Intel Core i5-9400F vs Intel Core i7-10750H Comparison

The Intel Core i5-9400F and Intel Core i7-10750H represent two distinct Intel designs separated by a generation and a market segment, yet their aggregate benchmark scores place them in an unexpectedly tight race. The i5-9400F averages 13,041 points across all tests, while the i7-10750H sits marginally behind at 13,024, a difference of just 0.1%. Both processors land in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, indicating they occupy a similar performance tier despite their architectural differences. The head-to-head data, however, tells a more lopsided story: the i7-10750H wins 18 of 19 benchmark comparisons, with the i5-9400F claiming only a single victory. This disconnect between aggregate parity and per-test dominance stems from the i7's additional threads and higher boost clock, which shine in threaded workloads, while the i5's lower power envelope and desktop orientation keep its average competitive.

The Verdict

The data points toward the Intel Core i7-10750H as the stronger overall performer for most users. Its 12 threads, versus the i5-9400F's 6, deliver substantial multi-threaded advantages in nearly every benchmark category. The i7 leads by 17.3% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,718 vs 8,040) and by 34.2% in PassMark integer math (39,730 vs 26,155), making it the clear choice for rendering, compilation, or any workload that scales with thread count. Single-thread performance also favors the i7, which posts a 17.4% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core (138 vs 114) and a 7.5% lead in PassMark single-thread (2,625 vs 2,428), thanks to its 5.00 GHz boost clock versus the i5's 4.10 GHz.

The i5-9400F, however, is not without merit. It wins the PassMark extended instructions test by 11.6% (11,684 vs 10,470), a niche but notable advantage for workloads utilizing those instruction sets. Its 65 W TDP, while higher than the i7's 45 W, reflects a desktop part designed for sustained operation rather than mobile power constraints. For a system builder prioritizing a desktop platform with a socketed CPU (Intel Socket 1151), the i5 offers a viable path, though the benchmark data shows it trails in the vast majority of scenarios. The i7-10750H, despite being a mobile part on Intel BGA 1440, delivers superior performance across the board, making it the better pick for raw compute power—provided the user can accommodate its mobile platform requirements.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs share a fundamental design lineage but diverge in critical ways. Both use Intel's 14 nm process node and are manufactured by Intel, but the i5-9400F is based on the Coffee Lake architecture (specifically Coffee Lake Refresh), while the i7-10750H employs Comet Lake-H. The core counts are identical at 6, but the i7 doubles the thread count to 12 through Hyper-Threading, a feature absent on the i5. This thread advantage is the single largest architectural differentiator and explains the i7's dominance in multi-threaded benchmarks.

Cache allocation also differs. The i7 carries 12 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to the i5's 9 MB, a 33% increase that aids in data-heavy workloads. L1 and L2 caches are identical at 64 KB and 256 KB per core, respectively. The i7's boost clock reaches 5.00 GHz, a full 900 MHz higher than the i5's 4.10 GHz, while its base clock is lower at 2.60 GHz versus 2.90 GHz. This aggressive boost behavior, typical of mobile parts designed to burst under short thermal headroom, gives the i7 a significant single-thread edge in short-duration tasks.

The i7-10750H integrates UHD Graphics, whereas the i5-9400F has no integrated graphics—a crucial difference for systems without a discrete GPU. The i7's memory bandwidth is rated higher at 46.9 GB/s versus the i5's 42.7 GB/s, though both support DDR4 on a dual-channel bus. Both CPUs run on Gen 3 PCIe with 16 lanes (CPU only), and neither supports ECC memory. The i7 is a mobile part (Intel BGA 1440) with a 45 W TDP, while the i5 is a desktop part (Intel Socket 1151) with a 65 W TDP. The i7 remains in active production, while the i5 is end-of-life, and the i7 was released over a year later (April 2020 vs January 2019).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-10750H's clean sweep of the Cinebench suite is striking. Across R15, R20, and R23, the i7 leads by a consistent 17.3-17.4% in both multi-core and single-core tests. The R23 multi-core score of 9,718 versus 8,040 highlights a 1,678-point gap, while the single-core margin of 237 points (1,372 vs 1,135) shows the i7's boost clock advantage. Geekbench results are closer: the i7 wins multi-core by 8.4% (5,574 vs 5,106) and single-core by 5.2% (1,417 vs 1,344), indicating that Geekbench's workload mix narrows the thread-count gap.

