Intel Core i3-9300 vs Intel Pentium Gold G7400E Comparison

The Intel Pentium Gold G7400E and the Intel Core i3-9300 are both desktop processors from Intel, but they represent very different eras and design philosophies. The G7400E is a modern Alder Lake-S part built on a 10 nm process, while the i3-9300 is a Coffee Lake Refresh chip on a 14 nm node. Despite these generational gaps, the benchmark data reveals a remarkably tight competition, with the older i3-9300 consistently edging out the newer Pentium in every single test. This analysis will break down the head-to-head results, architectural differences, and ultimately, which processor is the better choice based strictly on the provided data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark suite consists entirely of Cinebench tests, which measure both multi-core and single-core performance across three versions of the rendering workload. The results are unambiguous: the Intel Core i3-9300 wins all six tests. The margins, however, are consistently narrow, ranging from a 1.8% deficit to a 2.6% deficit for the Pentium Gold G7400E.

In the multi-core tests, the i3-9300 maintains a steady advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i3-9300 scores 541 against the G7400E's 531, a delta of -1.8%. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the i3-9300 scores 2257 versus 2213, again a 1.9% difference. The largest multi-core gap appears in Cinebench R23, where the i3-9300 scores 5374 and the G7400E scores 5270, still just a 1.9% difference. These results indicate that the i3-9300's two additional physical cores provide a consistent, though modest, advantage in heavily threaded workloads.

The single-core results tell a similar story. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i3-9300 wins with 76 points against the G7400E's 74, a 2.6% gap. This is actually the largest delta in the entire comparison. The Cinebench R20 single-core test shows the i3-9300 at 318 and the G7400E at 312, a 1.9% difference. Finally, in Cinebench R23 single-core, the i3-9300 scores 758 while the G7400E manages 744, a 1.8% gap. The consistency of these single-core margins is notable, suggesting that the i3-9300’s higher boost clock of 4.30 GHz provides a tangible, if small, edge over the G7400E, which has no boost clock listed.

Looking at the broader context, the G7400E's average benchmark score is 1524, placing it at the 38th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-4670S (average score 1526, delta -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-8665U (average score 1513, delta 0.7%). This places the G7400E firmly in the mid-range of CPU performance. The i3-9300, with an average score of 1554, sits at the 39th percentile, with rivals like the Intel Xeon E3-1268L v5 (1557, delta -0.2%) and the AMD FX-8350 (1557, delta -0.2%). While the i3-9300's percentile is only one point higher, its average score is 30 points higher, which aligns with the consistent wins in the head-to-head tests.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i3-9300 wins in every category tested. There are no tests where the Pentium Gold G7400E comes out ahead. This means the i3-9300 is the superior choice for any workload that benefits from higher Cinebench scores, which typically includes 3D rendering, video encoding, and other CPU-intensive tasks. The i3-9300’s wins in both single-core and multi-core tests indicate it is better suited for both lightly-threaded applications like gaming and heavily-threaded productivity tasks.

However, the G7400E does have a distinct advantage in a non-performance category: power consumption. Its TDP is 46 watts compared to the i3-9300's 62 watts. This suggests the G7400E would be the more efficient choice for a system where thermal output and power draw are primary concerns, such as a small form factor build. The data shows that the G7400E delivers nearly the same performance as the i3-9300 while requiring significantly less power, making it a compelling option for energy-conscious builds. The i3-9300, on the other hand, is the clear winner for pure compute performance, as evidenced by its 6-0 sweep in the head-to-head benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Pentium Gold G7400E is based on Alder Lake-S, Intel's 10 nm process, while the Core i3-9300 uses the older Coffee Lake architecture on a 14 nm process. This generational gap explains some of the key differences in their specifications. The G7400E features a newer PCIe Gen 5 interface, while the i3-9300 is limited to PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The G7400E also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, whereas the i3-9300 only supports DDR4.

The core configurations are starkly different. The G7400E has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the i3-9300 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Despite having half the physical cores, the G7400E relies on Hyper-Threading to reach 4 threads, matching the i3-9300's thread count. The i3-9300 compensates for its older architecture with a higher base clock of 3.70 GHz (versus 3.60 GHz) and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, which the G7400E lacks entirely. The cache hierarchies also differ: the G7400E has 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 6 MB of shared L3; the i3-9300 has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but a larger 8 MB of shared L3.

Other notable differences include the integrated graphics, with the G7400E featuring UHD Graphics 710 and the i3-9300 featuring UHD 630. The i3-9300 supports ECC memory, which the G7400E does not. The i3-9300 also has a listed memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the G7400E's is not provided. The i3-9300 is designated as end-of-life, whereas the G7400E is still active in production. The die size is only available for the i3-9300 at 126 mm².

The Verdict

The data is clear: the Intel Core i3-9300 is the faster processor. It wins all six Cinebench benchmarks, with margins ranging from 1.8% to 2.6%. Its higher average benchmark score of 1554 versus 1524 for the G7400E reinforces this conclusion. For any user prioritizing raw compute performance in rendering or similar workloads, the i3-9300 is the obvious choice. Its 4 cores and 4 threads, combined with a 4.30 GHz boost clock, deliver a consistent performance advantage over the G7400E’s 2 cores and 4 threads.

The Pentium Gold G7400E, however, is not without its merits. Its 46-watt TDP is significantly lower than the i3-9300's 62 watts, making it a more power-efficient option. It also offers more modern platform features, including PCIe Gen 5 support and DDR5 memory compatibility. For a user building a new system with a focus on low power consumption and modern connectivity, the G7400E could be the better fit, provided they are willing to accept a small performance penalty. The i3-9300 is the performance leader, but the G7400E offers a more modern and efficient platform.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-9300 wins all multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 5374 compared to the G7400E's 5270, a 1.9% difference.

Q: What is the performance gap in single-core tests?

A: The i3-9300 also wins all single-core tests. The largest gap is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i3-9300 scores 76 versus the G7400E's 74, a 2.6% difference.

Q: Does the Pentium Gold G7400E support ECC memory?

A: No, the G7400E does not support ECC memory. The Core i3-9300 does support ECC memory.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption?

A: The G7400E has a TDP of 46 watts, while the i3-9300 has a TDP of 62 watts. The G7400E is the more power-efficient processor.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Core i3-9300 has a larger L3 cache at 8 MB (shared), while the G7400E has 6 MB (shared).

Q: Which processor is more modern?

A: The G7400E is built on the Alder Lake architecture (10 nm) and was released in 2022. The i3-9300 is based on the Coffee Lake architecture (14 nm) and was released in 2019. The i3-9300 is also marked as end-of-life, while the G7400E is still active.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Pentium Gold G7400E | Intel Core i3-9300 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None | 4.30 GHz |

| TDP | 46 W | 62 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 6 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 38.4 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 5 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 710 | UHD 630 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2019-04-22 |

| Die Size | Not listed | 126 mm² |

| Part Number | Not listed | SRCZU |