Intel Core 7 240H vs Intel Core i5-14450HX Comparison

Intel’s mobile lineup offers two very different takes on the 10-core, 16-thread formula. The Core i5-14450HX is a high-power HX part built for thick gaming laptops and mobile workstations, while the Core 7 240H is a more recent refresh aimed at mainstream performance notebooks. Both share the same core and thread counts, but the benchmark data reveals a clear split: the i5-14450HX dominates in older Cinebench workloads and raw single-core tests, while the Core 7 240H counters with a broader sweep of PassMark wins and a much stronger showing in physics simulation. Neither chip is a clean winner, and the choice depends heavily on which applications matter most.

Where Each One Wins

The Core i5-14450HX takes the crown in legacy Cinebench R23 tests. Its multi-core score of 20108 beats the Core 7 240H’s 15764 by a massive 27.6%, and its single-core R23 result of 2838 is a staggering 65.1% ahead of the 1719 posted by the Core 7 240H. That single-core gap is the largest margin in the entire head-to-head set, and it suggests the i5-14450HX is the better choice for lightly threaded workloads that rely on a single fast core, such as older games, spreadsheet recalculation, and general desktop responsiveness. The i5 also wins in Cinebench R15 single-core (285 vs 249, a 14.5% edge), which reinforces that strength in legacy single-threaded tasks.

The Core 7 240H, by contrast, wins the modern Cinebench R20 tests, though by very narrow margins: 8562 vs 8445 in multi-core (a 1.4% edge) and 1208 vs 1191 in single-core (also 1.4%). Its real dominance shows up in PassMark, where it takes 6 of 9 wins. The physics test is its biggest victory: 1723 vs 1475, a 14.4% lead. It also edges ahead in integer math (80396 vs 78330, +2.6%), floating point math (58905 vs 58037, +1.5%), multithread (23975 vs 23680, +1.2%), single-thread (3782 vs 3643, +3.7%), and prime number finding (102 vs 98, +3.9%). The i5-14450HX’s PassMark wins are smaller: data compression (278538 vs 271774, +2.5%), data encryption (15574 vs 15155, +2.8%), extended instructions (17207 vs 16897, +1.8%), and random string sorting (29565 vs 28866, +2.4%). The Core 7 240H also wins the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test decisively (2360 vs 2026, +14.2%).

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel’s 10 nm process and use the Raptor Lake architecture, but they come from different sub-families. The Core i5-14450HX is part of the Raptor Lake-HX refresh, uses the Intel BGA 1964 socket, and is listed with a 55 W TDP. The Core 7 240H belongs to the Raptor Lake-H family, uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, and has a lower 45 W TDP. That power difference helps explain why the i5-14450HX can sustain higher multi-core performance in Cinebench R23, even though the Core 7 240H posts a higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz versus the i5’s 4.80 GHz.

Cache configurations also differ. The i5-14450HX has 20 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Core 7 240H has 24 MB. Both share the same per-core L1 (80 KB) and L2 (2 MB) allocations. Memory support is identical on paper: both support DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, but the i5-14450HX adds ECC memory support, which the Core 7 240H lacks. That makes the i5 more attractive for workstation-style reliability use cases.

PCIe connectivity is another differentiator. The i5-14450HX offers 16 CPU PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Core 7 240H offers only 8. For discrete GPUs and high-speed storage, the i5’s wider lane allocation is a meaningful advantage. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i5-14450HX ships with UHD Graphics 710, while the Core 7 240H includes Iris Xe Graphics 64EU, a more capable integrated solution for laptops that rely on iGPU output.

The Core i5-14450HX has an unlocked multiplier, making it a candidate for overclocking in supported systems, while the Core 7 240H is locked. The i5 was released on 2024-01-07, and the Core 7 240H followed on 2024-12-17. The Core 7 240H has a launch MSRP of $502. Both are listed as Active production parts, and both sit in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating they are closely matched overall despite their divergent workload strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory belongs to the Core i5-14450HX in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 2838 against the Core 7 240H’s 1719, a 65.1% lead. That is an enormous gap for two chips with the same core and thread counts, and it points to very different frequency behavior or boost algorithms in that specific benchmark. The i5 also wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 27.6% (20108 vs 15764), which is the second-largest margin in the comparison.

