Intel Core i7-8550U vs Intel Core i5-9300H

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-8550U vs Intel Core i5-9300H and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, 3DMark, PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Blender, RealBench, WPrime, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Blender, SuperPi, MATLAB, 7zip, Handbrake, Prime95, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-9300H or Intel Core i7-8550U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-8550U

51%

Core i5-9300H

52%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-9300H is 1% better than Core i7-8550U. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-8550U

52%

Core i5-9300H

52%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.9	92.4
Valorant	104.4	105.0
Cyberpunk 2077	58.5	58.8
Apex Legends	98.1	98.7
Call of Duty Warzone	78.3	78.8
Overwatch	84.6	85.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.0	72.5
DOOM Eternal	52.2	52.5
Warzone	81.4	81.9
Assassin's Creed	87.7	88.2
Valheim	86.6	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: 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-8550U

228%

Core i5-9300H

78%

To make a final decision 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 i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-9300H as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 45W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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 can use only one core to run, 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 i7-8550U	Intel Core i5-9300H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	167	162
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	564	615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	354	422
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1211	2111
Cinbench 23 Single-core	979	1062
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3111	4161

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

	Intel Core i7-8550U	Intel Core i5-9300H
Single-Core	2072	2411
Multi-Core	5970	7895

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

	Intel Core i7-8550U	Intel Core i5-9300H
Single-Core	1027	1064
Multi-Core	3788	4347

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-8550U	Intel Core i5-9300H
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	April 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FC-BGA1356	FCBGA1440
Core name	Kaby Lake R	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	9
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	1.8 MHz	2.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1820 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	41.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
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 i5-9300H is 25% better than Core i7-8550U 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 i7-8550U is better: 3
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-9300H is better: 28
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-8550U and Intel Core i5-9300H before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-9300H specs and review.