Intel Core i5-9400H vs Intel Core i5-8259U

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-9400H vs Intel Core i5-8259U and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, video editing, streaming, machine learning. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Handbrake, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, 3DMark, WPrime, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Furmark, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8259U or Intel Core i5-9400H.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9400H

52%

Core i5-8259U

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400H

52%

Core i5-8259U

52%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.2	92.5
Valorant	104.8	105.1
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	58.9
Apex Legends	98.5	98.8
Call of Duty Warzone	78.6	78.8
Overwatch	84.9	85.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.3	72.5
DOOM Eternal	52.4	52.6
Warzone	81.8	82.0
Assassin's Creed	88.1	88.3
Valheim	87.0	87.2

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 i5-9400H

78%

Core i5-8259U

123%

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 i5-8259U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-9400H as it consumes less power: 45W vs. 28W. Power consumption is particularly 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether 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 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 i5-9400H	Intel Core i5-8259U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	176	162
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	834	770
Cinbench 20 Single-core	425	377
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1980	1684
Cinbench 23 Single-core	870	903
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4306	3579

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

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i5-8259U
Single-Core	2548	2227
Multi-Core	8234	8320

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

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i5-8259U
Single-Core	1054	1038
Multi-Core	4161	4402

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i5-8259U
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	April 01, 2018
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCBGA1528
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	6900 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	28 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	128 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-9400H is 8% better than Core i5-8259U 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 i5-9400H is better: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8259U is better: 16
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-9400H and Intel Core i5-8259U before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-9400H - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-9400H specs and review.

Intel Core i5-8259U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8259U specs and review.