Intel Core i5-1230U vs Intel Core i7-9800X

Processor comparisons 10-01-2022

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-1230U vs Intel Core i7-9800X and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, programming, video editing, streaming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like Gears 5, AIDA64, 7zip, 3DMark, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, Blender, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-9800X or Intel Core i5-1230U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-1230U

55%

Core i7-9800X

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-1230U

53%

Core i7-9800X

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that 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 little game result, just 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: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Control, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.7	99.2
Valorant	107.6	112.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	63.1
Apex Legends	101.1	106.0
Call of Duty Warzone	80.7	84.5
Overwatch	87.1	91.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.2	77.8
DOOM Eternal	53.8	56.4
Warzone	83.9	87.9
Assassin's Creed	90.4	94.7
Valheim	89.3	93.6

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-1230U

435%

Core i7-9800X

28%

To make a finishing 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 i5-1230U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-9800X as it consumes less power: 9W vs. 165W. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-9800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	216
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1591
Cinbench 20 Single-core	522
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3613
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1221	1271
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11909	13067

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

	Intel Core i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-9800X
Single-Core	2856	2664
Multi-Core	16672	18347

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

	Intel Core i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-9800X
Single-Core	1177	1393
Multi-Core	6538	10972

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even 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 i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-9800X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2018
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	9
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	5600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	9 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	24 MB	16.5 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i7-9800X is 73% better than Core i5-1230U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-1230U has 2 more core than Core i7-9800X. 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 i5-1230U is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-9800X is better: 20
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-1230U and Intel Core i7-9800X before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-1230U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-1230U specs and review.

Intel Core i7-9800X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-9800X specs and review.