Intel Core i3-9100T vs Intel Core i3-8121U

Processor comparisons   18-01-2022
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-9100T vs Intel Core i3-8121U tests and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, PCMark 10, SuperPi, AIDA64, Blender, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, RealBench, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-8121U or Intel Core i3-9100T.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-9100T

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-9100T

52%

Core i3-8121U

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: NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.6	90.1
Valorant	104.1	102.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.3	57.3
Apex Legends	97.8	96.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.0	76.8
Overwatch	84.3	82.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.8	70.6
DOOM Eternal	52.0	51.2
Warzone	81.2	79.9
Assassin's Creed	87.4	86.0
Valheim	86.4	85.0

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 that were in the comparisons 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-9100T

98%

Core i3-8121U

200%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-9100T as it consumes less power: 35W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 i3-9100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	138	139
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	542	305
Cinbench 20 Single-core	365	340
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1339	598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	720	563
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2795	2184

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

	Intel Core i3-9100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	2222	1939
Multi-Core	5593	4369

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

	Intel Core i3-9100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	1037	901
Multi-Core	3507	2063

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. 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 the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-9100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	July 07, 2018
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151	Unknown
Core name	Coffee Lake	Cannon Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.2 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	2.2 MHz
Cores	4	2
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	2400 millions	1800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	35 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	4 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i3-9100T is 29% better than Core i3-8121U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i3-9100T has 2 more core than Core i3-8121U. 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 i3-9100T is better: 30
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 3
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-9100T and Intel Core i3-8121U before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-9100T - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-9100T specs and review.

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.