Core i3-9100F vs Pentium Gold G7400

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i3-9100F vs Pentium Gold G7400 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i3-9100F vs Pentium Gold G7400: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i3-9100F

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,704 vs 6,709).
❌Launch MSRP is still $97 MSRP, while Pentium Gold G7400 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌41.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 46W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Pentium Gold G7400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Pentium Gold G7400

2022

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 46W instead of 65W, a 19W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-9100F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G7400 better than Core i3-9100F?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-9100F is ahead with a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G7400 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G7400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Gold G7400 is still the better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold G7400 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $97 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i3-9100F only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the better recommendation now. At roughly 6,704 PassMark with 4 cores and 4 threads, it only really makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Gold G7400 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i3-9100F vs Pentium Gold G7400 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i3-9100F

The Core i3-9100F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,704 points. Launch price was $122.

Pentium Gold G7400

The Pentium Gold G7400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 46 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 6,709 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i3-9100F packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold G7400 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i3-9100F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i3-9100F versus 3.7 GHz on the Pentium Gold G7400 — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Core i3-9100F (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i3-9100F uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G7400 uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-9100F scores 6,704 against the Pentium Gold G7400's 6,709 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium Gold G7400. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i3-9100F	Pentium Gold G7400
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+14%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+20380%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	6,704	6,709

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-9100F uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G7400 uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-9100F	Pentium Gold G7400
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—