Intel Core i5-7500 vs Intel Pentium Gold G7400 Comparison

The Intel Pentium Gold G7400 and the Intel Core i5-7500 make for an unusual comparison: a modern dual-core against an older quad-core, separated by five years of silicon development. The database results show the newer chip winning most contests despite having half the physical cores, though the i5-7500 still takes a handful of wins in workload-specific tests. Both CPUs land in the 64th percentile versus all processors in the database, with average benchmark scores of 8515 for the G7400 and 8208 for the i5-7500, so this is a genuinely close matchup on paper.

Where Each One Wins

The G7400 dominates the headline tests. It wins 14 of the 17 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench rendering test in both single-core and multi-core modes. That sweep matters: a two-core, four-thread part out-rendering a four-core part in Cinebench R23 multi-core (5700 vs 5133) shows how much per-core throughput the newer architecture recovers.

Single-threaded responsiveness is the G7400's clearest strength. Its Passmark single-thread score of 2982 beats the i5-7500's 2253 by 32.4 percent, which translates directly into snappier everyday desktop use, faster web browsing, and better performance in applications that lean on one fast core. If the machine is for office work, browsing, or light gaming with the integrated GPU, the G7400 is the stronger foundation.

The i5-7500 wins where raw physical cores and per-core instruction support carry the load. Its biggest margin is in Passmark data compression at 83250 vs 72591, a 12.8 percent win for the older chip. It also takes extended instructions (6971 vs 4887, a 29.9 percent gap) and random string sorting (10134 vs 7278, 28.2 percent ahead). These are throughput-heavy workloads where having four real cores beats two cores with hyper-threading. Users regularly compressing large archives or running software that exploits extended instruction sets should note those numbers.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different eras. The G7400 is built on Intel's 10 nm process under the Alder Lake architecture, while the i5-7500 uses the 14 nm Kaby Lake design. The node advantage is the main reason the G7400's per-core performance is so much higher.

Core topology is the reverse trade. The G7400 has 2 cores and 4 threads at a 3.70 base clock with no listed boost clock; the i5-7500 has 4 cores and 4 threads, a 3.40 base clock and a 3.80 boost clock. Note the i5-7500 has no hyper-threading, so both chips present 4 threads to software, but only the i5-7500's are full cores.

Cache design favors the G7400 heavily at the per-core level: 1.25 MB of L2 per core versus 256 KB per core on the i5-7500, and 80 KB of L1 per core versus 64 KB. Both share the same 6 MB of L3.

Platform features are the biggest practical divide. The G7400 sits on Socket 1700, supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, and offers PCIe Gen 5. The i5-7500 uses Socket 1151, DDR4 only, and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The G7400 also runs cooler on paper with a 46 W TDP versus 65 W, and pairs with UHD Graphics 710 rather than HD 630. Neither chip supports ECC or has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The data points to the G7400 for almost everyone choosing between the two today. It wins the overall average score (8515 vs 8208), sits at the same 64th percentile, wins every rendering and single-thread test, and brings a materially newer platform: faster PCIe, DDR5 support, and lower TDP. Its launch MSRP was $74. Users with heavy compression or extended-instruction workloads are the exception, where the i5-7500's four physical cores deliver measurable wins of roughly 13 to 30 percent in those specific tests.

Context from the rival data reinforces how close these two are overall: the G7400's nearest rivals include the Core i5-8265U and Core i7-10510U, while the i5-7500 clusters with the Xeon Gold 5318Y, AMD EPYC 7302, and Core i3-8100, all within about 1 percent of its average score.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall? A: The Pentium Gold G7400, with an average benchmark score of 8515 versus 8208 for the Core i5-7500, and wins in 14 of 17 head-to-head tests.

Q: How big is the single-core gap? A: The G7400 scores 2982 in Passmark single-thread against 2253 for the i5-7500, a 32.4 percent advantage for the newer chip.

Q: Does the older quad-core win anything? A: Yes. The i5-7500 wins Passmark data compression by 12.8 percent, extended instructions by 29.9 percent, and random string sorting by 28.2 percent, all workloads that favor its four physical cores.

Q: Can both chips use the same motherboard? A: No. The G7400 requires Socket 1700; the i5-7500 requires Socket 1151. No cross-compatibility exists between them.

Q: Which supports newer memory and storage? A: The G7400 supports DDR4 and DDR5 with PCIe Gen 5, while the i5-7500 is DDR4 only with PCIe Gen 3, 16 lanes from the CPU.

Q: Which uses less power? A: The G7400, with a TDP of 46 W compared to 65 W for the i5-7500.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Rendering is a clean sweep for the G7400. In Cinebench R23 it posts 5700 multi-core and 804 single-core against the i5-7500's 5133 and 724, winning both by 11 percent. Cinebench R20 shows the same pattern: 2394 vs 2155 multi-core (11.1 percent) and 337 vs 304 single-core (10.9 percent). Cinebench R15 repeats it at 574 vs 517 and 80 vs 72, both around 11 percent.

The Passmark suite is where the i5-7500 gets its wins. Data compression goes to the i5-7500 at 83250 vs 72591, a 12.8 percent margin. Extended instructions is its biggest victory: 6971 vs 4887, a 29.9 percent gap. Random string sorting also favors the quad-core, 10134 vs 7278, or 28.2 percent.

Everything else belongs to the G7400. The standout is data encryption at 3694 vs 1817, more than double the i5-7500's score (103.3 percent ahead), a result of the newer architecture's cryptographic throughput. Integer math goes to the G7400 18675 to 15768 (18.4 percent), physics 575 to 471 (22.1 percent), floating point math 14458 to 13174 (9.7 percent), and prime number finding 33 to 28 (17.9 percent). The overall Passmark multithread score lands at 6704 for the G7400 versus 6028 for the i5-7500, an 11.2 percent win for the dual-core.

The pattern is consistent: architecture beats core count in general workloads, and core count only wins when a test is specifically built around throughput across physical cores.

Specification Differences

| Field | Pentium Gold G7400 | Core i5-7500 |

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

| Architecture | Alder Lake (Alder Lake-S) | Kaby Lake |

| Process node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| Cores / Threads | 2 cores, 4 threads | 4 cores, 4 threads |

| Base clock | 3.70 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost clock | Not listed | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 46 W | 65 W |

| Socket | 1700 | 1151 |

| L1 cache | 80 KB per core | 64 KB per core |

| L2 cache | 1.25 MB per core | 256 KB per core |

| L3 cache | 6 MB shared | 6 MB shared |

| Memory | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 only |

| Memory bandwidth | Not listed | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 5 | Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 710 | HD 630 |

| Release date | 2022-01-03 | 2017-01-02 |

| Launch MSRP | $74 | Not listed |

| Part number | SRL66 | SR335 |

Shared traits: both are Intel desktop parts, dual-channel memory, no ECC, locked multipliers, and both listed as Active in production. The differences boil down to one trade: the G7400 offers newer silicon, a newer platform, and higher per-core speed, while the i5-7500 offers four physical cores on an older, DDR4-only platform. The benchmark data says the G7400's advantages win that trade far more often than not.