Intel Core i5-3470 vs Intel Core i9-9990XE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents an overwhelmingly one-sided contest. Across six Cinebench tests, the Intel Core i9-9990XE wins every single matchup, with deltas that hover consistently around the 548% to 550% mark. This is not a marginal victory; it is a generational chasm expressed through rendering workloads.

Starting with multi-core performance, the i9-9990XE posts a Cinebench R23 score of 25,637 against the i5-3470's 3,957. That is a 547.9% advantage. The pattern repeats in R20, where the i9-9990XE scores 10,767 versus 1,661 for the i5-3470, a delta of 548.2%. In the older R15 test, the i9-9990XE achieves 2,584 while the i5-3470 manages only 398, yielding a 549.2% lead. These numbers tell a clear story: the 14-core, 28-thread i9-9990XE simply overwhelms the 4-core, 4-thread i5-3470 in any workload that scales across cores.

Single-core results are equally lopsided, though the margins are slightly tighter in percentage terms. The i9-9990XE scores 3,619 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 558 for the i5-3470, a 548.6% difference. In R20 single-core, the i9-9990XE posts 1,519 against 234, a 549.1% delta. The R15 single-core test shows 364 versus 56, a 550% gap. While single-threaded performance is often closer between generations, here the combination of a much higher boost clock (5.10 GHz versus 3.60 GHz) and architectural improvements from Ivy Bridge to Skylake creates an enormous gulf.

The data implies that the i9-9990XE does not just beat the i5-3470; it outperforms it by a factor of roughly 6.5 across the board. For any rendering, encoding, or heavily threaded task, the i9-9990XE is in a different performance universe. The i5-3470, by contrast, produces scores that are only a fraction of the i9-9990XE's output, confirming its status as a much older, much more limited processor.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmark tests in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Core i9-9990XE wins all 6 head-to-head benchmark tests. The Intel Core i5-3470 does not win a single one.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two in any single test?

A: The largest delta is 550% in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the i9-9990XE scores 364 and the i5-3470 scores 56.

Q: How much faster is the i9-9990XE in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The i9-9990XE scores 25,637 versus 3,957 for the i5-3470, which is a 547.9% advantage.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each CPU?

A: The i9-9990XE has an average benchmark score of 7,415, while the i5-3470 has an average of 6,906.

Q: What percentile do both CPUs rank in among all CPUs?

A: Both CPUs are in the 63rd percentile versus all CPUs, despite their massive performance difference.

Q: Are there any benchmark categories where the i5-3470 is competitive?

A: No. In all six recorded head-to-head tests, the i5-3470 trails by at least 547.9%. The i5-3470 does have additional benchmarks (Geekbench, PassMark) in its own data, but none of those appear in the head-to-head comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel eras and design philosophies. The i9-9990XE is built on the Skylake-X architecture, using a 14 nm process node, while the i5-3470 uses the Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm node. Both are Intel foundry products, but the process shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm is a major factor in the i9-9990XE's performance advantage.

Core and thread counts differ dramatically. The i9-9990XE has 14 cores and 28 threads, while the i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads. This 3.5x core advantage and 7x thread advantage directly explains the multi-core benchmark results. Cache hierarchies also diverge: the i9-9990XE has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 19.25 MB shared L3. The i5-3470 has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB shared L3. The i9-9990XE's L3 cache is over three times larger.

Memory support is another clear differentiator. The i9-9990XE uses DDR4 with a quad-channel memory bus and 85.3 GB/s bandwidth. The i5-3470 uses DDR3 with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. That is more than triple the memory bandwidth for the newer chip. PCIe lane counts also differ: the i9-9990XE provides 44 Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-3470 provides 16 Gen 3 lanes (CPU only).

The i9-9990XE has an unlocked multiplier, whereas the i5-3470 is locked. Integrated graphics are present only on the i5-3470 (Intel HD 2500); the i9-9990XE has none. TDP figures reflect the power envelope differences: 255 W for the i9-9990XE versus 77 W for the i5-3470. The i5-3470 also has listed transistor count (1,400 million) and die size (160 mm²), while those fields are null for the i9-9990XE.

Clock speeds tell a partial story. The i9-9990XE has a 4.00 GHz base and 5.10 GHz boost, while the i5-3470 has a 3.20 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. Even in single-threaded workloads, the i9-9990XE's higher clocks and newer architecture produce the 550% single-core lead seen in R15.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the Intel Core i9-9990XE is vastly superior to the Intel Core i5-3470 across every measured benchmark. The i9-9990XE wins all 6 head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 547.9% to 550%. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the i5-3470 comes out ahead.

