Intel Core 5 330 vs Intel Core i5-14400 Comparison

Intel Core 5 330 vs Intel Core i5-14400: Benchmark Analysis

The recorded data presents a clear performance hierarchy between the Intel Core 5 330, a mobile processor from the Wildcat Lake generation, and the Intel Core i5-14400, a desktop chip from the Raptor Lake Refresh series. Across the head-to-head benchmark suite, the Intel Core i5-14400 secures 14 wins, while the Intel Core 5 330 takes 3 wins. The average benchmark scores reflect this gap, with the i5-14400 achieving 32115 points versus 18345 for the Core 5 330. This places the i5-14400 in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 5 330 sits in the 72nd percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dominant margin in the entire comparison belongs to the Intel Core i5-14400 in the PassMark integer math test. The i5-14400 scores 82017, which is 59.4% ahead of the Core 5 330's 33258. This massive lead is consistent with the i5-14400's higher core count and thread count, as integer math workloads scale well with parallel execution resources.

The compression workload shows a similarly substantial gap. The i5-14400 records 314995 in the PassMark data compression test, beating the Core 5 330's 145287 by 53.9%. Random string sorting also favors the desktop chip heavily, with the i5-14400 scoring 32346 versus 17771, a 45.1% advantage. These results indicate that the i5-14400 handles memory-intensive and data-shuffling tasks far more efficiently.

In the Cinebench suite, the pattern is consistent across all versions. The i5-14400 wins the R15 multicore test with 2148 against 1325, the R20 multicore test with 8952 against 5523, and the R23 multicore test with 21315 against 13150. Each of these wins carries the same 38.3% delta in favor of the i5-14400. Single-core Cinebench results follow the same trajectory, with the i5-14400 leading by 38.6% in R15 single-core (303 vs 186) and 38.3% in both R20 single-core (1263 vs 779) and R23 single-core (3009 vs 1856).

The PassMark multithread score reinforces the multicore story. The i5-14400 posts 25080, which is 38.3% higher than the Core 5 330's 15471. Floating point math also goes to the i5-14400, with a score of 61549 against 43885, a 28.7% lead. Data encryption shows a 33.8% advantage for the i5-14400 (16731 vs 11076), and extended instructions favor the i5-14400 by 35.4% (19816 vs 12808). Even the physics test, which often balances single-thread and multi-thread demands, goes to the i5-14400 with 1396 versus 1201, a 14% edge.

The Intel Core 5 330 does claim three wins, and they are notable for different reasons. The first is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Core 5 330 scores 114 against the i5-14400's 80, a 42.5% advantage. This test is known to be sensitive to certain instruction-level optimizations and clock behavior, and the data clearly shows the Core 5 330 handling it better. The second and third wins are in the two PassMark single-thread tests, where the Core 5 330 scores 4088 in both cases, beating the i5-14400's 3741 by 9.3%. This suggests that the Wildcat Lake architecture, despite its lower base clock, delivers higher peak single-thread performance in this specific benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 5 330 wins both PassMark single-thread and singlethread tests with a score of 4088, which is 9.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-14400's 3741.

Q: How large is the multicore performance gap in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400 scores 21315 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while the Intel Core 5 330 scores 13150, giving the i5-14400 a 38.3% advantage.

Q: In which workload does the Intel Core 5 330 show its largest win?

A: The largest win for the Intel Core 5 330 is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 114 versus the i5-14400's 80, a 42.5% lead.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark scores between the two chips?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400 has an average benchmark score of 32115, while the Intel Core 5 330 has an average of 18345. This puts the i5-14400 in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs and the Core 5 330 in the 72nd percentile.

Q: Which processor wins the PassMark data compression test?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400 wins decisively, scoring 314995 compared to the Core 5 330's 145287, a 53.9% difference.

Q: Are the Cinebench single-core results consistent with the PassMark single-thread results?

A: No, they are not. The i5-14400 wins all three Cinebench single-core tests by 38.3% to 38.6%, while the Core 5 330 wins the PassMark single-thread tests by 9.3%. This divergence highlights different architectural strengths.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design families. The Intel Core 5 330 uses the Wildcat Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node at Intel's own foundry. It is a mobile-focused chip with 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning it has no hyper-threading. Its base clock is 1.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The Core 5 330 carries 192 KB of L1 cache, 2.5 MB of L2 cache, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. Its integrated graphics are Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores.

