Intel Core i5-11300H vs Intel Core i7-11390H Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two Tiger Lake-H mobile processors into distinct roles. The Intel Core i5-11300H dominates the Cinebench suite, winning all six Cinebench tests across R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core runs. That is a clean sweep in rendering-style workloads, with margins between 10.9% and 11.2% in every case. For CPU-bound creative tasks that rely on sustained multi-threaded throughput, or for short single-threaded bursts in legacy rendering engines, the i5-11300H is the clear choice.

The Intel Core i7-11390H takes the opposite side of the ledger. It wins both Geekbench tests, with a 10.4% advantage in multi-core and a striking 19.9% lead in single-core. Geekbench exercises a broader mix of integer, floating-point, and memory patterns, and the i7-11390H's higher boost clock pays off there. Users who run general productivity applications, web workloads, or any software that scales with raw clock speed rather than sustained Cinebench-style rendering will see the i7-11390H pull ahead.

The win count is lopsided: the i5-11300H takes six of eight head-to-head matchups, the i7-11390H takes two. But the magnitude of the i7's Geekbench wins, especially the nearly 20% single-core gap, matters more than the raw count in mixed-use laptops. The database also shows both chips sit near the same overall percentile, with the i5 at the 51st percentile versus the i7 at the 50th, and their average benchmark scores are close: 2792 for the i5, 2715 for the i7. That indicates the i7's Geekbench victories are offset by its Cinebench losses, leaving the two chips at similar aggregate performance levels.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the same Tiger Lake-H architecture on Intel's 10 nm process, built by Intel itself, and both use the Intel BGA 1449 socket. The die size is identical at 146.1 mm², and neither chip has a transistor count listed in the database. The core configuration is also the same: 4 cores and 8 threads on both parts. The architectural split appears in the cache hierarchy and the integrated graphics.

The L1 cache is identical at 80 KB per core, and the L2 cache is also the same at 1.25 MB per core. The L3 cache differs: the i5-11300H has 8 MB shared, while the i7-11390H has 12 MB shared. That extra 4 MB of L3 on the i7 helps explain its Geekbench advantage, since more shared cache can reduce repeated memory fetches in mixed workloads.

The integrated graphics also differ. The i5-11300H carries Iris XE with 80 execution units, while the i7-11390H carries Iris XE with 96 execution units. The i7's graphics array is 20% larger in EU count, which could benefit lightly threaded GPU tasks, though the database does not include graphics benchmarks for either chip.

Memory support is the same: DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and no ECC support. Both chips use PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Both are unlocked for overclocking? No, neither has an unlocked multiplier. Both are marked as Active in production status, and both belong to the Core 11th Gen series. The release dates differ, with the i5 launching on 2021-01-10 and the i7 on 2021-06-20, suggesting the i7 arrived as a later revision within the same architecture family.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results favor the i5-11300H across the board. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5 scores 919 against the i7's 828, an 11% advantage. In R15 single-core, the i5 scores 129 against 116, an 11.2% edge. Moving to R20, the i5 posts 3833 multi-core versus 3451, an 11.1% win, and 540 single-core versus 487, a 10.9% win. In R23, the i5 scores 9127 multi-core against 8218, another 11.1% margin, and 1288 single-core versus 1160, an 11% edge. These are consistent, uniform victories: the i5-11300H is roughly 11% faster than the i7-11390H in every Cinebench test, regardless of core count or thread count.

The Geekbench results reverse the trend decisively. In Geekbench multi-core, the i7-11390H scores 5478 against the i5's 4907, a 10.4% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, the i7 scores 1985 against 1589, a 19.9% lead. The single-core gap is nearly double the multi-core gap, which points to the i7's higher boost clock as the dominant factor in lightly threaded Geekbench workloads.

The pattern suggests thermal or power behavior differs between the two chips in sustained rendering versus bursty workloads. The i5 holds a consistent lead in Cinebench, which typically stresses all cores for a longer duration, while the i7 excels in the shorter, more varied Geekbench tests. Both chips carry a 28 W TDP in the database, so the difference is not a simple power envelope discrepancy; the i7's higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz versus 4.40 GHz on the i5 likely explains the Geekbench single-core result, while the i5's lower base clock of 2.60 GHz versus 2.90 GHz on the i7 does not prevent it from winning Cinebench.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several specification fields, and the database records them cleanly.

Clock speeds: the i5-11300H has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The i7-11390H has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The i7 runs 300 MHz higher at base and 600 MHz higher at boost.

Cache: the i5 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7 has 12 MB. L1 and L2 are identical at 80 KB and 1.25 MB per core respectively.

Integrated graphics: the i5 uses Iris XE with 80 execution units, the i7 uses Iris XE with 96 execution units.

Release date: the i5 launched on 2021-01-10, the i7 on 2021-06-20.

Launch MSRP: the i5 carries a launch MSRP of $309, the i7 a launch MSRP of $426.

Part numbers differ: the i5 is SRKH6, the i7 is SRKSL.

All other major fields match: 4 cores, 8 threads, 28 W TDP, Intel BGA 1449 socket, Tiger Lake-H architecture, 10 nm process, Intel foundry, 146.1 mm² die size, DDR4 dual-channel memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, no ECC, PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, locked multipliers, and Active production status.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-11300H scores 9127, while the Intel Core i7-11390H scores 8218. The i5 leads by 11.1%.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-11390H boosts to 5.00 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-11300H boosts to 4.40 GHz.

Q: How much more L3 cache does the i7-11390H have?

A: The i7-11390H has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5-11300H has 8 MB, a 4 MB difference.

Q: Do both processors use the same socket?

A: Yes, both use the Intel BGA 1449 socket and the same Tiger Lake-H architecture on a 10 nm process.

Q: Which chip wins Geekbench single-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-11390H scores 1985 versus 1589 for the i5-11300H, a 19.9% advantage for the i7.

Q: Are the integrated graphics different?

A: Yes, the i5-11300H has Iris XE with 80 execution units, while the i7-11390H has Iris XE with 96 execution units.

Q: What is the TDP of both processors?

A: Both are rated at 28 W TDP in the database.