Intel Core i3-9100 vs Intel Core i5-6500

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-9100 vs Intel Core i5-6500 and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming, video editing. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, Gears 5, PCMark 10, PassMark, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, RealBench, 3DMark, SuperPi, Blender, AIDA64, MATLAB, Blender, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-6500 or Intel Core i3-9100.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-9100

52%

Core i5-6500

51%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i3-9100 is 1% better than Core i5-6500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-9100

52%

Core i5-6500

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Control, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.8	91.4
Valorant	104.3	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.4	58.2
Apex Legends	98.0	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	78.2	77.9
Overwatch	84.5	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.0	71.7
DOOM Eternal	52.1	51.9
Warzone	81.3	81.0
Assassin's Creed	87.6	87.3
Valheim	86.5	86.2

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-9100

56%

Core i5-6500

51%

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 i3-9100 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-6500 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software 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 work, 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 i3-9100	Intel Core i5-6500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	164	153
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	660	565
Cinbench 20 Single-core	445	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1630	1299
Cinbench 23 Single-core	859	842
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3334	2928

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

	Intel Core i3-9100	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	2516	2149
Multi-Core	6671	5644

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

	Intel Core i3-9100	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	1106	1004
Multi-Core	3690	3346

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-9100	Intel Core i5-6500
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	LGA 1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	6
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4400 millions	1760 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	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 i3-9100 is 11% better than Core i5-6500 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 i3-9100 is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-6500 is better: 1
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-9100 and Intel Core i5-6500 before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-9100 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-9100 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.