Intel Core i5-8400 vs Intel Core i7-10700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-8400 vs Intel Core i7-10700 tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing, programming. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, 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 Gears 5, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, PassMark, Blender, MATLAB, 3DMark, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, PCMark 10, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 i7-10700 or Intel Core i5-8400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8400

52%

Core i7-10700

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-10700 is 5% better than Core i5-8400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8400

53%

Core i7-10700

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches 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 CPU comparisons were performed: Control, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	97.3
Valorant	106.3	110.6
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	61.9
Apex Legends	99.9	104.0
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	83.0
Overwatch	86.1	89.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	76.3
DOOM Eternal	53.1	55.3
Warzone	82.9	86.3
Assassin's Creed	89.3	92.9
Valheim	88.2	91.8

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 i5-8400

56%

Core i7-10700

67%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-10700 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8400 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor includes 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i5-8400	Intel Core i7-10700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	161	221
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	954	2356
Cinbench 20 Single-core	411	513
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2291	4971
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1023	1290
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5457	12595

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

	Intel Core i5-8400	Intel Core i7-10700
Single-Core	2442	3055
Multi-Core	9262	17916

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

	Intel Core i5-8400	Intel Core i7-10700
Single-Core	1106	1325
Multi-Core	5408	9163

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8400	Intel Core i7-10700
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	10
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	6	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2470 millions	6800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	9 MB	16 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 i7-10700 is 3% better than Core i5-8400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-10700 has 2 more core than Core i5-8400. 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 i5-8400 is better: 1
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10700 is better: 29
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-8400 and Intel Core i7-10700 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-8400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-10700 specs and review.