Intel Core i5-3470S vs Intel Pentium 6805 Comparison

The Intel Pentium 6805 and Intel Core i5-3470S occupy nearly identical positions in the overall performance hierarchy, with the Pentium 6805 holding a 31st percentile rank and the i5-3470S sitting at the 30th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are remarkably close — 1099 for the Pentium 6805 versus 1095 for the i5-3470S — placing them in the same performance tier despite an eight-year gap in release dates and fundamentally different architectures. The head-to-head benchmark data reveals a consistent, though narrow, advantage for the newer Pentium part across every single test, with the i5-3470S failing to secure a single win.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results show a pattern of uniform, modest victories for the Intel Pentium 6805 across all six Cinebench tests. The largest margin comes in the Cinebench R15 single-core test, where the Pentium 6805 scores 54 against the i5-3470S’s 52, a 3.8% advantage. This single-core lead is significant because the i5-3470S has a substantially higher base clock (2.90 GHz versus 1.10 GHz) and boost clock (3.60 GHz versus 3.00 GHz), yet the Pentium’s newer architecture still manages to win.

Multi-core results tell a similar story. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Pentium 6805 scores 383 versus 373 for the i5-3470S, a 2.7% difference. This is particularly notable because the i5-3470S has four physical cores while the Pentium 6805 has only two, though both have four threads. The extra physical cores on the i5-3470S do not translate into a performance advantage, suggesting that the Pentium’s per-core efficiency more than compensates for its core count deficit.

The Cinebench R20 and R23 tests show nearly identical margins. In R20 multi-core, the Pentium 6805 leads 1596 to 1558, a 2.4% gap, while in R23 multi-core it leads 3801 to 3711, also 2.4%. Single-core results in these newer tests are similarly consistent: 225 versus 220 in R20 (2.3%) and 536 versus 524 in R23 (2.3%). The consistency of these margins across different workload intensities suggests the Pentium’s advantage is architectural rather than workload-specific.

What the data implies is that the i5-3470S’s higher clock speeds and additional physical cores are not enough to overcome the Pentium 6805’s IPC (instructions per clock) advantage from its newer Sunny Cove architecture. The i5-3470S does have a Geekbench result listed — 1726 multi-core and 599 single-core — while no Geekbench score is provided for the Pentium 6805, but in the tests where both are measured, the Pentium wins every time.

FAQ

Q: Why does a 2-core Pentium beat a 4-core i5 in multi-core benchmarks?

A: The Pentium 6805 scores 3801 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 3711 for the i5-3470S. Despite having half the physical cores, the Pentium’s much higher boost clock relative to its base clock (3.00 GHz boost from a 1.10 GHz base) and newer architecture allow it to outperform the older i5 in multi-threaded workloads.

Q: How significant is the single-core performance gap?

A: The largest single-core margin is in Cinebench R15, where the Pentium 6805 leads by 3.8%. In R20 and R23, the gap narrows to 2.3%. This indicates the Pentium’s architectural advantage is most pronounced in older benchmark versions but remains consistent across all tests.

Q: Is the i5-3470S competitive in any benchmark category?

A: No. Across the six head-to-head tests, the i5-3470S wins zero. Its best relative performance is in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where it trails by 2.4%, but it never manages to close the gap to within 2%.

Q: How do these CPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Pentium 6805’s average score of 1099 exactly matches the Intel Core i5-3450S (0% delta). The i5-3470S’s 1095 average is closest to the Intel Core i7-2670QM and i7-2710QE, both at 1096 with -0.1% delta. This places both CPUs within a 0.4% range of each other overall.

Q: What does the 31st percentile ranking mean for the Pentium 6805?

A: It means the Pentium 6805 performs better than only 31% of all CPUs tracked in the database. The i5-3470S, at the 30th percentile, is essentially equivalent, performing better than 30% of all CPUs. Both are below-average performers in the broader CPU landscape.

Q: Does the i5-3470S’s higher TDP buy any performance?

A: The i5-3470S has a TDP of 65 watts versus 15 watts for the Pentium 6805, yet it loses every benchmark. The data suggests the extra power consumption does not translate into higher performance, highlighting the efficiency gains of the newer 10 nm process versus the older 22 nm node.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents an unambiguous outcome: the Intel Pentium 6805 wins all six head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 2.3% to 3.8%. For users prioritizing raw multi-core throughput, the Pentium 6805 delivers 3801 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus the i5-3470S’s 3711, a 2.4% advantage that holds across every test. The i5-3470S’s four physical cores provide no measurable benefit in these workloads, as the Pentium’s two cores with four threads match or exceed the older chip’s performance.

