Intel Core i7-10710U vs Intel Core i7-5950HQ Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark record for these two mobile processors is decisively one-sided. The Intel Core i7-10710U wins all six recorded head-to-head comparisons, spanning the entire Cinebench suite from R15 through R23. The Intel Core i7-5950HQ does not register a single victory in any recorded test. This does not mean the older Broadwell part is without merit, but its strengths are contextual rather than competitive in raw rendering workloads.

The Intel Core i7-10710U establishes its advantage through a combination of higher core count and significantly higher boost clock. With six cores and twelve threads, it outnumbers the i7-5950HQ's four cores and eight threads. Its boost clock reaches 4.70 GHz against 3.80 GHz for the older chip. The data shows the i7-10710U wins by roughly 19% across every Cinebench iteration, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded. The consistency of that margin, from 19.2% to 19.6%, indicates the newer processor's advantage scales evenly across workload types rather than favoring one specific execution mode.

The i7-5950HQ, by contrast, holds its ground in the database's percentile ranking despite the losses. Both processors sit at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are close: 2248 for the i7-10710U versus 2158 for the i7-5950HQ. The older chip's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-10200H (0.2% higher average), the Intel Core i5-7640X (0.4% lower), the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X (0.5% higher), and the Intel Core i5-1145G7E (0.7% lower). These adjacent scores suggest the i7-5950HQ remains competitive against a broad swath of mid-range processors, even if it cannot match its newer counterpart.

The i7-10710U's nearest rival cluster tells a similar story. It sits within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, the Intel Core i5-9400, the Intel Xeon D-1715TER, and the Intel Core i7-1068NG7. Both chips occupy the same performance tier in the overall database, but the i7-10710U does so with a clear internal advantage over the i7-5950HQ.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and target different mobile segments. The Intel Core i7-10710U belongs to the Core 10th Gen family, built on the Comet Lake architecture with the Comet Lake-U codename. The Intel Core i7-5950HQ belongs to the Broadwell generation, using the Broadwell-H codename. Both are manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process node, so the transistor geometry is identical. The Broadwell part is older, with a release date of June 2015, while the Comet Lake part arrived in August 2019.

Core topology differs substantially. The i7-10710U provides six physical cores and twelve threads, while the i7-5950HQ provides four physical cores and eight threads. Cache allocation follows the core count. The i7-10710U has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-5950HQ also has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but its shared L3 cache is 6 MB, exactly half the newer chip's allocation.

Clock speeds move in opposite directions relative to power. The i7-10710U has a base clock of 1100.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 25 W TDP. The i7-5950HQ has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, with a 47 W TDP. The newer chip draws substantially less power at the package level while boosting to a much higher frequency, which reflects the efficiency gains of the later architecture revision.

Memory support also diverges. The i7-10710U supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, while the i7-5950HQ supports only DDR3. The i7-5950HQ does have a documented dual-channel memory bus and a memory bandwidth figure of 29.9 GB/s, plus a PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes available from the CPU. The i7-10710U's memory bus and bandwidth are not recorded in the database, and its PCIe configuration is likewise unspecified, so no direct comparison is possible on those fields.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The i7-10710U carries UHD Graphics, while the i7-5950HQ carries Iris Pro Graphics 6200. Both are mobile parts, both are end-of-life in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The i7-5950HQ has a larger die size at 182 mm², while the i7-10710U's die size is not recorded. The i7-5950HQ also has a part number (SR2BJ) in the database, while the i7-10710U does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite provides the complete head-to-head record for these two processors, and the results are uniform. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-10710U scores 783 against 656 for the i7-5950HQ, a 19.4% advantage. In R15 single-core, the scores are 110 and 92, a 19.6% edge. The single-core margin is the largest of any recorded test, driven by the i7-10710U's 4.70 GHz boost ceiling versus the i7-5950HQ's 3.80 GHz.

