Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i5-8400

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i5-8400 and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming, rendering. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as Blender, RealBench, Prime95, Furmark, 7zip, MATLAB, Handbrake, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, AIDA64, Gears 5, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8400 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 i5-8400

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

Core i5-8400

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	93.5
Valorant	106.3	106.3
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	59.5
Apex Legends	99.9	99.9
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	79.7
Overwatch	86.1	86.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	73.3
DOOM Eternal	53.1	53.1
Warzone	82.9	82.9
Assassin's Creed	89.3	89.3
Valheim	88.2	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 i5-9400

56%

Core i5-8400

56%

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i5-8400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	161
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	954
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	2291
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	1023
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	5457

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-8400
Single-Core	2474	2442
Multi-Core	9515	9262

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-8400
Single-Core	1107	1106
Multi-Core	5420	5408

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i5-8400
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	2.8 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	3600 millions	2470 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	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 i5-9400 is 3% better than Core i5-8400 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 i5-9400 is better: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8400 is better: 2
However, it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Core i5-8400 before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-8400 specs and review.