Intel Core i5-10400H vs Intel Core i5-8600T Comparison

Intel Core i5-8600T vs Intel Core i5-10400H

The database pits a desktop-class Coffee Lake part against a mobile Comet Lake-H processor, and the results are not what the clock speeds alone would predict. The Intel Core i5-8600T, despite its lower base and boost clocks, dominates the Cinebench suite, while the Intel Core i5-10400H fights back in Geekbench. The recorded data shows a split personality between the two test suites, making the choice heavily dependent on the workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are a clean sweep for the Intel Core i5-8600T, with a remarkably consistent advantage across every version of the test. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 8600T scores 784 against the 10400H's 697, a 12.5% lead. The single-core R15 test tells the same story: 110 versus 98, a 12.2% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the margins hold steady. The 8600T posts 3270 in multi-core versus 2908, a 12.4% advantage, and 461 in single-core versus 410, again 12.4%. Cinebench R23 confirms the pattern, with the 8600T at 7787 multi-core and 1099 single-core, against 6924 and 977 for the 10400H, both results showing a 12.5% edge for the desktop chip.

This consistency across three generations of the Cinebench workload is notable. The 8600T wins by roughly the same percentage in every iteration, suggesting a fundamental architectural or configuration advantage that scales linearly with the test's intensity. The 10400H has higher boost clocks, but the data indicates that the 8600T's six physical cores, versus the 10400H's four cores with Hyper-Threading, make the decisive difference in this rendering workload.

The Geekbench suite flips the script entirely. The Intel Core i5-10400H wins both tests, and it wins them decisively. In Geekbench multi-core, the 10400H scores 5000 against the 8600T's 4277, a 14.5% lead for the mobile chip. The single-core test shows a 9.6% advantage, with the 10400H at 1413 and the 8600T at 1278. This is a substantial reversal from the Cinebench results, and it points to different optimization paths in the two benchmark families. Geekbench appears to favor the 10400H's higher clock speeds and newer architecture, while Cinebench rewards the 8600T's additional cores.

Overall, the 8600T wins six of the eight head-to-head tests, but the 10400H takes the two Geekbench victories by a wider margin than the 8600T's Cinebench wins. The average benchmark score reflects this: the 8600T sits at 2383, the 10400H at 2303. The 8600T also holds a slightly better percentile rank, at 48th versus 47th among all CPUs in the database. These are close overall figures, but the distribution of wins tells a more nuanced story.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-8600T is the clear choice for workloads that resemble Cinebench. These are heavily threaded rendering tasks that scale with core count and raw execution throughput. The 8600T's six cores, running at a 2.30 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost, consistently outperform the 10400H's four cores with eight threads, which run at 2.60 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost. The 12.5% margin in Cinebench R23 multi-core suggests that the extra two physical cores outweigh the 10400H's clock speed advantage in this type of sustained, parallel workload.

The Intel Core i5-10400H wins in Geekbench, which is often used to gauge general system responsiveness and real-world application performance. The 14.5% multi-core lead and 9.6% single-core lead in Geekbench indicate that the 10400H handles mixed, short-burst workloads better. This could be due to its higher boost clock, which allows it to sprint ahead on tasks that do not fully saturate all cores. For users who prioritize snappy application launches, browser performance, and everyday multitasking, the Geekbench results suggest the 10400H has the edge.

There is also a thermal envelope consideration, though the data only shows the TDP figures. The 8600T is rated at 35 watts, while the 10400H is rated at 45 watts. In a constrained chassis, the lower TDP of the 8600T could allow for more sustained performance or quieter operation, but the benchmark scores are the only measurable evidence in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The Intel Core i5-8600T uses the Coffee Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process node. It is a desktop part with a 6-core, 6-thread configuration. The Intel Core i5-10400H uses the Comet Lake-H architecture, also on a 14 nm node, but it is a mobile part with a 4-core, 8-thread configuration. Both are manufactured by Intel, and both lack an unlocked multiplier.

The cache layouts differ significantly. The 8600T has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, the same as the 10400H. The L3 cache, however, is a major differentiator: the 8600T has 9 MB shared, while the 10400H has only 6 MB shared. This 50% advantage in L3 cache likely contributes to the 8600T's Cinebench performance, as larger shared caches can reduce memory latency and improve data reuse in threaded workloads.

Memory support also diverges. The 8600T supports DDR4 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and a peak bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The 10400H supports both DDR3 and DDR4, also on a dual-channel bus, but with a higher peak bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. The 10400H's memory bandwidth advantage is notable, yet it does not translate into Cinebench wins, suggesting the 8600T's cache and core count matter more for those tests.

The sockets and market segments are entirely different. The 8600T uses Intel Socket 1151 and is a desktop processor, while the 10400H uses Intel BGA 1440 and is a mobile processor. The 8600T is end-of-life in production status, while the 10400H is listed as active. The 8600T has a PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the 10400H also uses PCIe Gen 3 but without a lane count specified in the database. Both include integrated graphics, with the 8600T featuring UHD Graphics 630 and the 10400H featuring UHD Graphics.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600T has 6 cores and 6 threads. The Intel Core i5-10400H has 4 cores and 8 threads. The 8600T has more physical cores, while the 10400H uses Hyper-Threading to reach 8 threads.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400H faster in every benchmark?

A: No. The 10400H wins only in Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests. The 8600T wins all six Cinebench tests, spanning R15, R20, and R23, with margins around 12.5%.

Q: What is the difference in L3 cache size?

A: The 8600T has 9 MB of shared L3 cache, while the 10400H has 6 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a 3 MB difference in favor of the 8600T.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the 8600T and the 10400H are listed with ECC memory support set to false.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The 10400H has a higher base clock at 2.60 GHz, compared to the 8600T's 2.30 GHz. The 10400H also has a higher boost clock at 4.60 GHz versus 3.70 GHz.

Q: What is the release date difference between the two?

A: The 8600T was released in April 2018, and the 10400H was released in April 2020, a two-year gap between the desktop and mobile parts.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split based on workload type. For anyone running Cinebench-style rendering, video encoding, or other heavily threaded batch tasks, the Intel Core i5-8600T is the better performer, delivering a consistent 12.5% advantage across the board. Its six physical cores and larger 9 MB L3 cache provide a structural edge that the 10400H cannot overcome despite its higher clock speeds.

For general desktop responsiveness and applications that align with Geekbench's test methodology, the Intel Core i5-10400H is the winner. Its 14.5% multi-core and 9.6% single-core leads in Geekbench show that it handles bursty, mixed workloads with more agility. The higher 4.60 GHz boost clock is a likely factor in this performance.

The 8600T also has a lower TDP at 35 watts versus 45 watts, which could be an advantage in power-sensitive builds. The 10400H is a mobile part, so it is designed for laptops, while the 8600T is a desktop chip. The 8600T holds a slight edge in overall average benchmark score (2383 versus 2303) and percentile rank (48th versus 47th), but the 10400H's Geekbench wins are too large to ignore for general-purpose use. The choice comes down to whether the workload favors sustained multi-core rendering or varied, short-duration tasks.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-8600T | Intel Core i5-10400H |

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

| Cores | 6 | 4 |

| Threads | 6 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 2.30 GHz | 2.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 45 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | Intel BGA 1440 |

| Architecture | Coffee Lake | Comet Lake |

| Codename | Coffee Lake | Comet Lake-H |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 14 nm |

| Die Size | 154 mm² | Not specified |

| L3 Cache | 9 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3, DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 46.9 GB/s |

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

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | UHD Graphics |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | April 2018 | April 2020 |

| Part Number | SR3X3 | SRH8R |