Intel Core i5-9400H vs Intel Core i7-4790K

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i5-9400H vs Intel Core i7-4790K tests and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, streaming, programming. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Prime95, RealBench, Blender, PCMark 10, Blender, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, WPrime, 7zip, Handbrake, SuperPi, Furmark, MATLAB, PassMark, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-4790K 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 i7-4790K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400H

52%

Core i7-4790K

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you 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 other games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.2	92.8
Valorant	104.8	105.5
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	59.1
Apex Legends	98.5	99.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.6	79.1
Overwatch	84.9	85.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.3	72.8
DOOM Eternal	52.4	52.8
Warzone	81.8	82.3
Assassin's Creed	88.1	88.6
Valheim	87.0	87.6

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i5-9400H

78%

Core i7-4790K

46%

To make a finishing 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 i5-9400H is more energy efficient than the Core i7-4790K since it has less power consumption: 45W vs. 88W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses 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 program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i5-9400H	Intel Core i7-4790K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	176	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	834	854
Cinbench 20 Single-core	425	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1980	1982
Cinbench 23 Single-core	870	1069
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4306	4936

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

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	2548	2491
Multi-Core	8234	8030

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

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i7-4790K
Single-Core	1054	1230
Multi-Core	4161	4747

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-9400H	Intel Core i7-4790K
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	April 01, 2014
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1440	LGA1150
Core name	Coffee Lake	Devil's Canyon
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	4
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	1420 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	88 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	128 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	8 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 i7-4790K is 37% better than Core i5-9400H 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-4790K is better: 20
Although it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-9400H and Intel Core i7-4790K before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

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 i7-4790K specs and review.