Intel Core i5-3470 vs Intel Pentium Gold G6400 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G6400 holds a marginal lead with an average benchmark score of 6969, compared to the Intel Core i5-3470's 6906. Both chips sit at the 63rd percentile among all CPUs, and their nearest-rival lists overlap heavily—both appear within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G and the Intel Core i9-9960X.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-threaded Cinebench tests?

A: The Core i5-3470 wins every multi-core Cinebench test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 3957 versus the G6400's 3030, a 23.4% deficit for the Pentium. The same 23.4% gap appears in R20 multi-core (1661 vs 1272) and R15 multi-core (398 vs 305).

Q: Does the Pentium Gold G6400 win any benchmark at all?

A: Yes, it wins three of the sixteen head-to-head tests. The most notable victories are PassMark single-thread (2457 vs 1935, a 27% advantage) and PassMark data encryption (1535 vs 1189, a 29.1% advantage). It also wins the duplicated PassMark singlethread test by the same 27% margin.

Q: What memory technologies do the two CPUs support?

A: The G6400 supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The i5-3470 supports DDR3 memory, also dual-channel, but with a lower 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which processor is still in production?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G6400 is listed as Active in production status, released on 2020-04-29. The Intel Core i5-3470, released on 2012-05-31, is marked End-of-life. The i5-3470 has a launch MSRP of $184; the G6400 has no listed launch MSRP.

Q: How large is the gap in extended instruction performance?

A: The i5-3470 crushes the G6400 in PassMark extended instructions, scoring 3548 versus 1784—a 49.7% deficit for the Pentium. This is the largest relative difference in any head-to-head benchmark between the two.

Architecture Differences

The Pentium Gold G6400 is built on Intel's Comet Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node, while the Core i5-3470 uses the older Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm node. This process-node gap explains several downstream differences in feature support and efficiency characteristics, though the G6400's TDP is actually lower at 58 W versus the i5-3470's 77 W.

Core configuration differs substantially. The G6400 has 2 physical cores with 4 threads (Hyper-Threading enabled), while the i5-3470 has 4 physical cores with 4 threads (no Hyper-Threading). Despite having half the physical cores, the G6400 reaches a higher base clock of 4.00 GHz, whereas the i5-3470 has a base clock of 3.20 GHz with a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The G6400 has no boost clock listed, meaning its 4.00 GHz is likely its maximum sustained frequency.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. Both have 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but the i5-3470 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache versus the G6400's 4 MB. The i5-3470 also carries 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, while the G6400's transistor count and die size are not listed in the data.

Memory architecture separates the two further. The G6400 uses DDR4 memory with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth; the i5-3470 uses DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s. Both are dual-channel, and neither supports ECC memory. Both CPUs offer PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and both have integrated graphics—the G6400 with UHD Graphics 610 and the i5-3470 with Intel HD 2500.

The sockets are incompatible: the G6400 uses Intel Socket 1200, while the i5-3470 uses Intel Socket 1155. The G6400's part number is SRH3Y, and the i5-3470's is SR0T8. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data paints a lopsided picture: the Core i5-3470 wins 13 of 16 head-to-head comparisons, but the two victories for the Pentium Gold G6400 are strategically important for certain workloads.

Starting with the Cinebench suite, the i5-3470 shows consistent dominance across all three versions. In R15 multi-core, the i5-3470 scores 398 against the G6400's 305, a 23.4% margin. This same 23.4% delta repeats in R20 multi-core (1661 vs 1272) and R23 multi-core (3957 vs 3030). Single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern: the i5-3470 leads by 23.5% in both R20 (234 vs 179) and R23 (558 vs 427). The consistency of this ~23% gap suggests it stems from the i5-3470's four physical cores versus the G6400's two, even though the G6400 has Hyper-Threading.

The PassMark suite reveals where each chip excels. The G6400's single-thread dominance is clear: 2457 versus 1935, a 27% advantage. This is the largest win for the Pentium in raw percentage terms among its victories. Data encryption also favors the G6400 at 1535 versus 1189, a 29.1% margin—the single biggest relative win for either chip in the entire comparison.

The i5-3470's wins in PassMark are broad but vary in magnitude. The most extreme is extended instructions: 3548 versus 1784, a massive 49.7% gap. Find prime numbers shows a 39.3% advantage (28 vs 17). Floating-point math favors the i5-3470 by 19.2% (10871 vs 8788). Data compression shows a 14.2% edge (73224 vs 62806). Multithread performance is 11.8% better (4669 vs 4118), and random string sorting is 10.8% better (9004 vs 8034). Integer math is closer at 6.1% (14840 vs 13941), and physics is nearly even at 5.8% (378 vs 356).

The two processors are remarkably close in overall average score—6969 versus 6906, a difference of less than 1%—yet their workload profiles are nearly opposite. The G6400 wins where single-thread speed and encryption matter, while the i5-3470 dominates everywhere else, especially in extended instruction throughput and prime number calculation.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Pentium Gold G6400 | Intel Core i5-3470 |

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

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 4.00 GHz | 3.20 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None listed | 3.60 GHz |

| TDP | 58 W | 77 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1200 | Intel Socket 1155 |

| Architecture | Comet Lake | Ivy Bridge |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 22 nm |

| Transistors | Not listed | 1,400 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 160 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 610 | Intel HD 2500 |

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

| Release Date | 2020-04-29 | 2012-05-31 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $184 |

| Part Number | SRH3Y | SR0T8 |

The table above highlights that the two chips share only a few features: both are dual-channel, non-ECC, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and both have locked multipliers. Every other field where data exists differs between them.

The Verdict

The benchmark results clearly favor the Intel Core i5-3470 for the majority of workloads. With 13 wins out of 16 head-to-head tests and consistent 23% leads across the entire Cinebench suite, the i5-3470 is the stronger multi-threaded and general-purpose processor. Its wins in integer math, floating-point math, data compression, and extended instructions indicate broad superiority in compute-heavy tasks. The 49.7% advantage in extended instructions and 39.3% in prime number calculation are particularly decisive for scientific or encryption-heavy workloads.

However, the Intel Pentium Gold G6400 is not without merit. Its 27% single-thread advantage in PassMark makes it the better choice for lightly-threaded applications that depend on raw per-core speed. The 29.1% lead in data encryption suggests it handles certain cryptographic workloads more efficiently. Its lower TDP of 58 W versus 77 W also points to lower power draw, and its Active production status means it is currently available for new systems, whereas the i5-3470 is end-of-life.

For anyone building a system today, the G6400's active production status and DDR4 support are practical advantages. The i5-3470, despite its benchmark superiority, requires legacy DDR3 memory and an older Socket 1155 platform. Yet for pure performance per benchmark results, the i5-3470 is the clear winner in most categories—users seeking maximum multi-threaded throughput should choose it, while those prioritizing single-thread speed and encryption performance should consider the G6400. The near-identical average benchmark scores (6969 vs 6906) and matching 63rd percentile ranking show these are closely matched competitors, but with sharply divergent strengths.