Intel Core i3-10300 vs Intel Core i5-8400

Processor comparisons   29-07-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-10300 vs Intel Core i5-8400 and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. 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 like PassMark, Blender, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, 7zip, Prime95, SuperPi, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, VeraCrypt, RealBench, Handbrake, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8400 or Intel Core i3-10300.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-10300

52%

Core i5-8400

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-10300

52%

Core i5-8400

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low 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: DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.0	93.5
Valorant	105.7	106.3
Cyberpunk 2077	59.2	59.5
Apex Legends	99.4	99.9
Call of Duty Warzone	79.3	79.7
Overwatch	85.6	86.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.9	73.3
DOOM Eternal	52.9	53.1
Warzone	82.5	82.9
Assassin's Creed	88.8	89.3
Valheim	87.7	88.2

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 i3-10300

63%

Core i5-8400

56%

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 i3-10300 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8400 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports 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 turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-10300	Intel Core i5-8400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	199	161
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1037	954
Cinbench 20 Single-core	462	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2353	2291
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1208	1023
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4690	5457

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

	Intel Core i3-10300	Intel Core i5-8400
Single-Core	2685	2442
Multi-Core	9387	9262

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

	Intel Core i3-10300	Intel Core i5-8400
Single-Core	1238	1106
Multi-Core	4924	5408

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-10300	Intel Core i5-8400
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Comet Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	8
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2470 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	9 MB
Overclocking	yes	Yes
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 Core i3-10300 is 24% better than Core i5-8400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-8400 has 2 more core than Core i3-10300. 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 i3-10300 is better: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8400 is better: 16
However, it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-10300 and Intel Core i5-8400 before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-10300 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-10300 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-8400 specs and review.