Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i7-2600

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i7-2600 and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, RealBench, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Blender, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, SuperPi, Gears 5, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Fortnite
Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Valorant
Overwatch
Halo Infinite
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Death Stranding
Watch Dogs Legion
Red Dead Redemption 2
Last Man Standing
Fallout 76
Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends
DOOM: Eternal
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Rainbow Six Siege
Valheim

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-2600 or Intel Core i3-8109U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-8109U

51%

Core i7-2600

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8109U

51%

Core i7-2600

51%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Control, League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	91.3
Valorant	102.6	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	57.5	58.1
Apex Legends	96.5	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	77.0	77.8
Overwatch	83.1	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	71.6
DOOM Eternal	51.3	51.9
Warzone	80.1	80.9
Assassin's Creed	86.2	87.1
Valheim	85.2	86.1

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-8109U

119%

Core i7-2600

29%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-8109U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 as it consumes less power: 28W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i7-2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	149	124
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	392	568
Cinbench 20 Single-core	366	257
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	916	1824
Cinbench 23 Single-core	559	759
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2171	3647

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	2185	1751
Multi-Core	4342	5341

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	1003	844
Multi-Core	2276	3227

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i7-2600
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	October 01, 2010
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1528	LGA1155
Core name	Coffee Lake	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	28 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-2600 is 11% better than Core i3-8109U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-2600 has 2 more core than Core i3-8109U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8109U is better: 9
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 25
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-8109U and Intel Core i7-2600 before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-8109U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-8109U specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.