For users whose workloads are represented by Cinebench tests (rendering, 3D modeling, CPU-intensive creative tasks), the i9-9990XE is the only rational choice. Its 14 cores, 28 threads, and 5.10 GHz boost clock deliver performance that the i5-3470 cannot approach. The i5-3470's 4 cores and 4 threads, even with a 3.60 GHz boost, leave it at a severe disadvantage.

However, the average benchmark scores are interesting. The i9-9990XE averages 7,415 across its benchmark suite, while the i5-3470 averages 6,906. That is a much smaller gap (about 7.4%) than the Cinebench deltas suggest. This is because the i5-3470's average includes additional tests like Geekbench and PassMark, which are not part of the head-to-head comparison. The i9-9990XE's average is pulled down by its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i5-4570 (7,421, delta -0.1%), AMD EPYC 7282 (7,409, delta 0.1%), Intel Core i9-9980XE (7,398, delta 0.2%), and Intel Core i5-7400 (7,469, delta -0.7%). The i5-3470's rivals include much different chips like the Intel Xeon W-2195 (6,892, delta 0.2%) and AMD Ryzen 3 3200G (6,931, delta -0.4%).

Who should pick which? A user needing maximum multi-threaded rendering performance should pick the i9-9990XE without hesitation. A user constrained by platform compatibility (Socket 1155 versus Socket 2066) or power budget (77 W versus 255 W) would have no choice but the i5-3470. But from pure performance data, the i9-9990XE is the clear winner.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i9-9990XE | Intel Core i5-3470 |

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

| Cores | 14 | 4 |

| Threads | 28 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 4.00 GHz | 3.20 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.10 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| TDP | 255 W | 77 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2066 | Intel Socket 1155 |

| Architecture | Skylake | Ivy Bridge |

| Codename | Skylake-X | Ivy Bridge |

| Generation | Core i9 Extreme (X-Series 9th Gen) | Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 22 nm |

| Transistors | Not listed | 1,400 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 160 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 19.25 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 85.3 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |

| PCIe Lanes | Gen 3, 44 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel HD 2500 |

| Release Date | 2018-10-18 | 2012-05-31 |

| Launch MSRP | $2800 | $184 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Part Number | SREZA | SR0T8 |

The table shows every recorded field where the two CPUs differ. L1 cache is identical at 64 KB per core. Both have ECC memory disabled. Both are desktop market segments and end-of-life production status. The i9-9990XE's launch MSRP is $2800, while the i5-3470 launched at $184, reflecting their vastly different market positions.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-9990XE wins in every head-to-head category recorded in the database. Specifically, it dominates in all six Cinebench tests: R15 multi-core (2,584 vs 398), R15 single-core (364 vs 56), R20 multi-core (10,767 vs 1,661), R20 single-core (1,519 vs 234), R23 multi-core (25,637 vs 3,957), and R23 single-core (3,619 vs 558). Its wins are characterized by deltas of approximately 548% to 550%, meaning the i9-9990XE is roughly 6.5 times faster in every test.

The Intel Core i5-3470 has no wins in the head-to-head data. Its only recorded advantages are structural: lower TDP (77 W vs 255 W), integrated graphics (Intel HD 2500 vs none), and a much lower launch MSRP. In the benchmark data, however, it does have additional tests that are not compared head-to-head. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 2,015 and single-core is 715. Its PassMark results include data compression (73,224), data encryption (1,189), extended instructions (3,548), find prime numbers (28), floating point math (10,871), integer math (14,840), multithread (4,669), physics (378), random string sorting (9,004), and single thread (1,935). These numbers do not change the verdict; they simply show the i5-3470's absolute performance level.

For use cases, the i9-9990XE is suited for heavy multi-threaded workloads: 3D rendering, video encoding, scientific computation, and any task that can utilize 28 threads. The i5-3470, with its 4 threads and 77 W TDP, is suited for basic desktop tasks where low power consumption and integrated graphics matter more than raw compute. The data does not support any scenario where the i5-3470 outperforms the i9-9990XE in computational throughput. The only practical reasons to choose the i5-3470 would be platform compatibility (Socket 1155) or power constraints, neither of which is a performance win.