Intel Core i5-10300H vs Intel Core i7-8565U Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-10300H wins every single head-to-head comparison against the Intel Core i7-8565U. Out of 17 recorded tests, the i5-10300H takes 17 victories, with the i7-8565U failing to claim a single one. This is not a close contest by any measure.

The i5-10300H is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing sustained compute performance in a mobile system. Its advantages range from a modest 12.2% lead in PassMark physics to a commanding 56.2% lead in extended instruction throughput. The i7-8565U, despite carrying the higher-tier i7 branding, is consistently slower in every workload category recorded in the database.

Interestingly, both processors sit at the 65th percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database, indicating that they occupy a similar overall performance tier in the broader market. However, within that tier, the i5-10300H is the stronger performer. The i7-8565U's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10510U, trails it by just 1%, while the i5-10300H sits within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X in average benchmark score. These are different leagues of competition, despite the similar percentile ranking.

The i5-10300H is the pick for users who need consistent rendering performance, data compression speed, or encryption throughput. The i7-8565U, being an end-of-life product with a lower TDP, is suited only for scenarios where power draw is the absolute priority, though the data does not suggest it wins even there on performance grounds.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and target different market segments. The i5-10300H is built on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically the Comet Lake-H variant, and belongs to Intel's Core 10th Gen family. The i7-8565U uses the Whiskey Lake architecture, specifically Whiskey Lake-U, and belongs to the Core i7 Whiskey Lake generation. Both are fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node, so the underlying transistor geometry is identical.

Both chips feature 4 physical cores and 8 threads, so the core count is not a differentiator. The L1 and L2 caches are also identical at 64 KB per core and 256 KB per core, respectively. The difference emerges at the L3 level: the i5-10300H has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-8565U has 8 MB. The i7-8565U therefore holds a cache capacity advantage, yet it cannot translate that into performance wins in the recorded benchmarks.

Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story. The i5-10300H has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The i7-8565U has a dramatically lower base clock of 1800.00 MHz, but a slightly higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The i7-8565U can reach a marginally higher peak frequency, but its much lower base clock indicates a design that throttles down aggressively under sustained load. The i5-10300H's higher base clock gives it a sustained performance advantage that shows up clearly in multicore and multithreaded tests.

The TDP figures reinforce this architectural difference. The i5-10300H is rated at 45 W, while the i7-8565U is rated at 15 W. This 30 W difference reflects their intended roles: the i5-10300H is a high-performance mobile part designed for gaming laptops and mobile workstations, while the i7-8565U is a low-power ultrabook processor. The power envelope explains why the i5-10300H sustains higher performance despite the i7-8565U's higher boost clock.

Memory bandwidth also differs. The i5-10300H supports DDR3 and DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration and achieves 46.9 GB/s of bandwidth. The i7-8565U supports the same memory types and dual-channel configuration but delivers only 38.4 GB/s. The i5-10300H thus has a 22% bandwidth advantage, which contributes to its wins in data-heavy workloads.

PCIe implementation differs as well. The i5-10300H uses PCIe Gen 3, while the i7-8565U uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes available to the CPU only. The integrated graphics also differ: the i5-10300H carries UHD Graphics, while the i7-8565U carries UHD Graphics 620.

The sockets are incompatible. The i5-10300H uses Intel BGA 1440, while the i7-8565U uses Intel BGA 1528. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

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

A: The i5-10300H. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 981 versus 742 for the i7-8565U, a 32.2% advantage. In PassMark single-thread, it leads 2537 to 2118, a 19.8% gap.

Q: Does the i7-8565U's higher boost clock help it win any benchmarks?

A: No. Despite a 4.60 GHz boost clock versus 4.50 GHz on the i5-10300H, the i7-8565U loses all 17 head-to-head tests. Its much lower base clock and 15 W TDP prevent it from sustaining competitive performance.

Q: How much faster is the i5-10300H in multicore workloads?

A: The i5-10300H scores 6950 in Cinebench R23 multicore versus 5258 for the i7-8565U, a 32.2% lead. In PassMark multithread, it scores 8262 versus 5988, a 38% advantage.

Q: Which chip has more L3 cache?

A: The i7-8565U has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-10300H has 6 MB. The i7-8565U's larger cache does not result in a performance win in any recorded benchmark.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The i5-10300H is listed as Active, while the i7-8565U is listed as End-of-life.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The i5-10300H has an average benchmark score of 9243, while the i7-8565U has 8665. The i5-10300H's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1165G7 at 9235 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8280M at 9260 (0.2% ahead).

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-10300H | Intel Core i7-8565U |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Comet Lake | Whiskey Lake |

| Codename | Comet Lake-H | Whiskey Lake-U |

| Generation | Core i5 (Comet Lake-H) | Core i7 (Whiskey Lake) |

| Base clock | 2.50 GHz | 1800.00 MHz |

| Boost clock | 4.50 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1440 | Intel BGA 1528 |

| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory bandwidth | 46.9 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics | UHD Graphics 620 |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2020-09-16 | 2018-09-30 |

| Part number | SRH84 | SREJPSRFFW |

The launch MSRP of the i7-8565U is $409. The i5-10300H has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i5-10300H dominates every recorded comparison, but the margin varies significantly by workload. The largest win comes in PassMark extended instructions, where the i5-10300H scores 7449 against 4770 for the i7-8565U, a 56.2% advantage. This test measures SIMD and specialized instruction throughput, and the result suggests the i5-10300H is far better equipped for compute-heavy applications that leverage advanced instruction sets.

Data compression is another major victory. The i5-10300H scores 117306 in PassMark data compression versus 75995 for the i7-8565U, a 54.4% lead. This is a massive gap and points to the i5-10300H's superior sustained clock behavior and memory bandwidth. Random string sorting follows a similar pattern, with the i5-10300H scoring 14956 against 10200, a 46.6% win.

The Cinebench results are remarkably consistent. Across R15, R20, and R23, both multicore and single-core tests show the i5-10300H winning by roughly 32% in every case. In R15 multicore, the scores are 700 versus 529 (32.3%). In R20 multicore, 2919 versus 2208 (32.2%). In R23 multicore, 6950 versus 5258 (32.2%). Single-core results mirror this: R15 single-core shows 98 versus 74 (32.4%), R20 single-core shows 412 versus 311 (32.5%), and R23 single-core shows 981 versus 742 (32.2%). The consistency of these margins indicates that the i5-10300H's advantage is structural, not workload-specific.

PassMark multithread shows a 38% lead for the i5-10300H, with scores of 8262 versus 5988. Data encryption shows a 39% lead, with 2770 versus 1993. Floating-point math sees a 32% advantage, with 17076 versus 12934. Integer math is closer at 25.3%, with 27046 versus 21581. Prime number finding shows a 22.7% gap, with 27 versus 22.

The narrowest win comes in PassMark physics, where the i5-10300H scores 514 against 458 for the i7-8565U, a 12.2% lead. Even here, the i5-10300H comes out ahead, though the margin is far smaller than in other tests. Single-thread performance shows a 19.8% gap in both PassMark single-thread and PassMark singlethread tests, with the i5-10300H scoring 2537 against 2118.

The i7-8565U's only theoretical advantage is its 4.60 GHz boost clock and larger 8 MB L3 cache, but neither translates into a recorded benchmark win. The i5-10300H's higher base clock, 45 W TDP, and superior memory bandwidth deliver wins across all 17 head-to-head comparisons. For users deciding between these two mobile processors, the data is clear: the i5-10300H is the faster chip in every measurable way.