The Intel Core i5-14400 uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R variant, built on a 10 nm process. It is a desktop chip with 10 cores and 16 threads, indicating a hybrid configuration with performance and efficiency cores. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The i5-14400 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, with a much larger 20 MB of shared L3 cache. Its integrated graphics are the UHD Graphics 730. The die size for the i5-14400 is 215 mm², while the Core 5 330 has no recorded die size.

Memory support also differs. The Core 5 330 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory over a single-channel bus, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The i5-14400 supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, and its memory bandwidth is not recorded in the database. The i5-14400 also supports ECC memory, while the Core 5 330 does not. PCIe capabilities are distinct as well: the Core 5 330 offers Gen 4 with 6 lanes (CPU only), whereas the i5-14400 offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

The process node difference is stark, with the Core 5 330 using 3 nm versus 10 nm for the i5-14400. This explains the much lower TDP of 15 watts for the Core 5 330 versus 65 watts for the i5-14400. The Core 5 330 uses the Intel BGA 1516 socket, while the i5-14400 uses Intel Socket 1700. The Core 5 330's part number is SAE3G, and the i5-14400's is SRN3QSRN46. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is core and thread count. The Intel Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the Intel Core i5-14400 has 10 cores and 16 threads. This is a 4-core and 10-thread difference in favor of the i5-14400.

Clock speeds differ as well. The Core 5 330 has a base clock of 1.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The i5-14400 has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The i5-14400 is 1.0 GHz higher in base clock and 0.10 GHz higher in boost clock.

Cache configurations are fundamentally different. The Core 5 330 has 192 KB of L1, 2.5 MB of L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. The i5-14400 has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The i5-14400's total L3 is more than three times larger.

Power consumption is a major differentiator. The Core 5 330 has a TDP of 15 watts, while the i5-14400 has a TDP of 65 watts. Socket types are incompatible: BGA 1516 for the Core 5 330 and Socket 1700 for the i5-14400.

Memory support diverges on several points. The Core 5 330 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X with a single-channel bus and 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The i5-14400 supports DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and no recorded bandwidth. ECC memory is available only on the i5-14400.

Integrated graphics differ: the Core 5 330 uses Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe), while the i5-14400 uses UHD Graphics 730. PCIe lanes and generations are different, with the Core 5 330 at Gen 4 with 6 lanes and the i5-14400 at Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The process node is 3 nm for the Core 5 330 and 10 nm for the i5-14400. Market segments are mobile versus desktop. Release dates are 2026-04-15 for the Core 5 330 and 2024-01-07 for the i5-14400.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous in overall performance. The Intel Core i5-14400 wins 14 of the 17 head-to-head tests, with an average benchmark score that is 75% higher than the Core 5 330. Its percentile ranking of 82 versus 72 confirms that it sits in a higher performance tier among all CPUs. The i5-14400 also has a larger cache, more cores, more threads, and a higher boost clock, all of which contribute to its dominance in multithreaded and memory-heavy workloads.

The Intel Core 5 330 should be chosen by users who prioritize power efficiency and single-thread performance in specific synthetic tests. Its 15-watt TDP is dramatically lower than the i5-14400's 65 watts, making it suitable for thermally constrained mobile environments. Its 9.3% lead in PassMark single-thread and 42.5% lead in find prime numbers are real advantages, but they are isolated to those tests.

For any workload that scales with cores, threads, or cache capacity, the i5-14400 is the clear choice. The data shows no scenario in which the Core 5 330 approaches the i5-14400's multicore or data-intensive performance. The i5-14400's support for ECC memory, dual-channel memory, and Gen 5 PCIe further extends its utility for professional and desktop applications.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-14400 wins in all rendering tests, including Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multicore modes. It also wins in data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, and random string sorting. This makes it the superior processor for content creation, scientific computing, data analysis, and any multithreaded application.

The Intel Core 5 330 wins in PassMark find prime numbers, which may indicate an advantage in certain integer-heavy algorithms or prime-number generation tasks. It also wins in both PassMark single-thread tests, suggesting that for single-threaded legacy applications or lightly threaded software, the Core 5 330 can deliver higher peak throughput in that specific benchmark.

The i5-14400's wins span 14 tests with deltas ranging from 14% in physics to 59.4% in integer math. The Core 5 330's wins are 3 tests with deltas ranging from 9.3% in single-thread to 42.5% in find prime numbers. The i5-14400 is the stronger all-around processor, while the Core 5 330 serves niche single-thread and power-sensitive use cases.