Cinebench R20 shows the same pattern. Multi-core results are 3265 for the i7-10710U and 2736 for the i7-5950HQ, a 19.3% delta. Single-core results are 460 and 386, a 19.2% delta. The R23 iteration repeats the margin: 7774 versus 6516 in multi-core (19.3%), and 1097 versus 920 in single-core (19.2%). The consistency of these margins across three Cinebench versions, each with different workload scaling and scoring, suggests the performance gap is structural rather than test-specific.

The i7-5950HQ's additional benchmark entries, Geekbench multi-core at 4601 and single-core at 1353, have no corresponding i7-10710U results in the database, so no direct comparison is possible on that platform. The recorded data therefore contains six head-to-head comparisons, and the i7-10710U wins all six. The i7-5950HQ's average benchmark score of 2158, however, is not far behind the i7-10710U's 2248, a difference of 90 points or roughly 4%. The head-to-head deltas are larger than the average-score gap because the Cinebench suite amplifies the core-count and clock-speed differences, while the average includes other workloads where the two chips are closer.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-10710U has six cores and twelve threads. The Intel Core i7-5950HQ has four cores and eight threads.

Q: How large is the performance difference in Cinebench R23?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i7-10710U scores 7774 against 6516 for the i7-5950HQ, a 19.3% advantage. In single-core, the i7-10710U scores 1097 against 920, a 19.2% edge.

Q: Do both processors use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are built on Intel's 14 nm process node. The i7-10710U uses the Comet Lake architecture, while the i7-5950HQ uses the Broadwell architecture.

Q: Which processor supports more memory types?

A: The i7-10710U supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory. The i7-5950HQ supports only DDR3.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The i7-10710U has a 25 W TDP, while the i7-5950HQ has a 47 W TDP.

Q: What are the boost clock speeds?

A: The i7-10710U boosts to 4.70 GHz, while the i7-5950HQ boosts to 3.80 GHz.

Specification Differences

Cores: The i7-10710U has 6 cores, the i7-5950HQ has 4 cores.

Threads: The i7-10710U has 12 threads, the i7-5950HQ has 8 threads.

Base Clock: The i7-10710U has a base clock of 1100.00 MHz, the i7-5950HQ has a base clock of 2.90 GHz.

Boost Clock: The i7-10710U boosts to 4.70 GHz, the i7-5950HQ boosts to 3.80 GHz.

TDP: The i7-10710U is rated at 25 W, the i7-5950HQ at 47 W.

Socket: The i7-10710U uses Intel BGA 1440, the i7-5950HQ uses Intel BGA 1364.

Architecture: The i7-10710U uses Comet Lake (Comet Lake-U), the i7-5950HQ uses Broadwell (Broadwell-H).

Generation: The i7-10710U is Core i7 (Comet Lake-U), the i7-5950HQ is Core i7 (Broadwell-H).

L3 Cache: The i7-10710U has 12 MB shared, the i7-5950HQ has 6 MB shared.

Memory Support: The i7-10710U supports DDR3 and DDR4, the i7-5950HQ supports DDR3 only.

Memory Bus: The i7-10710U has no recorded memory bus, the i7-5950HQ has dual-channel.

Memory Bandwidth: The i7-10710U has no recorded bandwidth, the i7-5950HQ has 29.9 GB/s.

PCIe: The i7-10710U has no recorded PCIe configuration, the i7-5950HQ has Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

Integrated Graphics: The i7-10710U has UHD Graphics, the i7-5950HQ has Iris Pro Graphics 6200.

Release Date: The i7-10710U was released on 2019-08-20, the i7-5950HQ on 2015-06-01.

Die Size: The i7-10710U has no recorded die size, the i7-5950HQ has 182 mm².

Part Number: The i7-10710U has no recorded part number, the i7-5950HQ has SR2BJ.

Launch MSRP: The i7-10710U has no listed launch MSRP. The i7-5950HQ has a launch MSRP of $623.