PassMark tests reveal the i7's largest margin and the i5's sole victory. The i7 crushes the i5 in integer math by 34.2% (39,730 vs 26,155), a delta of 13,575 points that underscores the value of additional threads for integer operations. Data compression sees a 20.5% lead (167,213 vs 132,877), and random string sorting shows a 23.9% advantage (21,416 vs 16,298). Data encryption is 26.2% faster (3,930 vs 2,902), and multithread performance overall is 18.6% higher (11,616 vs 9,455). Floating-point math favors the i7 by 10.4% (25,070 vs 22,465), and physics by 6.7% (700 vs 653). The i5's only win comes in extended instructions, where it posts 11,684 versus 10,470, an 11.6% edge. Find prime numbers is nearly tied at 39 vs 38, a 2.6% margin for the i7.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge across nearly every specification field. The i5-9400F offers 6 cores and 6 threads, while the i7-10750H provides 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks differ: 2.90 GHz for the i5 versus 2.60 GHz for the i7, but the boost clocks reverse the order—4.10 GHz versus 5.00 GHz. TDP values are 65 W for the desktop i5 and 45 W for the mobile i7. Sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 for the i5, Intel BGA 1440 for the i7. The i5 uses Coffee Lake architecture and belongs to the Core i5 (Coffee Lake Refresh) generation, while the i7 uses Comet Lake and belongs to the Core 10th Gen / Comet Lake-H series. L3 cache is 9 MB on the i5 versus 12 MB on the i7. Memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s versus 46.9 GB/s. The i5 has no integrated graphics; the i7 includes UHD Graphics. Market segments are Desktop versus Mobile, production status is End-of-life versus Active, and release dates are January 2019 versus April 2020. Both share the same process node (14 nm), foundry (Intel), L1 and L2 cache sizes (64 KB and 256 KB per core), memory support (DDR4), memory bus (Dual-channel), ECC support (false), PCIe configuration (Gen 3, 16 Lanes CPU only), and locked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i7-10750H dominates multi-core tests. It leads by 17.3% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,718 vs 8,040) and by 18.6% in PassMark multithread (11,616 vs 9,455). The i7's 12 threads versus the i5's 6 provide the primary advantage.

Q: Does the i5-9400F win any benchmark comparisons?

A: Yes, the i5-9400F wins a single test: PassMark extended instructions, posting 11,684 versus the i7's 10,470, an 11.6% margin. This is the only head-to-head victory among 19 benchmarks.

Q: How do their single-core performances compare?

A: The i7-10750H is consistently faster in single-core tests. It leads by 17.4% in Cinebench R15 single-core (138 vs 114) and by 7.5% in PassMark single-thread (2,625 vs 2,428). The i7's 5.00 GHz boost clock versus the i5's 4.10 GHz drives this gap.

Q: What are the differences in cache and memory bandwidth?

A: The i7-10750H has 12 MB of shared L3 cache versus 9 MB on the i5-9400F, and its memory bandwidth is rated at 46.9 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s. Both have identical L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core) caches and support dual-channel DDR4.

Q: Do both CPUs include integrated graphics?

A: No. The i7-10750H includes UHD Graphics, while the i5-9400F has no integrated graphics. A discrete GPU is required for display output on a system using the i5.

Q: Which processor has a higher TDP?

A: The i5-9400F has a TDP of 65 W, while the i7-10750H is rated at 45 W. Despite the higher power draw, the i5 is a desktop part, whereas the i7 is designed for mobile platforms with more constrained thermal budgets.