Intel Core i5-1038NG7 vs Intel Core i5-10400H Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two mobile Core i5 processors into distinct roles. The Intel Core i5-1038NG7 dominates rendering workloads, winning all six Cinebench comparisons across R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core tests. The Intel Core i5-10400H counters with a narrower but meaningful victory in Geekbench, taking both the single-core and multi-core versions of that test.

Looking at the magnitude of the 1038NG7's Cinebench advantage, the consistency is striking. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 750 against 697, a 7.6% lead. Single-core R15 shows 105 versus 98, a 7.1% edge. The R20 multi-core result is 3125 against 2908, a 7.5% gap, and single-core R20 is 441 versus 410, also 7.6%. R23 multi-core repeats the pattern at 7441 versus 6924, a 7.5% margin, with single-core R23 at 1050 versus 977, again 7.5%. Six benchmark wins, all within a narrow 7.1% to 7.6% band, indicates a stable architectural efficiency advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The 10400H's Geekbench wins are smaller in percentage terms but still decisive. Geekbench multi-core shows 5000 against 4919, a 1.6% lead. Geekbench single-core is 1413 versus 1354, a 4.2% edge. So in Geekbench, the 10400H is the better part, particularly in single-threaded integer and mixed workloads. The 1038NG7's Cinebench dominance is larger in relative terms than the 10400H's Geekbench edge, which matters for users prioritizing rendering performance.

Average benchmark scores place the 1038NG7 slightly ahead overall. Its average is 2398, while the 10400H averages 2303. That difference is approximately 4.1% in favor of the Ice Lake part. The percentile rankings reinforce this: the 1038NG7 sits at the 48th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the 10400H sits at the 47th percentile. Both are mid-pack mobile processors, but the 1038NG7 edges ahead in aggregate.

The 1038NG7's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3 at a 0.5% higher average score, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U at 0.6% higher, the Intel Core i5-8600T at 0.6% lower, and the Intel Core i7-9850HE at 0.9% lower. The 10400H's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-8809G at 0.2% higher, the Intel Xeon E-2134 at 0.7% higher, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 at 0.7% higher, and the Intel Xeon E5-2629 v3 at 0.9% lower. These clusters show both chips competing in the same performance tier, with the 1038NG7 holding a slight aggregate advantage.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-1038NG7 is the choice for rendering and CPU-intensive creative workloads. Every Cinebench iteration, from R15 through R23, lands in its favor by roughly 7.5%. That includes both multi-core and single-core tests, so the advantage is not limited to fully threaded workloads. The 1038NG7 also posts the higher average benchmark score, 2398 versus 2303, and the higher percentile ranking, 48 versus 47. For users running Cinebench-class rendering tasks, the data is unambiguous.

The Intel Core i5-10400H is the choice for Geekbench-style workloads. It wins Geekbench single-core by 4.2% and Geekbench multi-core by 1.6%. If the target application suite resembles Geekbench's mixed integer, floating-point, and memory patterns, the 10400H holds the advantage. Its higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz against 3.80 GHz for the 1038NG7 likely contributes to this result, though the database records no direct clock-to-score attribution.

Users should note the platform context. The 1038NG7 is a 28 W part on Intel BGA 1344, while the 10400H is a 45 W part on Intel BGA 1440. The 1038NG7 is end-of-life, whereas the 10400H remains active in production. The 1038NG7 carries a launch MSRP of $320. The 10400H has no recorded launch MSRP in the database. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

For a laptop buyer choosing between two existing systems, the deciding factor should be the workload. Rendering favors the 1038NG7 by a consistent margin. Geekbench-style general performance favors the 10400H. The overall average score favors the 1038NG7, but the margin is small and workload-dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win for the Intel Core i5-1038NG7 comes in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 750 against 697, a 7.6% lead. That is also the largest percentage win in the entire head-to-head set, tied with R20 single-core. The R15 single-core result is 105 versus 98, a 7.1% margin, the smallest of the 1038NG7's wins but still a clear victory.

Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 3125 versus 2908, a 7.5% gap. R20 single-core shows 441 versus 410, a 7.6% gap. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows 7441 versus 6924, a 7.5% gap. R23 single-core shows 1050 versus 977, a 7.5% gap. The consistency across three generations of Cinebench suggests the 1038NG7's Ice Lake architecture delivers a stable efficiency advantage over the 10400H's Comet Lake design in this specific workload family.

The Intel Core i5-10400H's wins are concentrated in Geekbench. Geekbench single-core shows 1413 versus 1354, a 4.2% lead. Geekbench multi-core shows 5000 versus 4919, a 1.6% lead. The single-core Geekbench margin is the second-largest percentage difference in the entire comparison, behind only the 7.6% Cinebench margins. The multi-core Geekbench margin is the smallest of all eight comparisons, indicating that the 10400H's advantage narrows when all cores are engaged.