The Core 7 240H’s best result is its 14.2% win in Cinebench R15 multi-core (2360 vs 2026), followed closely by its 14.4% win in PassMark physics (1723 vs 1475). Those two wins show that the Core 7 240H is not merely a single-core specialist; it can also pull ahead in certain multi-threaded and simulation-heavy tasks. Its PassMark multithread win (23975 vs 23680) is modest at 1.2%, but it contributes to the overall impression that the Core 7 240H is the more consistent performer across the PassMark suite.

In PassMark single-thread, the Core 7 240H leads by 3.7% (3782 vs 3643), which is notable because the i5-14450HX wins single-core in Cinebench R15 and R23. The two test suites clearly measure different aspects of single-thread performance, and the results show that neither chip is universally faster in every single-threaded scenario. The i5-14450HX wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 14.5% and Cinebench R23 single-core by 65.1%, while the Core 7 240H wins PassMark single-thread by 3.7%.

In the remaining PassMark tests, the Core 7 240H wins integer math (80396 vs 78330, +2.6%), floating point math (58905 vs 58037, +1.5%), prime numbers (102 vs 98, +3.9%), and multithread (23975 vs 23680, +1.2%). The i5-14450HX counters with data compression (278538 vs 271774, +2.5%), data encryption (15574 vs 15155, +2.8%), extended instructions (17207 vs 16897, +1.8%), and random string sorting (29565 vs 28866, +2.4%). The overall win count is 10 for the Core 7 240H and 7 for the i5-14450HX, but the magnitude of the i5’s Cinebench R23 wins outweighs the Core 7 240H’s narrower PassMark advantages in most real-world workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-core performance?

A: It depends on the benchmark. The Core i5-14450HX wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 14.5% (285 vs 249) and Cinebench R23 single-core by 65.1% (2838 vs 1719). The Core 7 240H wins PassMark single-thread by 3.7% (3782 vs 3643).

Q: Which CPU has better multi-core performance?

A: The Core i5-14450HX wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 27.6% (20108 vs 15764), but the Core 7 240H wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 14.2% (2360 vs 2026) and Cinebench R20 multi-core by 1.4% (8562 vs 8445). In PassMark multithread, the Core 7 240H leads by 1.2% (23975 vs 23680).

Q: Do both CPUs have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 10 cores and 16 threads. They differ in cache: the Core i5-14450HX has 20 MB of L3 cache, while the Core 7 240H has 24 MB.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Core i5-14450HX supports ECC memory. The Core 7 240H does not.

Q: How do their integrated graphics compare?

A: The Core i5-14450HX includes UHD Graphics 710, while the Core 7 240H includes Iris Xe Graphics 64EU. The Core 7 240H’s integrated solution is generally more capable for iGPU-only scenarios.

Q: Which CPU has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Core i5-14450HX provides 16 CPU PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Core 7 240H provides 8.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for users who prioritize legacy single-threaded performance or heavy multi-core rendering in Cinebench R23: the Core i5-14450HX is the stronger choice. Its 65.1% single-core and 27.6% multi-core wins in R23 are the largest margins in the entire comparison, and its 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes plus ECC support make it more suitable for workstation-class laptops. The higher 55 W TDP and unlocked multiplier further position it as the enthusiast-oriented part.

The Core 7 240H is the better all-rounder for modern PassMark workloads. It wins the majority of the head-to-head tests, including physics simulation (14.4% ahead), integer math, floating point math, and single-thread PassMark. Its 24 MB L3 cache and 5.20 GHz boost clock help it stay competitive in frequency-sensitive tasks, and its lower 45 W TDP makes it more efficient for thinner laptops. The Iris Xe Graphics 64EU is also a more capable iGPU than the UHD Graphics 710.

For buyers who run a mix of older and newer software, the choice is less obvious. The i5-14450HX’s dominance in Cinebench R23 suggests it handles modern multi-core rendering workloads better, while the Core 7 240H’s PassMark wins indicate broader consistency across general productivity tasks. The i5-14450HX is the pick for rendering, legacy single-thread performance, and workstation features like ECC and extra PCIe lanes. The Core 7 240H is the pick for physics simulation, general math-heavy tasks, and systems that benefit from a lower TDP and better integrated graphics. Both chips sit in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, but they achieve that status through very different strengths.