Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i5-7400

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i5-7400 and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, programming, rendering, streaming, machine learning. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Furmark, Blender, Handbrake, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, VeraCrypt, Prime95, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Gears 5, 7zip, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-7400 or Intel Core i3-8109U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-8109U

51%

Core i5-7400

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8109U

51%

Core i5-7400

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	91.4
Valorant	102.6	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	57.5	58.2
Apex Legends	96.5	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	77.0	77.9
Overwatch	83.1	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	71.7
DOOM Eternal	51.3	51.9
Warzone	80.1	81.0
Assassin's Creed	86.2	87.3
Valheim	85.2	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 computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. 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 i3-8109U

119%

Core i5-7400

49%

To make a finishing 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 i3-8109U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-7400 since it has less power consumption: 28W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since 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 i3-8109U	Intel Core i5-7400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	149	149
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	392	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	366	345
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	916	1266
Cinbench 23 Single-core	559	820
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2171	2853

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

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i5-7400
Single-Core	2185	2131
Multi-Core	4342	5499

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

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i5-7400
Single-Core	1003	959
Multi-Core	2276	3349

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-8109U	Intel Core i5-7400
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	January 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1528	FCLGA1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Kaby Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	7
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	28 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	32 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	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Core i5-7400 has 2 more core than Core i3-8109U. 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 i3-8109U is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-7400 is better: 23
However, it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-8109U and Intel Core i5-7400 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-8109U - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8109U specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-7400 specs and review.