Intel Core i5-10300H vs Intel Core i7-8650U Comparison

The Intel Core i7-8650U and Intel Core i5-10300H are both quad-core, eight-thread mobile processors from Intel, but they target different segments of the laptop market. The i7-8650U is a 15 W Kaby Lake-R part designed for ultraportables, while the i5-10300H is a 45 W Comet Lake-H part built for performance-oriented notebooks. Benchmark data shows a consistent and often substantial performance advantage for the i5-10300H across all tested workloads, with the i7-8650U failing to secure a single head-to-head victory.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H has a higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz compared to the 4.20 GHz of the Intel Core i7-8650U.

Q: How much larger is the L3 cache on the i7-8650U?

A: The Intel Core i7-8650U features 8 MB of shared L3 cache, which is 2 MB more than the 6 MB shared L3 cache found on the Intel Core i5-10300H.

Q: What is the performance gap in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H scores 6950 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the i7-8650U scores 5253 points, resulting in a 24.4% advantage for the i5-10300H.

Q: Do both processors use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-8650U and the Intel Core i5-10300H are built on Intel's 14 nm process node.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H has a higher average benchmark score of 9243, compared to the 8932 average score of the Intel Core i7-8650U.

Q: How do the two processors compare in the PassMark single-thread test?

A: The Intel Core i5-10300H achieves a PassMark single-thread score of 2537, which is 17.1% higher than the 2103 score of the Intel Core i7-8650U.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice for different use cases. The Intel Core i5-10300H is the definitive winner for any workload that benefits from raw processing power. It wins all 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with victories ranging from a modest 8.2% in PassMark physics to a dominant 32.7% in PassMark data compression. Its higher base and boost clocks, combined with a higher 45 W TDP, allow it to sustain performance that the 15 W i7-8650U cannot match.

The Intel Core i7-8650U, despite its "i7" branding and larger 8 MB L3 cache, is positioned for a different class of machine. Its performance profile is consistently lower, and it offers no benchmark-based reason for selection when the i5-10300H is available. The i7-8650U's only potential advantage lies outside the scope of raw performance data, such as its lower power envelope, which is a qualitative consideration not reflected in these scores. For users prioritizing maximum throughput in rendering, encryption, or math-heavy tasks, the i5-10300H is the clear pick. The i7-8650U would only be relevant in a system where its 15 W TDP is a hard requirement, but the benchmark results show it will trail the i5-10300H by roughly a quarter in most demanding applications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The performance delta between these two CPUs is remarkably consistent. In the Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 suites, the Intel Core i5-10300H holds a nearly identical edge of 24.4% in multi-core tests and 24.5% in single-core tests. For instance, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-10300H scores 6950 against the i7-8650U's 5253, while in the single-core variant it scores 981 versus 741. This uniformity across generations of the Cinebench test indicates a fundamental clock-speed and power-delivery advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The PassMark suite reinforces this trend, though with more variance. The largest gap is in data compression, where the i5-10300H scores 117306, a full 32.7% ahead of the i7-8650U's 78936. Extended instructions also show a large 32.3% gap, with scores of 7449 and 5042 respectively. Random string sorting follows closely, with the i5-10300H leading by 29.9% (14956 vs 10485). These results suggest that the i5-10300H is particularly strong in memory-intensive and complex instruction workloads.

Other PassMark tests show smaller but still decisive margins. Integer math scores are 27046 for the i5-10300H versus 22007 for the i7-8650U, an 18.6% difference. Floating-point math shows a 22.1% gap (17076 vs 13299). Data encryption is 25.4% higher on the i5-10300H (2770 vs 2067). The smallest victory for the i5-10300H is in the PassMark physics test, where it scores 514 against 472, an 8.2% margin. Even in single-threaded performance, the i5-10300H wins by 17.1% (2537 vs 2103). The i7-8650U does not win a single comparison, and its performance deficit is substantial enough to be felt in everyday use and especially in sustained multi-core tasks.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications beyond their benchmark scores. The base clock of the Intel Core i5-10300H is 2.50 GHz, significantly higher than the 1.90 GHz base clock of the i7-8650U. The boost clock also favors the i5-10300H, reaching 4.50 GHz compared to 4.20 GHz. The thermal design power (TDP) is a major differentiator: the i5-10300H is rated at 45 W, while the i7-8650U is rated at just 15 W.

The sockets are incompatible, with the i7-8650U using Intel BGA 1356 and the i5-10300H using Intel BGA 1440. The i7-8650U has a larger shared L3 cache of 8 MB, while the i5-10300H has 6 MB. Memory support also varies: the i7-8650U supports DDR4 only, while the i5-10300H supports both DDR3 and DDR4. The i5-10300H also explicitly lists dual-channel memory support with a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, whereas these figures are not listed for the i7-8650U. The i5-10300H is part of the Core 10th Gen series and is identified as Comet Lake-H, while the i7-8650U belongs to the older Kaby Lake-R generation. The integrated graphics differ as well, with the i7-8650U featuring UHD 620 and the i5-10300H featuring UHD Graphics.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the same 14 nm process node and a 4-core, 8-thread configuration, but their underlying architectures are distinct generations. The Intel Core i7-8650U is based on the Kaby Lake architecture, specifically the Kaby Lake-R refresh, with a die size of 123 mm². The Intel Core i5-10300H is based on the newer Comet Lake architecture, specifically Comet Lake-H, and its die size is not listed.

The cache hierarchy is identical at the L1 and L2 levels, with 64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively. The difference appears in the shared L3 cache, where the older Kaby Lake part offers 8 MB compared to 6 MB on the Comet Lake part. The i5-10300H also lists PCIe Gen 3 support, while no PCIe specification is provided for the i7-8650U. The i5-10300H’s Comet Lake architecture is a refinement that enables higher clock speeds within a higher power envelope, which is the primary driver of its superior benchmark performance. The i7-8650U’s architecture is optimized for lower power consumption, a trait that is not reflected in the performance metrics but is evident in its 15 W TDP rating. Both processors support non-ECC memory and have locked multipliers, meaning they are not unlocked for overclocking.