Intel Core i5-6400 vs Intel Core i7-3770

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-6400 vs Intel Core i7-3770 and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, PassMark, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, VeraCrypt, 7zip, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, 3DMark, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, PCMark 10, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-3770 or Intel Core i5-6400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-6400

51%

Core i7-3770

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6400

51%

Core i7-3770

51%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.3	91.4
Valorant	103.7	103.8
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	58.2
Apex Legends	97.5	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	77.8	77.9
Overwatch	84.0	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	71.7
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.9
Warzone	80.9	81.0
Assassin's Creed	87.1	87.2
Valheim	86.1	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 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 i5-6400

49%

Core i7-3770

35%

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 i5-6400 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-3770 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 77W. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 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 i5-6400	Intel Core i7-3770
Cinbench 15 Single-core	140	134
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	497	669
Cinbench 20 Single-core	275	298
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1061	1419
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1001	820
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3997	3650

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

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i7-3770
Single-Core	1957	2091
Multi-Core	5167	6346

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

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i7-3770
Single-Core	959	823
Multi-Core	3221	3319

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 later the processor is released, 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i7-3770
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	January 01, 2012
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	LGA1155
Core name	Skylake	Ivy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6
Turbo Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	2.7 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1440 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	77 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR3 1333/1600
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 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 i7-3770 is 20% better than Core i5-6400 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i5-6400 is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-3770 is better: 20
Although it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-6400 and Intel Core i7-3770 before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-6400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-3770 specs and review.