Intel Core i5-8500 vs Intel Core i5-9400

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-8500 vs Intel Core i5-9400 and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as RealBench, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, Furmark, Blender, Prime95, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, MATLAB, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, UserBenchmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-9400 or Intel Core i5-8500.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8500

52%

Core i5-9400

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8500

53%

Core i5-9400

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.6	93.5
Valorant	106.4	106.3
Cyberpunk 2077	59.6	59.5
Apex Legends	100.0	99.9
Call of Duty Warzone	79.8	79.7
Overwatch	86.2	86.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.4	73.3
DOOM Eternal	53.2	53.1
Warzone	83.0	82.9
Assassin's Creed	89.4	89.3
Valheim	88.3	88.2

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 i5-8500

57%

Core i5-9400

56%

To make a final 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 i5-8500 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-9400 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 run, 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 i5-8500	Intel Core i5-9400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	174	177
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	934	987
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	403
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2287	2284
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1052	1051
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5612	5606

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

	Intel Core i5-8500	Intel Core i5-9400
Single-Core	2461	2474
Multi-Core	9554	9515

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

	Intel Core i5-8500	Intel Core i5-9400
Single-Core	1114	1107
Multi-Core	5496	5420

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8500	Intel Core i5-9400
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	January 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	9
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	9 MB	9 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. Here Core i5-8500 is 3% better than Core i5-9400 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 i5-8500 is better: 18
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-9400 is better: 7
All the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-8500 and Intel Core i5-9400 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-8500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8500 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.