The i5-3470S is not without merit — its 65 watt TDP and desktop socket suggest it was designed for a different thermal envelope and platform — but in pure benchmark terms, it is consistently slower. The Pentium 6805 also offers a lower TDP of 15 watts, making it more power-efficient while still outperforming the i5 in every measured test. Users seeking the higher benchmark scores should choose the Pentium 6805. Those constrained to the LGA 1155 platform would have no performance-based reason to prefer the i5-3470S, as the data shows it trailing in every category.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The Pentium 6805 has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the i5-3470S has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks differ dramatically: 1.10 GHz for the Pentium versus 2.90 GHz for the i5. Boost clocks are closer, at 3.00 GHz and 3.60 GHz respectively. TDP is a major differentiator, with the Pentium at 15 watts and the i5 at 65 watts. Sockets are incompatible: the Pentium uses Intel BGA 1526 while the i5 uses Intel Socket 1155. Memory support also diverges, with the Pentium supporting DDR4 and the i5 supporting DDR3. The Pentium’s memory bandwidth is rated at 51.2 GB/s, while no figure is listed for the i5.

Cache configurations differ as well. The Pentium has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5 has 64 KB of L1 per core and 6 MB of shared L3. Die sizes are 123 mm² for the Pentium and 133 mm² for the i5. The integrated graphics differ: UHD Graphics (32EU) on the Pentium versus Intel HD 2500 on the i5. The Pentium’s market segment is mobile, while the i5 is desktop. The Pentium was released on 2020-09-30, while the i5 predates it by over eight years, with a release date of 2012-05-31. The Pentium has a launch MSRP of $161; no MSRP is listed for the i5. The Pentium is marked as end-of-life production status, while no status is given for the i5.

Architecture Differences

The Pentium 6805 is built on Ice Lake architecture, specifically the Sunny Cove microarchitecture, using a 10 nm process node. The i5-3470S uses Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process. This process difference — 10 nm versus 22 nm — likely explains the Pentium’s superior performance-per-watt, given its 15 watt TDP achieves higher benchmark scores than the i5’s 65 watt TDP. The Pentium’s die size is smaller at 123 mm² versus 133 mm² for the i5, despite the Pentium having fewer cores.

The cache hierarchies reflect different design philosophies. The Pentium allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, while the i5 uses 64 KB per core. Both have 256 KB of L2 per core. L3 cache favors the i5 at 6 MB shared, versus 4 MB shared on the Pentium. Despite having 50% more L3 cache, the i5 still loses in multi-core tests, suggesting that cache size is not the limiting factor at these performance levels.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally: the Pentium supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a rated bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the i5 supports DDR3 with dual-channel memory and no bandwidth figure provided. The Pentium’s PCIe is Gen 3, while the i5 also uses Gen 3 but specifies 16 lanes (CPU only). Neither supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The Pentium’s integrated graphics are more modern (UHD Graphics with 32 execution units) compared to the i5’s Intel HD 2500.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark results, the Intel Pentium 6805 wins in every measured category. It is faster in single-core performance, with a 3.8% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core and a 2.3% lead in R20 and R23 single-core. It is also faster in multi-core performance, with leads of 2.7% in R15 multi-core and 2.4% in both R20 and R23 multi-core. The data shows no scenario in which the i5-3470S outperforms the Pentium 6805 across the six tests conducted.

The i5-3470S’s strengths are not reflected in benchmark scores. It has more physical cores (4 versus 2), more L3 cache (6 MB versus 4 MB), higher base and boost clocks, and a desktop-oriented socket with 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. It also has a larger die size and an older release date. However, none of these advantages translate into a single benchmark win. The i5-3470S’s only listed advantages are its Geekbench scores, for which no Pentium comparison is available in the data.

For users choosing between these two, the Pentium 6805 is the clear benchmark winner. Its efficiency — 15 watts versus 65 watts — combined with superior performance in all measured tests makes it the better choice on the merits of the data. The i5-3470S might be preferred for platform compatibility reasons, given its LGA 1155 socket versus the BGA 1526 on the Pentium, but the benchmark evidence does not support choosing it for performance. The i5-3470S’s higher clock speeds and additional cores are insufficient to overcome the architectural efficiency of the newer Pentium, which achieves better results with a fraction of the power draw.