Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i5-6500

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i5-6500 and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like Blender, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, SuperPi, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Prime95, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, Blender, PassMark, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-6500 or Intel Core i5-9400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9400

52%

Core i5-6500

51%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-9400 is 1% better than Core i5-6500. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

Core i5-6500

51%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	91.4
Valorant	106.3	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	58.2
Apex Legends	99.9	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	77.9
Overwatch	86.1	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	71.7
DOOM Eternal	53.1	51.9
Warzone	82.9	81.0
Assassin's Creed	89.3	87.3
Valheim	88.2	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 tested computers not only did they have 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. 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 i5-9400

56%

Core i5-6500

51%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-9400 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-6500 as it consumes less power: 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. 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 streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out 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 use only one core to run, 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 i5-9400	Intel Core i5-6500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	153
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	565
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	1299
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	842
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	2928

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	2474	2149
Multi-Core	9515	5644

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	1107	1004
Multi-Core	5420	3346

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 you. 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, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-6500
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	LGA 1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	6
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	6	4
Threads	6	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	1760 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	9 MB	6 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 i5-6500 is 9% better than Core i5-9400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-9400 has 2 more core than Core i5-6500. 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 i5-9400 is better: 30
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-6500 is better: 1
Although it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Core i5-6500 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-9400 Processor Comparisons
• Vs Core i5-9400F
• Vs Core i7-7700K
• Vs Core i5-1135G7
• Vs Core i7-8750H
• Vs Core i7-1165G7
• Vs Core i5-9600K
• Vs Core i7-9750H
• Vs Ryzen 5 4500U
• Vs Ryzen 3 3100
• Vs Ryzen 5 1600
• Vs Core i5-10400
• Vs Core i5-10400F
• Vs Core i7-10750H
• Vs Core i7-8700
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500X
• Vs Core i7-9700
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
• Vs Ryzen 7 4700U
• Vs Core i7-8700K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600X
• Vs Core i7-9700K
• Vs Ryzen 7 1700
• Vs Core i5-10600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 4600H
• Vs Ryzen 7 2700
• Vs Core i7-10875H
• Vs Core i7-10700F
• Vs Core i7-10700
• Vs Ryzen 7 2700X
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Core i7-1065G7
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Core i5-10300H
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Core i5-1035G1
• Vs Core i5-9300H
• Vs Core i5-8300H
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500U
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Core i7-4770K
• Vs Core i7-10510U
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Core i7-7700HQ
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i5-10210U
• Vs Core i7-6700HQ
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i5-8265U
• Vs Core i5-8250U
• Vs Core i7-8550U
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Core i7-8565U
• Vs Core i7-3770K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550H
• Vs Ryzen 3 3300X
• Vs Core i5-1145G7
• Vs Ryzen 3 4300GE
• Vs Core i7-1160G7
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Core i3-10320
• Vs Core i7-9700E
• Vs Core i3-10100F
• Vs Ryzen 5 3350G
• Vs Ryzen 5 3450U
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4200GE
• Vs Core i5-10200H
• Vs Core i5-10600
• Vs Core i3-10300T
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i3-9350K
• Vs Core i5-10500
• Vs Core i7-10700T
• Vs Core i5-9300HF
• Vs Ryzen 5 4600U
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550U
• Vs Core i5-10600T
• Vs Core i3-10325
• Vs Core i3-10305
• Vs Core i3-10305T
• Vs Core i3-10105T
• Vs Core i3-10105
• Vs Core i3-10105F
• Vs Core i5-1145GRE
• Vs Core i5-1145G7E
• Vs Core i5-1140G7
• Vs Core i5-1130G7
• Vs Core i7-1185GRE
• Vs Core i7-1185G7E
• Vs Core i7-11375H
• Vs Core i7-1185G7
• Vs Core i7-11370H
• Vs Core i7-1180G7
• Vs Core i3-1125G4
• Vs Ryzen 3 5400U
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300U
• Vs Ryzen 3 4300G
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G
• Vs Core i5-8260U
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 4500U
• Vs Core i5-10500T
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
• Vs Core i5-10400T
• Vs Ryzen 5 3350GE
• Vs Core i7-1195G7
• Vs Core i3-11100B
• Vs Core i7-1068NG7
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 3350GE
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 3350G
• Vs Xeon E-2234
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400GE
• Vs Core i7-10810U
• Vs Ryzen 5 3580U
• Vs Core i3-10300
• Vs Core i5-1038NG7
• Vs Core i5-9500TE
• Vs Core i5-10400H
• Vs Core i5-9600T
• Vs Core i7-8569U
• Vs Core i7-10710U
• Vs Core i7-9850HL
• Vs Core i5-1035G7
• Vs Core i5-1035G4
• Vs Core i7-8809G
• Vs Core i5-8500
• Vs Core i7-9700T
• Vs Core i5-9500F
• Vs Core i7-9700TE
• Vs Core i5-9500
• Vs Core i5-9600
• Vs Core i5-8600T
• Vs Core i7-8559U
• Vs Core i5-8500B
• Vs Core i5-8600
• Vs Core i7-8850H
• Vs Core i9-8950HK
• Vs Core i5-8600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2500X
• Vs Ryzen 3 2200G
• Vs Core i3-13100F
• Vs Ryzen 3 1200
• Vs Core i5-4690K
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 5350GE
• Vs Ryzen 9 7950X3D
• Vs Core i5-7500
• Vs Core i3-8100
• Vs Core i5-6600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 4500
• Vs Ryzen 5 5600GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300GE