The win count is 6 to 2 in favor of the 1038NG7. However, the 10400H's two wins are not trivial, particularly the single-core Geekbench result. A 4.2% single-threaded lead in Geekbench can translate to perceptible responsiveness in lightly threaded applications, even if the rendering benchmarks go the other way.

Looking at the overall averages, the 1038NG7's 2398 average score places it 95 points ahead of the 10400H's 2303, roughly 4.1%. That aggregate margin is smaller than the Cinebench deltas but larger than the Geekbench deltas, reflecting the mix of tests in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core i5-1038NG7 wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core i5-10400H wins the remaining 2.

Q: How large is the 1038NG7's advantage in Cinebench?

A: The 1038NG7 leads by 7.1% to 7.6% across all six Cinebench tests. Multi-core R15 shows the largest margin at 7.6%, while single-core R15 shows the smallest at 7.1%.

Q: Where does the 10400H outperform the 1038NG7?

A: The 10400H wins both Geekbench tests. It leads single-core by 4.2% (1413 versus 1354) and multi-core by 1.6% (5000 versus 4919).

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The 1038NG7 averages 2398 across all recorded benchmarks, while the 10400H averages 2303. The 1038NG7 also ranks at the 48th percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 47th percentile for the 10400H.

Q: Are both processors currently in production?

A: No. The 1038NG7 is marked as end-of-life, while the 10400H is listed as active in production.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

A: Yes. Both have 4 cores and 8 threads. They differ in base clock (2.00 GHz for the 1038NG7, 2.60 GHz for the 10400H), boost clock (3.80 GHz versus 4.60 GHz), and TDP (28 W versus 45 W).

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures. The Intel Core i5-1038NG7 uses Ice Lake, specifically the Ice Lake-U codename, built on a 10 nm process node. The Intel Core i5-10400H uses Comet Lake, specifically Comet Lake-H, built on a 14 nm process node. The 1038NG7's die size is recorded as 123 mm², while no die size is recorded for the 10400H.

Cache configurations differ in the L1 and L2 levels. The 1038NG7 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 per core. The 10400H has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core. Both share 6 MB of L3 cache. The L1 difference is notable: the 1038NG7 has 25% more L1 per core, which may contribute to its Cinebench efficiency.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The 1038NG7 ships with Iris Plus graphics, while the 10400H ships with UHD Graphics. The database records no benchmark scores for the integrated GPUs, so performance comparisons are limited to the CPU side.

Memory support also differs. The 1038NG7 supports DDR4 only, while the 10400H supports both DDR3 and DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses. Memory bandwidth is higher for the 1038NG7 at 51.2 GB/s, compared to 46.9 GB/s for the 10400H. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The sockets are different: the 1038NG7 uses Intel BGA 1344, while the 10400H uses Intel BGA 1440. This means the two processors are not interchangeable in the same motherboard. The production status also differs, with the 1038NG7 marked end-of-life and the 10400H marked active.

The generation labels reflect the architecture split. The 1038NG7 is listed as Core i5 (Sunny Cove-U), while the 10400H is listed as Core i5 (Comet Lake-H). Both are mobile market segment parts with PCIe Gen 3 support and locked multipliers.

Specification Differences

The base clock differs substantially. The 1038NG7 runs at 2.00 GHz, while the 10400H runs at 2.60 GHz. The boost clock also favors the 10400H at 4.60 GHz versus 3.80 GHz for the 1038NG7. Despite the lower clocks, the 1038NG7 wins the Cinebench tests, pointing to an architectural efficiency advantage.

TDP differs by 17 W. The 1038NG7 is rated at 28 W, while the 10400H is rated at 45 W. The 1038NG7 achieves higher Cinebench scores at a lower power envelope, which is relevant for thermally constrained mobile designs.

L1 cache per core is 80 KB for the 1038NG7 and 64 KB for the 10400H. L2 cache is identical at 256 KB per core. L3 cache is identical at 6 MB shared. Process node is 10 nm for the 1038NG7 and 14 nm for the 10400H. Die size is 123 mm² for the 1038NG7 and not recorded for the 10400H.

Memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s for the 1038NG7 and 46.9 GB/s for the 10400H, a difference of 4.3 GB/s. Memory support is DDR4-only for the 1038NG7, while the 10400H accepts DDR3 and DDR4. Integrated graphics are Iris Plus for the 1038NG7 and UHD Graphics for the 10400H.

The 1038NG7 has a recorded launch MSRP of $320. No launch MSRP is recorded for the 10400H. The 1038NG7 part number is SRG0V, while the 10400H part number is SRH8R. The 1038NG7 was released in May 2020, while the 10400H was released in April 2020.

Both processors have 4 cores and 8 threads, dual-channel memory buses, PCIe Gen 3, no ECC support, no unlocked multipliers, and both target the mobile market segment. The 1038NG7 is end-of-life; the 10400H is active.