Intel Core i5-10300H vs Intel Core i7-10510U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a remarkably one-sided comparison. Across all 19 recorded head-to-head tests, the Intel Core i5-10300H wins every single contest. The Intel Core i7-10510U does not secure a single victory in any measured workload.

The largest margin appears in Geekbench multicore testing. The i5-10300H scores 4080 against 2648 for the i7-10510U, a 54.1% advantage. This is the only test where the gap exceeds 50 percentage points, and it highlights a fundamental difference in sustained throughput capability.

Cinebench results cluster tightly around a consistent margin. The R15 multicore test shows 700 versus 542, a 29.2% lead for the i5. The single-core variant shows 98 against 76, a 28.9% gap. Moving to R20, the multicore scores are 2919 and 2262, a 29% difference, while single-core shows 412 versus 319, a 29.2% gap. The R23 suite repeats the pattern: multicore 6950 against 5388 (29% lead), single-core 981 versus 760 (29.1% lead). The consistency of these margins across three Cinebench generations suggests a stable architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific artifact.

Geekbench single-core shows a 28% lead, with scores of 1321 and 1032. This aligns closely with the Cinebench single-thread results, indicating the i5-10300H enjoys a similar advantage in lightly threaded scenarios as it does in heavily threaded ones.

PassMark results show more variance. The data compression test produces a 42% lead (117306 versus 82606). Extended instructions show a 42.6% gap (7449 versus 5224). Random string sorting delivers a 35.1% advantage (14956 versus 11068). The smallest margins appear in integer math at 15.4% (27046 versus 23441), floating point math at 21.3% (17076 versus 14080), and physics at 8.9% (514 versus 472). Single-thread PassMark results show a 13.4% gap (2537 versus 2237).

The database's nearest rival data places the i5-10300H at an average benchmark score of 9243, with the closest competitor being the Intel Core i7-1165G7 at 9235, a 0.1% difference. The i7-10510U averages 8580, with the Intel Core i5-8250U at 8577 as the nearest rival, a 0% delta. Both processors sit at the 65th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H wins all 19 head-to-head tests recorded in the database. The Intel Core i7-10510U has zero victories.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two?

A: The Geekbench multicore test shows the biggest difference, with the i5-10300H scoring 4080 against 2648 for the i7-10510U, a 54.1% advantage.

Q: Are the two processors comparable in single-threaded performance?

A: The i5-10300H leads in every single-thread test, but the margin varies. Cinebench R20 single-core shows a 29.2% gap, while PassMark single-thread shows only 13.4%. The boost clock of the i7-10510U is higher at 4.90 GHz versus 4.50 GHz, yet the i5 still wins.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-10300H has an average benchmark score of 9243, while the i7-10510U averages 8580. Both sit at the 65th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: What is the closest test result between the two?

A: The PassMark physics test shows the narrowest gap, with the i5-10300H scoring 514 against 472 for the i7-10510U, an 8.9% difference.

Q: Does the i7-10510U have any advantage in cache size?

A: Yes, the i7-10510U has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-10300H has 6 MB. However, this does not translate into any benchmark wins for the i7.

Architecture Differences

Both processors belong to Intel's 10th Generation Core series and share the Comet Lake architecture built on a 14 nm process at Intel's foundry. Both use the same Intel BGA 1440 socket and integrate UHD Graphics. The fundamental design lineage is identical, yet the specific implementations diverge in meaningful ways.

The i5-10300H carries the Comet Lake-H codename, while the i7-10510U uses Comet Lake-U. This distinction matters: the H suffix denotes a high-performance mobile part, while the U suffix indicates an ultra-low-power design. Both have 4 cores and 8 threads, so the core count does not explain the performance difference.

Cache allocation differs. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The shared L3 cache, however, favors the i7-10510U with 8 MB against 6 MB for the i5-10300H. Despite having less cache, the i5 wins every test.

Memory support is listed as DDR3 and DDR4 for both, with dual-channel memory bus support recorded for the i5-10300H. The i7-10510U does not have a memory bus specification in the database, nor does it list a memory bandwidth figure. The i5-10300H records a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s.

PCI Express support also differs in the recorded data. The i5-10300H lists Gen 3 PCIe support, while the i7-10510U has no PCIe specification recorded. Neither processor supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The generation field shows Core i5 (Comet Lake-H) for the i5 and Core i7 (Comet Lake-U) for the i7. The production status differs as well: the i5-10300H is listed as Active, while the i7-10510U is marked End-of-life.

Release dates place the i7-10510U earlier, launching on August 20, 2019, while the i5-10300H arrived on September 16, 2020. The part number for the i5 is recorded as SRH84, while the i7 has no part number in the database.

Specification Differences

The base clock frequencies show a dramatic difference. The i5-10300H runs at 2.50 GHz base, while the i7-10510U lists a base clock of 1800.00 GHz in the database, an apparent data entry anomaly. The boost clocks are closer: 4.50 GHz for the i5 and 4.90 GHz for the i7, giving the i7 a higher maximum frequency.

Thermal design power differs substantially. The i5-10300H has a TDP of 45 watts, while the i7-10510U draws only 25 watts. This 20-watt difference explains why the i5 can sustain higher performance under load, despite the i7 having a higher boost clock.

Cache totals differ in L3 only. Both have identical per-core L1 and L2 allocations, but the shared L3 is 6 MB for the i5 and 8 MB for the i7. Memory bandwidth is recorded for the i5 at 46.9 GB/s, with no figure for the i7. Memory bus specification exists for the i5 as dual-channel, with no entry for the i7. PCIe Gen 3 is listed for the i5, absent for the i7.

Release timing differs by roughly thirteen months. The i7-10510U launched August 2019, the i5-10300H in September 2020. Production status shows the i5 as Active and the i7 as End-of-life. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-10300H wins everywhere in this comparison. Every benchmark category, every workload type, and every threading scenario favors the i5. The data does not support any use case where the i7-10510U comes out ahead.

For sustained multicore workloads, the i5-10300H is the clear choice. Its 45-watt TDP allows it to maintain higher clocks under load, which shows in the Geekbench multicore 54.1% advantage and the consistent 29% margins across all three Cinebench versions. Content creation tasks, 3D rendering, and video encoding workloads would all benefit from this processor.

For single-threaded tasks, the i5 still leads, though the margin narrows in some tests. The PassMark single-thread gap is 13.4%, while Cinebench single-core tests show roughly 29%. The i7's higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz does not overcome the i5's sustained performance characteristics.

In memory-intensive workloads like data compression, the i5 shows a 42% lead. The recorded memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s for the i5, absent for the i7, likely contributes to this result. The i5 also leads in random string sorting by 35.1%, another memory-sensitive operation.

For workloads relying on extended instructions, the i5 leads by 42.6%. Encryption tasks show a 28.8% advantage for the i5. Floating point math favors the i5 by 21.3%, integer math by 15.4%.

The physics test shows the smallest margin at 8.9%, suggesting that the i7-10510U is least disadvantaged in this specific workload. However, a loss is still a loss, and the i5 wins this test as well.

The i7-10510U does offer some theoretical advantages. Its 8 MB L3 cache is larger, its boost clock is higher, and its 25-watt TDP suggests lower power consumption. It also launched earlier and reached end-of-life status, while the i5 remains active. But in terms of measured performance, the database records zero wins for the i7.

For any use case requiring maximum performance per the recorded benchmarks, the Intel Core i5-10300H is the superior processor. The i7-10510U may find a place in power-constrained designs where its lower TDP matters, but the benchmark data in this database does not show any performance scenario where it wins.