Intel Core i5-6500 Processor Comparisons
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i7-6700HQ
• Vs Core i7-7700HQ
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500U
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i7-1065G7
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-9400F
• Vs Core i7-7700K
• Vs Core i7-8750H
• Vs Core i5-3470
• Vs Core i5-8250U
• Vs Core i5-10210U
• Vs Core i5-9600K
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Core i5-9300H
• Vs Core i7-1165G7
• Vs Core i7-10510U
• Vs Core i7-2600
• Vs Core i5-4590
• Vs Core i7-8550U
• Vs Core i5-1035G1
• Vs Core i5-4570
• Vs Core i5-2400
• Vs Core i5-4460
• Vs Core i5-7200U
• Vs Core i5-10300H
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i5-1135G7
• Vs Core i5-8265U
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Core i5-6200U
• Vs Core i5-8300H
• Vs FX-6300 Six-Core
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Core i7-4770K
• Vs Core i5-7300HQ
• Vs Core i5-6300U
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i7-7500U
• Vs Core i5-3570K
• Vs Core i5-6400
• Vs Core i7-3630QM
• Vs Core i7-8565U
• Vs Core i3-1005G1
• Vs Core i7-3770K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550H
• Vs Celeron G5920
• Vs Pentium Gold 7505
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Pentium Gold G6500
• Vs Core i3-10100F
• Vs Core i3-9100TE
• Vs Ryzen 5 3450U
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050e
• Vs Core i3-1115G4
• Vs Core i3-10300T
• Vs Celeron G5905
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i3-9350K
• Vs Ryzen Embedded R1305G
• Vs Core i5-9300HF
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6605
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405
• Vs Core i3-1110G4
• Vs Core i3-1115GRE
• Vs Core i3-1115G4E
• Vs Core i3-1120G4
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050GE
• Vs Athlon 300GE
• Vs Athlon 320GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 3250C
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500C
• Vs Ryzen 7 3700C
• Vs Ryzen 3 3350U
• Vs Athlon PRO 200U
• Vs Athlon PRO 300U
• Vs Core i5-1030NG7
• Vs Core i3-10100T
• Vs Core i5-4470S
• Vs Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
• Vs Pentium Silver N6005
• Vs Pentium Silver N6000
• Vs Athlon Gold 3150U
• Vs Core i7-10610U
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400E
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400TE
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400T
• Vs Core i7-10510Y
• Vs Core i5-10310U
• Vs Core i5-7442EQ
• Vs Core i7-8565UC
• Vs Core i3-8145UE
• Vs Core i3-1000NG4
• Vs Core i7-1060NG7
• Vs Core i5-10210Y
• Vs Core i7-8665UE
• Vs Core i5-8265UC
• Vs Core i5-8365UE
• Vs Core i3-9100T
• Vs Core i3-8300
• Vs Core i5-6442EQ
• Vs Core i3-9100
• Vs Core i7-8665U
• Vs Core i5-8365U
• Vs Core i3-9300T
• Vs Core i3-8100B
• Vs Core i5-4670R
• Vs Core i3-8100T
• Vs Core i3-8300T
• Vs Core i3-7350K
• Vs Core i3-8350K
• Vs Ryzen 3 2200G
• Vs Core i5-4690K
• Vs Core i5-7500
• Vs Core i3-8100
• Vs Core i5-6600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 5600GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300GE
• Vs Ryzen 7 4700GE
• Vs Ryzen 5 4600G