Intel Core i3-9100TE vs Intel Core i7-3820QM Comparison

The Intel Core i3-9100TE and Intel Core i7-3820QM represent two distinct design points: a modern low-power desktop chip and an older high-end mobile processor. The database records an average benchmark score of 1386 for the i3-9100TE and 1366 for the i7-3820QM, placing them at the 37th and 36th percentiles respectively. Their head-to-head results show a clear split: the i7 wins six of eight tests, but the i3 wins the two Geekbench tests by wide margins.

The Verdict

The aggregate data slightly favors the i3-9100TE. Its average benchmark score of 1386 is 20 points higher than the i7-3820QM's 1366, and its percentile of 37 exceeds the i7's 36. However, the i7-3820QM dominates the Cinebench suite, winning all six Cinebench tests with deltas between -17.9% and -18.4% (meaning the i3 scores 17.9% to 18.4% lower). In contrast, the i3 wins Geekbench by 57.5% in multi-core and 83.9% in single-core. Thus, the choice depends on the workload. For rendering tasks measured by Cinebench, the i7 is clearly superior. For general-purpose integer and floating-point workloads as measured by Geekbench, the i3 is the better performer. The i3 also offers lower power consumption (35 W vs 45 W), ECC memory support, and a newer architecture, but those are not benchmark scores. The database's overall ranking slightly favors the i3.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different architectural generations. The i3-9100TE is built on Coffee Lake, a 14 nm process, while the i7-3820QM uses Ivy Bridge on 22 nm. The i3 has a die size of 126 mm², the i7 160 mm². The i7 integrates 1,400 million transistors; the i3's transistor count is not recorded. Both have 4 physical cores, but the i7 supports 8 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the i3 has 4 threads. The i3's L3 cache is 6 MB shared, the i7's is 8 MB shared. L1 and L2 are identical: 64 KB and 256 KB per core. The i3 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, and it has ECC support. The i7's memory type and bandwidth are not recorded, and it lacks ECC. The i3 has a PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes (CPU only); the i7's PCIe details are not recorded. Integrated graphics differ: the i3 uses UHD Graphics 630, the i7 uses Intel HD 4000. The i3 is a desktop part on Socket 1151, while the i7 is a mobile part on BGA 1224. The i3 has a TDP of 35 W, the i7 45 W. The i3 was released in 2019, the i7 in 2012. The i3 is marked end-of-life; the i7's production status is not recorded. The i3's launch MSRP was $122; the i7 has no recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has higher single-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The i7-3820QM scores 674 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the i3-9100TE scores 550, giving the i7 an 18.4% advantage.

Q: Which CPU has higher single-core performance in Geekbench?

A: The i3-9100TE scores 1105 in Geekbench single-core, while the i7-3820QM scores 601, giving the i3 an 83.9% advantage.

Q: How do the thread counts compare?

A: The i7-3820QM has 8 threads, while the i3-9100TE has 4 threads, both with 4 physical cores.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The i3-9100TE supports ECC memory; the i7-3820QM does not.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark scores?

A: The i3-9100TE has an average benchmark score of 1386, while the i7-3820QM has 1366, a difference of 20 points.

Q: Which CPU has a larger L3 cache?

A: The i7-3820QM has 8 MB shared L3 cache, while the i3-9100TE has 6 MB shared.

Specification Differences

| Feature | i3-9100TE | i7-3820QM |

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

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base clock | 2.20 GHz | 2.70 GHz |

| Boost clock | 3.20 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 45 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | Intel BGA 1224 |

| Architecture | Coffee Lake | Ivy Bridge |

| Process node | 14 nm | 22 nm |

| Die size | 126 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistors | Not recorded | 1,400 million |

| L3 cache | 6 MB shared | 8 MB shared |

| Memory support | DDR4 | Not recorded |

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

| ECC support | Yes | No |

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

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | Intel HD 4000 |

| Market segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release date | 2019-03-31 | 2012-04-28 |

| Production status | End-of-life | Not recorded |

| Launch MSRP | $122 | Not recorded |

| Part number | SRGE0SRGQY | SR0MK |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a clear split. In all six Cinebench tests, the i7-3820QM wins. The deltas are consistent: -18.3% in R15 multi-core (393 vs 481), -17.9% in R15 single-core (55 vs 67), -18.3% in R20 multi-core (1638 vs 2006), -18.4% in R20 single-core (231 vs 283), -18.4% in R23 multi-core (3900 vs 4777), and -18.4% in R23 single-core (550 vs 674). The i3-9100TE wins both Geekbench tests by large margins: 57.5% in multi-core (3214 vs 2041) and 83.9% in single-core (1105 vs 601). This indicates that the i7's older Ivy Bridge architecture with higher clocks and more threads performs better in Cinebench's rendering workload, while the i3's newer Coffee Lake design excels in Geekbench's mixed workload. The i7's advantage in Cinebench is roughly 18% across the board, while the i3's advantage in Geekbench is much larger, especially in single-core where it nearly doubles the i7's score.

The i7-3820QM's wins are consistent across all Cinebench versions, suggesting a stable performance edge in that specific benchmark family. The i3-9100TE's Geekbench wins are even more pronounced, with a single-core delta of 83.9% that dwarfs any Cinebench gap. The database's aggregate score, which weights all eight tests equally, gives the i3 a slight overall lead because its two Geekbench wins are so large that they offset the six Cinebench losses. The i3's average score of 1386 places it just 0.1% below the AMD Opteron 6274 (1387) and 0.3% above the AMD Opteron 6238 (1383). The i7's average of 1366 is 0.1% below the Intel Xeon D-1521 (1367) and 0.2% below the Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 (1368). These nearest-rival comparisons reinforce that both CPUs sit in a similar performance tier, but the i3 edges ahead in the database's overall ranking.