |

The threads count is the other critical differentiator: the i7-2760QM has 8 threads versus 4 for the i3-9100HL, despite both having 4 cores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results tell a consistent story. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-2760QM scores 366 against 311 for the i3-9100HL, a 17.7% margin — the largest single-test advantage in the dataset. This test rewards both core count and clock speed, and the i7's 8 threads and higher 3.50 GHz boost clearly pay off.

Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a similar pattern: 1525 for the i7 versus 1299 for the i3, a 17.4% lead. The R23 multi-core test repeats the same margin at 3631 versus 3094. Notably, the single-core results are almost identically lopsided. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7 scores 215 against 183, a 17.5% advantage. In R23 single-core, it's 512 versus 436, again 17.4%. This is striking because single-core tests typically minimize the impact of thread count; the i7's higher boost clock of 3.50 GHz versus 2.90 GHz appears to be the decisive factor.

The i7 also holds wins in the Geekbench tests, though these are not part of the head-to-head comparison table. The i7 scores 1625 multi-core and 534 single-core. The i3 does not have Geekbench results listed in the dataset, so no direct comparison is available there.

There are no benchmark tests where the i3-9100HL wins. The wins tally shows 5 for the i7-2760QM and 0 for the i3-9100HL. The only metric where the i3 edges ahead is the average benchmark score (1065 vs 1057), which appears to weight the available test set differently and is not corroborated by any individual test result.

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion: the Intel Core i7-2760QM is the superior processor for raw compute performance. It wins every single head-to-head benchmark, with consistent margins between 17.4% and 17.7% across both multi-core and single-core workloads. The i7's 8 threads and higher clock speeds give it a decisive edge in rendering and CPU-bound tasks, regardless of whether the workload scales across cores or runs on a single thread.

The i3-9100HL, however, is not without its own strengths. It draws just 25 W compared to the i7's 45 W, making it far more power-efficient. It supports DDR4 memory with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, includes ECC memory support, and comes on a newer 14 nm process with a smaller die. Its UHD Graphics 630 is a much newer integrated graphics solution than the i7's HD 3000. For a desktop system where power consumption, memory flexibility, or ECC reliability are priorities, the i3's platform advantages may outweigh its performance deficit.

The i7-2760QM is an end-of-life mobile part from 2011, while the i3-9100HL is an end-of-life desktop part from 2019. Both sit at the 29th percentile among all CPUs, and their aggregate benchmark scores are nearly identical (1057 vs 1065). The choice between them depends on whether the user values the i7's 17-18% performance lead or the i3's modern platform features, lower power draw, and ECC support. For pure compute, the i7-2760QM is the verdict. For a power-conscious desktop build with newer memory and I/O standards, the i3-9100HL makes the stronger case.