Intel Core i3-7350K vs Intel Core i5-7300HQ

Processor comparisons 18-02-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-7350K vs Intel Core i5-7300HQ tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as AIDA64, Blender, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Furmark, SuperPi, RealBench.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-7300HQ or Intel Core i3-7350K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-7350K

51%

Core i5-7300HQ

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-7350K

51%

Core i5-7300HQ

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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.6	91.1
Valorant	102.9	103.5
Cyberpunk 2077	57.6	58.0
Apex Legends	96.8	97.3
Call of Duty Warzone	77.2	77.6
Overwatch	83.4	83.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.0	71.4
DOOM Eternal	51.5	51.8
Warzone	80.3	80.8
Assassin's Creed	86.5	87.0
Valheim	85.4	85.9

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 i3-7350K

62%

Core i5-7300HQ

66%

To make a final choice 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 i5-7300HQ is more energy efficient than the Core i3-7350K as it consumes less power: 60W vs. 45W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU 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 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 can use only one core to run, 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 i3-7350K	Intel Core i5-7300HQ
Cinbench 15 Single-core	181	143
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	458	541
Cinbench 20 Single-core	370	288
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	874	1083
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1251	789
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3136	2824

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

	Intel Core i3-7350K	Intel Core i5-7300HQ
Single-Core	2467	2001
Multi-Core	4831	5134

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

	Intel Core i3-7350K	Intel Core i5-7300HQ
Single-Core	1122	900
Multi-Core	2531	3045

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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 even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-7350K	Intel Core i5-7300HQ
Announcement date	March 21, 2017	January 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCBGA1440
Core name	Kaby Lake	Kaby Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	7
Turbo Frequency		3.5 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	2.5 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2100 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 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 i3-7350K is 40% better than Core i5-7300HQ in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-7300HQ has 2 more core than Core i3-7350K. 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 i3-7350K is better: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-7300HQ is better: 21
The summary data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-7350K and Intel Core i5-7300HQ before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-7350K - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-7350K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-7300HQ specs and review.