Intel Core i5-10300H vs Intel Core i7-3770 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-10300H is the decisive winner in this comparison, taking 18 of 19 head-to-head benchmarks and leading by margins that often exceed 30%. The Core i7-3770, despite its desktop pedigree and higher TDP, only manages a single victory in a prime-number finding test. Benchmark results indicate that the mobile i5-10300H delivers substantially better performance across nearly all workloads, making it the clear choice for anyone comparing these two processors.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H wins 18 out of 19 head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-3770 wins only one test, specifically `passmark_find_prime_numbers`.

Q: How large is the performance gap in multi-core workloads?

A: The i5-10300H leads by roughly 21-22% in Cinebench multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5 scores 6950 versus the i7-3770's 5450, a delta of -21.6%. Geekbench multi-core shows a larger gap, with the i5 at 4080 versus 2705, a 33.7% advantage.

Q: What about single-core performance differences?

A: The i5-10300H is significantly faster in single-threaded tests. Geekbench single-core shows the i5 at 1321 versus 816 for the i7-3770, a 38.2% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core also favors the i5, scoring 981 versus 769, a 21.6% difference.

Q: Are there any workloads where the older i7-3770 is competitive?

A: Yes, the i7-3770 wins the `passmark_find_prime_numbers` test, scoring 29 versus the i5-10300H's 27, a 7.4% advantage. However, this is an isolated result; the i5-10300H wins every other benchmark, including all other PassMark tests.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages and percentiles compare?

A: The i7-3770 has an average benchmark score of 9706 and sits at the 66th percentile of all CPUs. The i5-10300H has a lower average score of 9243 and is at the 65th percentile, despite winning nearly every direct comparison.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two?

A: The i7-3770 uses the Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process, while the i5-10300H uses Comet Lake on a 14 nm process. The i7-3770 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the i5-10300H has 6 MB. The i5-10300H supports newer memory types and has higher memory bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-10300H is the clear winner in virtually every category of performance. Its most substantial victories come in single-core and multi-core CPU benchmarks. In Geekbench single-core, it leads by 38.2%, and in Cinebench R20 single-core, it leads by 21.8%. This advantage carries over to all multithreaded tests, including Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, where it consistently outperforms the i7-3770 by roughly 21.6%. The i5-10300H also dominates in PassMark tests for data encryption (32.6% faster), extended instructions (39.9% faster), and floating-point math (31.9% faster).

The i7-3770's only win comes in the `passmark_find_prime_numbers` test, where it scores 29 versus the i5-10300H's 27. This is a narrow 7.4% margin, and it appears to be an outlier given the i5-10300H's dominance in all other PassMark workloads. Beyond this specific test, the i7-3770 has no other benchmark victories, making its case for any workload extremely weak.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and manufacturing processes. The i7-3770 is built on Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture using a 22 nm process node, while the i5-10300H uses the newer Comet Lake architecture on a 14 nm process. This generational leap explains much of the performance difference. The i7-3770 has a die size of 160 mm² and contains 1,400 million transistors, whereas the i5-10300H's die size and transistor count are not specified.

Cache configurations also differ. Both processors have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. However, the i7-3770 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-10300H has 6 MB. Despite having less L3 cache, the i5-10300H still outperforms the i7-3770, indicating that architectural efficiency and higher clock speeds compensate for the smaller cache.

Memory support is another differentiator. The i7-3770 supports only DDR3 memory, while the i5-10300H supports both DDR3 and DDR4. The i5-10300H also has a significantly higher memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s compared to the i7-3770's 25.6 GB/s. Both processors feature dual-channel memory buses and do not support ECC memory.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are identical: both have 4 cores and 8 threads. However, clock speeds vary significantly. The i7-3770 has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, while the i5-10300H has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The i5-10300H's higher boost clock gives it a substantial advantage in single-threaded performance.

The TDP differs considerably, with the i7-3770 rated at 77 W and the i5-10300H at 45 W. This makes the i5-10300H more power-efficient while delivering better performance. The socket types are different: the i7-3770 uses Intel Socket 1155, while the i5-10300H uses Intel BGA 1440. The i7-3770 is a desktop processor, while the i5-10300H is a mobile processor.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i7-3770 features Intel HD 4000, while the i5-10300H features UHD Graphics. The i7-3770 has a launch MSRP of $278, while the i5-10300H has no launch MSRP listed. Both processors have locked multipliers. The i7-3770 is end-of-life, while the i5-10300H remains in active production.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-10300H's dominance is most visible in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5 scores 700 versus the i7-3770's 549, a 21.6% lead. This pattern repeats in R20 (2919 versus 2289) and R23 (6950 versus 5450), with the same 21.6% delta. Single-core results are similarly one-sided, with the i5 leading by 21.4% in R15 and 21.8% in R20.

Geekbench results show even larger gaps. In multi-core, the i5-10300H scores 4080 versus 2705, a 33.7% advantage. Single-core is even more lopsided, with the i5 at 1321 versus 816, a 38.2% lead. These numbers highlight the i5's superior per-core performance, which stems from its higher boost clock and newer architecture.

PassMark tests reveal a mixed but generally favorable picture for the i5-10300H. In data compression, the i5 leads by 10.1% (117306 versus 105424). Data encryption shows a 32.6% advantage (2770 versus 1866). Extended instructions see the i5 ahead by 39.9% (7449 versus 4476), the largest margin in any benchmark. Floating-point math favors the i5 by 31.9% (17076 versus 11628), while integer math shows a smaller 15.2% gap (27046 versus 22945).

The i7-3770's only victory in `passmark_find_prime_numbers` (29 versus 27) is notable but isolated. In all other PassMark tests, including multithread (8262 versus 6414, a 22.4% gap), physics (514 versus 458, a 10.9% gap), and random string sorting (14956 versus 14060, a 6% gap), the i5-10300H comes out ahead. Single-thread PassMark results show the i5 leading by 18.3% (2537 versus 2073).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-10300H is the superior processor in nearly every measurable way. It wins 18 of 19 benchmarks, with victories ranging from modest 6% margins in random string sorting to substantial 39.9% leads in extended instructions. Its performance advantage is consistent across single-core, multi-core, and specialized workloads.

The i7-3770's single win in prime-number finding is not enough to recommend it for any practical use case. Even in that test, its 7.4% lead is small. The i5-10300H offers better performance in Cinebench, Geekbench, and PassMark tests, while also consuming less power (45 W versus 77 W) and supporting newer memory technologies. For any user comparing these two, the i5-10300H is the clear choice based on benchmark results alone.