Intel Core i3-10320 vs Intel Core i7-8700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i3-10320 vs Intel Core i7-8700 and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, streaming, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as MATLAB, WPrime, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Blender, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, RealBench, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i3-10320.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-10320

53%

Core i7-8700

53%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-10320

53%

Core i7-8700

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.6	94.8
Valorant	106.3	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	59.6	60.3
Apex Legends	100.0	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	79.8	80.8
Overwatch	86.1	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.4	74.3
DOOM Eternal	53.2	53.8
Warzone	83.0	84.0
Assassin's Creed	89.3	90.4
Valheim	88.3	89.4

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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 i3-10320

67%

Core i7-8700

64%

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 i3-10320 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8700 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 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 i3-10320	Intel Core i7-8700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	206	203
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1080	1434
Cinbench 20 Single-core	477	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2444	3547
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1295	1146
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5028	7969

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

	Intel Core i3-10320	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	2819	2706
Multi-Core	10062	13125

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

	Intel Core i3-10320	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	1307	1260
Multi-Core	5477	6618

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful 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 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 the newest 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 i3-10320	Intel Core i7-8700
Announcement date	October 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	4.6 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2600 millions	3200 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	12 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 i3-10320 is 15% better than Core i7-8700 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8700 has 2 more core than Core i3-10320. 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 i3-10320 is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700 is better: 20
All the figures 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 reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-10320 and Intel Core i7-8700 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i3-10320 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700 specs and review.