Intel Core i7-8709G vs Intel Core i5-8260U

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-8709G vs Intel Core i5-8260U and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, SuperPi, Gears 5, 3DMark, WPrime, Handbrake, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, PCMark 10, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, PassMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8260U or Intel Core i7-8709G.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-8709G

52%

Core i5-8260U

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-8709G

52%

Core i5-8260U

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. 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 summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.5	92.3
Valorant	105.1	104.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.9	58.7
Apex Legends	98.8	98.6
Call of Duty Warzone	78.8	78.7
Overwatch	85.1	85.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.5	72.4
DOOM Eternal	52.5	52.4
Warzone	82.0	81.8
Assassin's Creed	88.3	88.1
Valheim	87.2	87.1

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: FullHD, 2K 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 i7-8709G

37%

Core i5-8260U

221%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-8260U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8709G as it consumes less power: 100W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out 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 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 i7-8709G	Intel Core i5-8260U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	174	157
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	809	596
Cinbench 20 Single-core	400	409
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1746	2046
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1054	1029
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4843	4033

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

	Intel Core i7-8709G	Intel Core i5-8260U
Single-Core	2335	2385
Multi-Core	7897	7652

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

	Intel Core i7-8709G	Intel Core i5-8260U
Single-Core	1113	997
Multi-Core	4394	4222

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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-8709G	Intel Core i5-8260U
Announcement date	March 07, 2018	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	BGA2270	FCBGA1528
Core name	Kaby Lake G	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	8
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	1.6 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 GT/s OPI
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3170 millions	1900 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	100 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 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

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-8709G is 48% better than Core i5-8260U 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 i7-8709G is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8260U is better: 5
However, it should be realized that the summary data 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 reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-8709G and Intel Core i5-8260U before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-8709G - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-8709G specs and review.

Intel Core i5-8260U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8260U specs and review.