Intel Core i3-9100TE vs Intel Pentium Gold G7400TE Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Pentium Gold G7400TE wins every recorded head-to-head test against the Intel Core i3-9100TE. Across six Cinebench runs, the G7400TE holds a consistent advantage of roughly 24% in both single-core and multi-core workloads. The i3-9100TE does not register a single win in the database’s comparison set.

The G7400TE should be the pick for anyone prioritizing raw compute performance in a low-power (35 W) desktop platform. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 4857 versus 3900 for the i3-9100TE, and its single-core score of 685 versus 550, make it the stronger choice for CPU-bound tasks like rendering, compilation, or heavy spreadsheet work. The i3-9100TE, while end-of-life and older, retains one structural advantage: ECC memory support. That makes it the only defensible option for systems where error-correcting memory is a hard requirement, such as certain NAS or server-style builds.

Both processors land at the 37th percentile among all CPUs in the database, indicating they occupy similar overall performance tiers relative to the broader market. However, within this specific pairing, the G7400TE is clearly the superior compute part. The i3-9100TE’s only practical reason for existence in a new build is ECC; otherwise, the G7400TE wins outright on every measured metric.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Pentium Gold G7400TE: This chip wins all six recorded Cinebench tests. Its largest margins come in multi-core workloads, where it posts a 24.5% advantage in both Cinebench R20 and R23 multi-core, and a 24.4% edge in R15 multi-core. Single-core wins are equally decisive, with a 23.6% lead in R15 single-core and 24.2% in R20 single-core. The data shows a uniformly strong performer across both lightly threaded and fully threaded scenarios, which suggests it will handle everyday desktop tasks, office productivity, and moderate content creation with greater headroom than its rival.

Intel Core i3-9100TE: Despite losing every comparison, the i3-9100TE has a niche based on features rather than benchmarks. Its ECC memory support is a genuine differentiator; the G7400TE does not support ECC. For users building a low-power server, a home-lab storage box, or any system where data integrity matters more than peak compute, the i3-9100TE is the only choice here. Additionally, the i3-9100TE supports DDR4 memory with a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, whereas the G7400TE’s memory bandwidth is not listed in the database. The i3-9100TE also has a larger die (126 mm²) and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz, though these do not translate into benchmark wins. Its integrated UHD Graphics 630 is a step up from the G7400TE’s UHD 710, but no graphics benchmarks are recorded for either chip.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel architectures and manufacturing nodes. The G7400TE is built on Alder Lake-S using a 10 nm process, while the i3-9100TE uses Coffee Lake on a 14 nm node. This generational leap explains much of the performance gap despite the G7400TE having fewer cores.

The G7400TE is a 2-core, 4-thread part with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and no boost clock recorded. Its cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, and its PCIe interface is Gen 5. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 710, and it does not support ECC.

The i3-9100TE is a 4-core, 4-thread part with a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. Its cache is smaller per core: 64 KB L1, 256 KB L2, and the same 6 MB shared L3. It supports only DDR4 memory, with a recorded bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, and uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. Its integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 630, and it does support ECC memory. The i3-9100TE’s die size is listed as 126 mm², while the G7400TE’s die size is not recorded.

The most striking contrast is core count versus performance. The i3-9100TE has twice as many physical cores (4 versus 2), yet it loses every multi-core benchmark by roughly 24%. This indicates the G7400TE’s newer architecture, higher base clock, and larger per-core caches more than compensate for the core deficit. The G7400TE’s 10 nm node likely contributes to superior instruction-per-clock efficiency, though the database does not provide IPC figures.

Another key difference is platform longevity. The G7400TE uses Socket 1700, is marked as Active production, and was released in January 2022. The i3-9100TE uses Socket 1151, is end-of-life, and was released in March 2019. The G7400TE also supports PCIe Gen 5, which is two generations ahead of the i3-9100TE’s Gen 3. Memory flexibility also favors the G7400TE, which accepts both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i3-9100TE is locked to DDR4.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G7400TE is consistently faster. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 4857 versus 3900 for the i3-9100TE, a 24.5% advantage. The same margin appears in R20 (2039 versus 1638) and R15 (489 versus 393).

Q: Does the i3-9100TE have any advantage over the G7400TE?

A: Yes, in one specific area: ECC memory support. The i3-9100TE supports ECC, while the G7400TE does not. This makes the i3-9100TE the only option in this pairing for systems requiring error-correcting memory.

Q: How do their single-core scores compare?

A: The G7400TE leads in every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 685 versus 550, a 24.5% difference. R20 shows 287 versus 231 (24.2% lead), and R15 shows 68 versus 55 (23.6% lead).

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The i3-9100TE has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the G7400TE has 2 cores and 4 threads. Despite this, the G7400TE wins all multi-core benchmarks, indicating its architectural efficiency overcomes the core count disadvantage.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The G7400TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode. The i3-9100TE supports only DDR4, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The G7400TE’s memory bandwidth is not listed in the database.

Q: Are these processors currently available for purchase?

A: The G7400TE is marked as Active in production, while the i3-9100TE is end-of-life. The i3-9100TE has a launch MSRP of $122; the G7400TE has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, and the G7400TE wins all six with remarkably consistent margins.

Cinebench R15 Multi-Core: The G7400TE scores 489, the i3-9100TE scores 393. The delta is 24.4% in favor of the G7400TE. This is the smallest multi-core margin recorded, yet still a decisive victory.

Cinebench R15 Single-Core: Scores are 68 for the G7400TE and 55 for the i3-9100TE, a 23.6% lead. Notably, the G7400TE’s single-core score is higher in absolute terms than the i3-9100TE’s multi-core score in this test (68 versus 393), which reflects the i3-9100TE’s lower per-thread throughput.

Cinebench R20 Multi-Core: The G7400TE posts 2039 versus 1638, a 24.5% advantage. This test scales well with core count, so the i3-9100TE’s 4-core design should theoretically help, but the G7400TE still dominates.

Cinebench R20 Single-Core: Scores are 287 and 231, a 24.2% margin. The G7400TE’s single-core performance here is nearly as high as the i3-9100TE’s multi-core score, reinforcing the architectural gap.

Cinebench R23 Multi-Core: This is the most demanding test. The G7400TE scores 4857, the i3-9100TE scores 3900, a 24.5% delta. This is the largest absolute point difference in the set, with the G7400TE finishing nearly a thousand points ahead.

Cinebench R23 Single-Core: The G7400TE scores 685 versus 550, again a 24.5% margin. The consistency of the delta across all three Cinebench versions (R15, R20, R23) and across both single and multi-core suggests a fundamental per-clock efficiency advantage, not a workload-specific quirk.

The database also shows the G7400TE has an average benchmark score of 1404, with nearest rivals including the Intel Xeon E-2104G (1402, +0.2%), Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5 (1401, +0.2%), Intel Core i5-6500TE (1399, +0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 5 1400 (1410, -0.4%). The i3-9100TE’s average score is 1386, with rivals such as the AMD Opteron 6274 (1387, -0.1%), AMD Opteron 6238 (1383, +0.3%), Intel Core i7-3615QE (1381, +0.4%), and AMD Opteron 6366 HE (1379, +0.5%). Both chips sit at the 37th percentile, but the G7400TE’s average score is 18 points higher, and its head-to-head margins are far larger than its closest rival deltas suggest. The i3-9100TE has an additional Geekbench result (3214 multi-core, 1105 single-core) not available for the G7400TE, so a direct Geekbench comparison is not possible from the recorded data.