Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Pentium Gold G6405

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Pentium Gold G6405 and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Gears 5, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, MATLAB, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, SuperPi, 7zip, Blender, Handbrake, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Pentium Gold G6405 or Intel Core i3-8121U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-8121U

51%

Pentium Gold G6405

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8121U

51%

Pentium Gold G6405

51%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.1	90.3
Valorant	102.4	102.6
Cyberpunk 2077	57.3	57.5
Apex Legends	96.2	96.5
Call of Duty Warzone	76.8	77.0
Overwatch	82.9	83.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.6	70.8
DOOM Eternal	51.2	51.3
Warzone	79.9	80.0
Assassin's Creed	86.0	86.2
Valheim	85.0	85.2

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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i3-8121U

200%

Pentium Gold G6405

42%

To make a final decision 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 i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Pentium Gold G6405 since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 58W. Power consumption is especially 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 rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, 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 reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i3-8121U	Intel Pentium Gold G6405
Cinbench 15 Single-core	139	168
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	305	424
Cinbench 20 Single-core	340	420
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	598	953
Cinbench 23 Single-core	563	623
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2184	2104

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

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Pentium Gold G6405
Single-Core	1939	2566
Multi-Core	4369	4157

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

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Pentium Gold G6405
Single-Core	901	734
Multi-Core	2063	2249

Comparison of specifications

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

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Pentium Gold G6405
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	October 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	Unknown	FCLGA1200
Core name	Cannon Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	10
Turbo Frequency	3.2 MHz
Frequency	2.2 MHz	4.1 MHz
Cores	2	2
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1800 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	58 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	4 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Pentium Gold G6405 is 46% better than Core i3-8121U in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i3-8121U is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Pentium Gold G6405 is better: 25
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-8121U and Intel Pentium Gold G6405 before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-8121U - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8121U specs and review.

Intel Pentium Gold G6405 - all data

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

• Intel Pentium Gold G6405 specs and review.