Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i7-8700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i7-8700 and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, Prime95, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, SuperPi, WPrime, RealBench, PCMark 10, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, AIDA64, 7zip, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, MATLAB.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700 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 i7-8700

53%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-8700 is 1% better than Core i5-9400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

Core i7-8700

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	94.8
Valorant	106.3	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	60.3
Apex Legends	99.9	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	80.8
Overwatch	86.1	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	74.3
DOOM Eternal	53.1	53.8
Warzone	82.9	84.0
Assassin's Creed	89.3	90.4
Valheim	88.2	89.4

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-9400

56%

Core i7-8700

64%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i7-8700 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. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU 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 make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	203
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	1434
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	3547
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	1146
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	7969

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	2474	2706
Multi-Core	9515	13125

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	1107	1260
Multi-Core	5420	6618

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 i7-8700
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	4.6 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	3200 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	12 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 i7-8700 is 9% 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 i5-9400 is better: 4
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700 is better: 24
However, it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Core i7-8700 before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700 specs and review.