Intel Core i5-7400 vs Intel Core i7-3770

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-7400 vs Intel Core i7-3770 and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, streaming, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Handbrake, MATLAB, 7zip, AIDA64, WPrime, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, PassMark, Furmark, Gears 5, RealBench, VeraCrypt, Blender, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-3770 or Intel Core i5-7400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-7400

51%

Core i7-3770

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-7400

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.4	91.4
Valorant	103.9	103.8
Cyberpunk 2077	58.2	58.2
Apex Legends	97.6	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	77.9	77.9
Overwatch	84.1	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.7	71.7
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.9
Warzone	81.0	81.0
Assassin's Creed	87.3	87.2
Valheim	86.2	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 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 i5-7400

49%

Core i7-3770

35%

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 i5-7400 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-3770 as it consumes less power: 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the 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 using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i5-7400	Intel Core i7-3770
Cinbench 15 Single-core	149	134
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	564	669
Cinbench 20 Single-core	345	298
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1266	1419
Cinbench 23 Single-core	820	820
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2853	3650

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

	Intel Core i5-7400	Intel Core i7-3770
Single-Core	2131	2091
Multi-Core	5499	6346

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

	Intel Core i5-7400	Intel Core i7-3770
Single-Core	959	823
Multi-Core	3349	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 newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. 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 new 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 i5-7400	Intel Core i7-3770
Announcement date	January 01, 2017	January 01, 2012
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	LGA1155
Core name	Kaby Lake	Ivy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	3 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	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR3 1333/1600
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		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 11% better than Core i5-7400 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 i5-7400 is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-3770 is better: 9
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-7400 and Intel Core i7-3770 before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-7400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-3770 specs and review.