Intel Core i5-3470 vs Intel Core i9-9940X Comparison
Intel Core i5-3470
Core i9-9940X
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Core i5-3470 vs Intel Core i9-9940X
The Verdict
The data in this comparison is unambiguous: the Intel Core i9-9940X outperforms the Intel Core i5-3470 in every single recorded benchmark. The i9-9940X claims all 8 head-to-head victories, with no wins for the i5-3470. The i5-3470, a 4-core, 4-thread Ivy Bridge part from 2012, is completely outclassed by the 14-core, 28-thread Skylake-X processor from 2018. The i9-9940X delivers more than 6 times the multi-core Cinebench R23 score (23810 vs 3957), and more than 5 times the single-core score (3361 vs 558). For any workload that can use multiple threads, the i9-9940X is the clear choice. For basic single-threaded tasks, the i9-9940X still wins decisively, leaving the i5-3470 as a legacy part for very old systems or light office duty. The i5-3470's percentile rank of 63 against all CPUs is higher than the i9-9940X's rank of 62, but this reflects the i5's position among a wider field of older, weaker processors, not any advantage in direct performance.
Architecture Differences
The two processors come from different eras and microarchitectures. The i5-3470 uses the Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process node, with a die size of 160 mm² and 1,400 million transistors. The i9-9940X uses the Skylake architecture on a 14 nm process, with a significantly larger die size of 484 mm². The i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i9-9940X has 14 cores and 28 threads. Cache hierarchies differ substantially: the i5-3470 has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus 6 MB of shared L3. The i9-9940X also has 64 KB of L1 per core, but its L2 is 1 MB per core, and its shared L3 is 19.25 MB. The i5-3470 supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The i9-9940X supports DDR4 with a quad-channel bus and 85.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The i5-3470 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 2500), while the i9-9940X has no integrated graphics. The i5-3470 has 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), and the i9-9940X has 44 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only). The i5-3470's multiplier is locked, while the i9-9940X's multiplier is unlocked. Both lack ECC memory support. The i5-3470's base clock is 3.20 GHz with a boost of 3.60 GHz, while the i9-9940X's base is 3.30 GHz with a boost of 4.50 GHz. The i9-9940X has a TDP of 165 W versus 77 W for the i5-3470.
Where Each One Wins
The data shows no benchmark category where the i5-3470 wins. The i9-9940X is faster in every measured test, from integer math to floating point to encryption. The i5-3470 does have one statistical distinction: its average benchmark score of 6906 is higher than the i9-9940X's average of 6657, but this is because the i5-3470's benchmark set includes PassMark tests where it scores well relative to its own low single-thread baseline, and the average is computed over different test lists. The i5-3470's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon W-2195 (0.2% higher score), AMD Ryzen 3 3200G (0.4% higher), and Intel Core i3-1115G4 (0.8% higher). The i9-9940X's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X (0.1% higher), Intel Core i5-13400E (0.3% higher), and Intel Core i9-12900E (0.7% higher). The i9-9940X sits in a much faster performance class, despite having a slightly lower percentile rank (62 vs 63). For users, the i9-9940X wins for any compute-heavy workload: rendering, video encoding, scientific simulation, or heavily threaded productivity. The i5-3470 remains usable for very old software, basic web browsing, or as a cost-effective legacy system, but the benchmark data shows no performance scenario where it is the better processor.
FAQ
Q: Is the Intel Core i9-9940X faster than the Intel Core i5-3470 in single-core tasks?
A: Yes. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the i9-9940X scores 3361 versus 558 for the i5-3470, a delta of -83.4%. In Geekbench single-core, the i9-9940X scores 1468 versus 715, a delta of -51.3%.
Q: How much faster is the i9-9940X in multi-core rendering?
A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-9940X scores 23810 versus 3957 for the i5-3470, which is 6.0 times higher. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the i9-9940X scores 10000 versus 1661, a 6.0 times difference.
Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?
A: The i9-9940X has 14 cores and 28 threads, while the i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The i9-9940X also has a larger L3 cache (19.25 MB shared) compared to the i5-3470's 6 MB shared.
Q: Does the i5-3470 have integrated graphics?
A: Yes, it includes Intel HD 2500. The i9-9940X does not have integrated graphics, so a discrete GPU is required for video output.
Q: What are the memory differences?
A: The i5-3470 supports DDR3 with dual-channel memory and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. The i9-9940X supports DDR4 with quad-channel memory and 85.3 GB/s bandwidth.
Q: Which processor is newer?
A: The i5-3470 was released on 2012-05-31, and the i9-9940X was released on 2018-10-18. Both are end-of-life production parts.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The head-to-head results are one-sided. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-3470 scores 398 and the i9-9940X scores 2400, a delta of -83.4% (the negative sign indicates the i5 is slower). In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i5 scores 56 and the i9 scores 338, also -83.4%. The same -83.4% delta appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core (1661 vs 10000) and single-core (234 vs 1411), and in Cinebench R23 multi-core (3957 vs 23810) and single-core (558 vs 3361). The Cinebench suite shows an extremely consistent relative gap, suggesting the i9-9940X's advantage is structural (cores, cache, IPC) rather than workload-specific. In Geekbench multi-core, the i5-3470 scores 2015 and the i9-9940X scores 10466, a delta of -80.7%. In Geekbench single-core, the gap narrows somewhat: 715 vs 1468, a delta of -51.3%. The smaller single-core delta in Geekbench indicates that the i9-9940X's higher boost clock (4.50 GHz vs 3.60 GHz) and newer architecture help, but the multi-core test benefits much more from the 14-core, 28-thread configuration. The i5-3470's PassMark results are not in the head-to-head set, but its standalone scores (integer math 14840, floating point 10871, multi-thread 4669) show it is a capable older quad-core, yet none of these approach the i9-9940X's recorded output. The i9-9940X wins 8 out of 8 head-to-head benchmarks, with zero wins for the i5-3470.
Specification Differences
The two processors differ in nearly every measurable specification. The i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i9-9940X has 14 cores and 28 threads. Base clocks are 3.20 GHz versus 3.30 GHz, and boost clocks are 3.60 GHz versus 4.50 GHz. TDP is 77 W for the i5-3470 and 165 W for the i9-9940X. The i5-3470 uses the Intel Socket 1155, while the i9-9940X uses the Intel Socket 2066. Architecture is Ivy Bridge (22 nm) versus Skylake (14 nm), with die sizes of 160 mm² and 484 mm² respectively. The i5-3470 has 1,400 million transistors; the i9-9940X's transistor count is not recorded. L1 cache is the same per core (64 KB), but L2 is 256 KB per core on the i5 versus 1 MB per core on the i9, and L3 is 6 MB shared versus 19.25 MB shared. Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel (25.6 GB/s) versus DDR4 quad-channel (85.3 GB/s). PCIe lanes are 16 (Gen 3) on the i5 and 44 (Gen 3) on the i9. The i5-3470 has integrated graphics (Intel HD 2500); the i9-9940X has none. The i5-3470's multiplier is locked; the i9-9940X's is unlocked. The i5-3470 has a launch MSRP of $184, and the i9-9940X has a launch MSRP of $1387. Both are end-of-life, both are desktop parts, and neither supports ECC memory. The i5-3470's part number is SR0T8, and the i9-9940X's is SREZ5.